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This Page Last Updated:  April 20, 2010


        The following are some of the known "major" references to material on our web site that we've located.  There have been additional mentions on various forums and we regularly receive praise in random e-mails offering new information, correction or questions.  Members of our club receive favorable mention about this web site during our near-annual Spring trip to the Los Angeles area for the California Bonsai Society show and bonsai nurseries.



        In an interesting roundabout, the brief biography for Richard Gordon Smith in the new edition of his Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan, republished by Forgotten Books in 2008, pp. vii-viii, is credited to phoenixbonsai.com.  Our info, of course, was from Gordon Smith's late published diaries, as found here.

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        The Historical dictionary of Japanese traditional theatre by Samuel L. Leiter (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2006), lists our Hachi-No-Ki page on pg. 533 of its Bibliography.

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        The November/December 2009 issue of East Rand Bonsai Kai's Newsletter, pp. 2-3 includes three excerpts from our November and December Book of Days listings.

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        A page and a half review of some of the wonders of our web site can be found in the July/August 2009 issue of Golden States Bonsai Federation's Golden Statements, pp. 15-16, with eight links to and six graphics from the web site.

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        Jessika Toothman's article What's the difference between bonsai and topiary? for the website Howthingswork? on 10/10/2008 referenced our "The Big Picture: A Summary of the History of Magical Miniature Landscapes" page.

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        For the sidebox "An American Bonsai Master" to Sara Elliott's article How bonsai works for the website Howthingswork? on 09/08/2008 our "John Yoshio Naka" page was referenced.

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        Our Paintings page(s) was named "Bonsai Site of the Month -- March 2008" by the Wirral Bonsai Society (Birkenhead, Merseyside, UK), "Click on the link above for a journey into the visual history of bonsai pictures - as depicted in scrolls, woodblock prints and paintings."

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        The August 2007 edition of the Ann Arbor Bonsai Society newsletter page 9 includes an article by Mike Simmons, "Bonsai Notables on the Internet," about bonsai stamps, of course, referencing our pages.

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        Less a kudo than a July 22, 2007 professional listing with the Arts and Humanities service of Intute which offers an easy-to-use and powerful tool for discovering the best Internet resources for education and research in Creative Arts and Humanities.

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        For her May 2007 project in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Broadcast Journalism, Gabrielle Michelle Brick's Barbed Wire and Beauty: A History of Bonsai in Southern California used our John Naka biography as one of her information sources.

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        The Coconino Institute of Technology (CIT) is a school within a school at Coconino High School in Flagstaff, AZ.  Its American Gardening Tour Virtual Field Trip begins with the Phoenix Bonsai Society.

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        The Chattanooga State Technical Community College uses us as an example for correct American Psychological Association style citation for World Wide Web sites, http://library.chattanoogastate.edu/research/apawebexamples.pdf.

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        See also this Internet Bonsai Club exchange from Jan. 16, 2007 about the historical research on our web site.

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        In June 2006, the Art of Bonsai Website put up a copy of our article "Pen, The Origins of the Shallow Tray" (reproduced with permission) for which there is a forum for additional comments.

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        "Visiting your website (phoenixbonsai.com) is liking dipping a toe in a deep pool and wondering at its depth http://www.phoenixbonsai.com/SiteMap.html."
Chris Cochrane, in post to Internet Bonsai Club, December 23, 2005

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        "Magical Miniature Landscapes: The Comprehensive History of Bonsai, at: http://www.phoenixbonsai.com/BonsaiHistory.html    Unlike most grandly titled projects like this, Baran's work lives up to the billing."
Alan Walker, former BCI president, in post to Internet Bonsai Club, December 15, 2005

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        "Your biography ( http://www.phoenixbonsai.com/KMurata.html ) will be the most helpful source of information for the better understanding of Kyuzo. I have included the link.   http://www.iris.dti.ne.jp/~kyukaen/kyukaen/kyukaen-e.htm
With best regards. Kyuka-en Yukio MURATA"  
Personal correspondence of Kyuzo Murata's grandson with RJB, January 7, 2005

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        "When I visited your excellent site I was initially interested in the John Naka section. However, I read further and realised that your research into the history of Bonsai was the finest that I have ever read.  I am in the midst of writing a book on Bonsai, called Bonsai School, and I would like to enquire if you would allow me to use extracts from the historical sections to show the development of Bonsai in the Far East...
        "I do hope that you are able to assist me as, quite honestly, I now realise that anything I say about the historical aspects of Bonsai in Japan would simply be inadequate without your wonderful references."

