#korean american literature

[have-you-read-this-short-fiction]

[biboocat]

It is a candid and heartfelt memoir by Michelle Zauner, a young musician and writer who is half Korean and half Jewish American. It’s a universally relatable story of a family’s love and loss, but has elements specifically relevant to those of Korean heritage. I grew up in the states without knowing Korean Americans outside my family, so I have been interested in reading the fiction and memoirs of the Korean diaspora and later generations of Korean Americans. Despite the difference in age my experiences closely resemble those of the author’s: the love of Korean food, one the strongest bonds that connect us to each other and our ancient past, the fiercely devoted, outspoken Korean mother, and the sadness of not knowing my Korean heritage better. It’s well written, often quite moving, and affirming.

P.S. Not emphasized here but the immigrant experience and the tragic legacy of the Korean War are the other frequent subjects I have encountered in Korean American literature.

[swansongofalyre]

Where to Find Memento Mori (Updated 9/11/2024)

On August 13, two days before 광복절 (Korean National Liberation Day), my debut novel was released. The book is about Korean-American family, and also about Greek mythology, and I promise this combination makes sense in the end. (For those who are curious, I wrote an uncharacteristically personal guest post for Women's Writers, Women's Books on the topic of what inspired me to write a Eurydice and Orpheus retelling about my Korean grandmother.)

It was surreal to go to a store the other day and see it on a table next to Salman Rushdie and other acclaimed writers. After 13 years of this story existing in some form, I'm so excited that this book is finally out—both because it is a beautiful book that I am proud of and that I hope you enjoy, and also because I would love to stop being my own publicist (it is VERY awkward).

So here is an omnibus post of book-related info that I will keep updated and pinned going forward to finally give the memento mori tag a rest. Below the cut, you will find a running list of indie bookstores and public libraries that I know carry my book. (If you have a New York Public Library card and have 5 minutes, I will love you forever if you would email your local branch to ask them to carry my book, thus fulfilling my lifelong dream of living in the NYPL.)

Also below are a few upcoming events at which I have been invited to speak!

Bookstores by State (as of 9/11/2024)

Search for your local bookstore here!

Arizona

Changing Hands Bookstore (Phoenix and Tempe)

California

Gallery Bookshop (Mendocino)

Timbre Books (Ventura) Sold out for now (but you can still order online)!

Indiana

The Press (Valparaiso)

Iowa

Prairie Lights Books (Iowa City)

Maine

Longfellow Books (Portland) Sold out for now (but you can still order online)!

Massachusetts

Nantucket Book Partners (Nantucket) Sold out for now (but you can still order online)!

Porter Square Books (Cambridge and Boston both back in stock!)

Missouri

Skylark Bookshop (Columbia)

Montana

Chapter One Book Store (Hamilton)

New Hampshire

Water Street Bookstore (Exeter)

New Jersey

Watchung Booksellers (Montclair)

New York

Astoria Bookshop (Queens, 1 signed copy left!)

Book Culture (Signed copies at the 112th St. and Broadway stores; also available at LIC and Pittsford Pittsford has sold out for now!)

Books are Magic (Brooklyn, at both Smith St. and Montague St.)

Market Block Books (Troy) Sold out for now (but you can still order online)!

Greenlight Bookstore (Brooklyn) Back in stock!

Shakespeare & Co (Manhattan, Lincoln Center has signed copies; Lexington also as copies back in stock)

Yu and Me Books (Manhattan; comes with bonus goodies, see below!)

North Carolina

Quail Ridge Books (Raleigh)

Oregon

Powell's (Burnside, Cedar Hills, and Hawthorne locations)

Rhode Island

Heartleaf Books (Providence)

Vermont

Phoenix Books (Burlington and Essex)

Washington, D.C.

Politics and Prose (at both CT Ave NW and Union Market)

Washington State

Elliott Bay Book Company (Seattle)

Wisconsin

Woodland Pattern (Milwaukee)

Libraries (as of 09/10/2024)

Worldcat Listings (Probably the most comprehensive)

Libby (for e-books)

California

Berkeley Public Library

Illinois

Chicago Public Library

Kentucky

Lexington Public Library

Maine

Portland Public Library (On Order)

Michigan

Canton Public Library (On Order)

New York

Greenburgh Public Library (Available)

New York Public Library (Available)

Queens Public Library (Available)

Texas

Harris County Public Library (In Processing)

Virginia

Arlington Public Library (In Processing)