Craig Coussins, Scottish bonsai master and author, www.bonsaiinformation.co.uk, in e-mail to RJB, November 21, 2001, for his book to be released Nov. 2002

        And so, pp. 26-36 of The Bonsai School are based on  ChineseSchools and pp. 37-39 are based on The Big Picture.

Craig's site includes a copy of the Chinese Schools page at http://www.bonsaiinformation.com/Penjing.htm

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        A review of Craig's book at 
http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/The%20Bonsai%20School%20Review.html includes "Parts One and Two of The Bonsai School deals [sic] with the basics of bonsai containing sound horticultural advice for both the novice and more experienced enthusiast alike. It also contains what has to be the most most comprehensive account of Bonsai through history I have seen by Robert J. Baran."

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        The first in-print reference to an article from the site was a sidebar on pg. 43 in Mary C. Miller's "Portulacaria afra, A Succulent In Tree Form," pp. 39-44 in the 2004-4 issue of Bonsai Today magazine, #68.  Our Portulacaria article was mentioned with its old users.uswest.net address.

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        "Just read your article on Portulacaria, all I can say is WOW."
James J. Smith, Vero Beach, FL, Portulacaria bonsai expert, in e-mail to RJB, August 20, 2000.  (As Jim supplied photographs and information for the above magazine article, he might have seen the web article during the story's writing.)

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        "I have just discovered your Website and have marvelled at the amount of information you have placed within.  The teaching sections, comprehensive history pages and book lists I think are very useful for others so I have linked to them from my History and How-to pages on my website - The Bonsai in Asia Guide Book - online at http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Palace/7574/..." 
John Oldland, Perth, Western Australia, in e-mail to RJB, January 23, 2000

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        "Bonsai in Period: Tray Plantings in Medieval Japan" by Lady Tsukime extensively cites this web site, although she refers to the older links to some of the pages.

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        "The Art and History of Bonsai" by Meagan Gates, Central Oregon Community College, Winter 2001, Humanities 201, Culture(s) & Literature(s) of Asia included a review of this web site.

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        The directory Suite101.com ("Real People Helping Real People") for the topic of Bonsai has 14 web sites chosen by David J. Brock  Number 11 is www.phoenixbonsai.com : "I include this website because of its outstanding pages devoted to the history of bonsai. This website is a great reference for understanding the history and development of bonsai."

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        Seasonal Care Information pages ( Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring ) for www.bonsaisite.com is based on our Seasonal Care Information.

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        Tasker, Georgia  "Bonsai! Passionate, near-obsessive devotion drives practioners of this ancient art," The Miami Herald, Herald.com, Oct. 13, 2002, cites our website.  Used material from The Big Picture page.

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        Cowing, Rev. Craig L.  "A Little Spot Enclosed by Grace: A Biblical Spirituality of Bonsai," World Bonsai Friendship Federation, http://www.bonsai-wbff.org/enclosedbygrace.shtml, cites our website for history of bonsai in the west.  Used material from Pre1945 Bibliography page.

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        "Collecting Team of Tahei Suzuki and His Brother Fukuji," Chapter V of "The Shimpaku Juniper: Its Secret History," World Bonsai Friendship Federation, http://www.bonsai-wbff.org/shimpaku/shim5.shtml, ends with a footnote concerning the famous shimpaku "Fudo," and refers readers to more information at www.phoenixbonsai.com/KMurata.html.

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        The website Dao House...Later Daoist History includes a link to Fei Jiang-fang: "Short essay by Robert J. Baran (Phoenix) tells the story of one of the immortal "Gourd Elders" and his magical miniature world."


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