Wisconsin

Whitefish Bay Public Library

Washington State

Seattle Public Library

Online

Bookshop.org (US)

Bookshop.org (UK)

Massive Bookshop (all profits go to community bail funds)

Barnes & Noble

Target

KYOBO 교보문고 (Korea)

Upcoming Events

September 3: Astoria Bookshop in conversation with Maia Lee-Chin for the release of her incredible book Et Cetera

September 22: Narrative Bookshop (Somerville, MA) in conversation with Maia Lee-Chin

September 28: Brooklyn Book Festival for a debut authors panel moderated by THEE Edwidge Danticat

October 17: Fall for the Book Festival in Fairfax, VA for a panel on mythology with Rania Hanna, the amazing author of The Jinn Daughter

[mimi-0007]

Jesse L Brown. American aviator. United States Navy. Devotion movie. Korean war

[msdk-00]

do you think if i knock on the embassy door and break down and cry they'll accept me for the gks scholarship. i mean im writing the fuck out of this essay but i fear that might not be enough

[selfieignite]

May 16, 2023

John Cho was a guest speaker at UC Berkeley’s English department graduation

It’s also his alma mater where he received his BA in English literature.

[x] [x]

[baroque-hashem]

Author Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, in 1979.  Photograph by James Cha

[gozdziak]

Just finished reading Free Food For Millionaires by Min Jin Lee. This is not the first book of hers I read. I also read Pachinko (and if I can get over my aversion to Lee Min Ho, I might even watch the drama). I think she can conjure great plots but her language is not memorable. Maybe the plots overshadow the language … the plot details make you go on (just like when you are binge watching k-dramas), but never make you want to stop and savor the writing style.

[bestfriendsturnedhaters]

Cover Art for "Untitled: Best Friends Turned Haters" by hardsoo (@hardsoowrites)

Summary:

What happens when the person you love makes you hate the person you are? Can you come to love yourself without hating them? This is a story about two friends who love each other deeply but are too young to know how to love each other properly. Hell, they can hardly love themselves properly. They share a passion for writing that consumes them both but in different ways. Minjung has always loved writing but needs to build the confidence. Verise has always had the confidence but struggles to enjoy writing like she used to. As the two navigate their ways through their formative undergraduate years, they learn a lot of things the hard way.

Links:

Ao3

Wattpad

Genre: Original Fiction - General, Literary, Realistic, New Adult Status: WIP Rating: Mature CW: Rating Creep; Toxicity; Drug Abuse; Alcohol Abuse; Addiction; Self Harm Awareness; Underage Drinking; Codependency; Obsession; Jealousy; Involuntary Hold AKA 5150 (See Tags on Ao3/Wattpad For More)

[hollymbryan]

Blog Tour: Top 5 Reasons to Read THE COLLIDING WORLDS OF MINA LEE by Ellen Oh! #tbrbeyondtours

Welcome to Book-Keeping and my stop on the TBR and Beyond Tours blog tour for The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee by Ellen Oh! This contemporary YA released yesterday, 23 January. I've got all the details for you below, along with my top 5 reasons to read this one!

About the Book

title: The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee author: Ellen Oh publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers release date: 23 January 2024

When a Korean American teenage artist gets sucked into the world of her own web comic, she must find a way out with the help of a cute boy all while facing off against a villainous corporation. Inspired by the A-ha’s “Take on Me” music video, this entertaining YA novel is a grounded speculative fiction adventure from the co-founder of We Need Diverse Books. Mina has become the hero of her own story. Literally. When Mina Lee woke up on Saturday morning for SAT prep, she did NOT expect to: 1. Nearly be fried by a superhero who turned out to be a supervillain. 2. Come face to face with Jin, the handsome boy of her dreams. 3. Discover a conspiracy involving the evil corporation Merco that she created. And it’s all happening in her fictional world. Mina is trapped in the story she created. Now it’s up to her to save everyone. Even if it means losing Jin forever. From the award-winning author of Finding Junie Kim and co-founder of We Need Diverse Books, Ellen Oh. In the speculative fiction adventure Colliding Worlds, a teenage artist grapples with her first love, grief, and learning how to take charge of her own life.

Add to Goodreads: The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee Purchase the Book: Amazon | B&N | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Ellen Oh is a former adjunct college instructor and lawyer with an insatiable curiosity for ancient Asian history. She loves K-pop, K-dramas, and eating good food that someone else cooks for her. She is fueled by Diet Coke and Krispy Kreme donuts are her kryptonite. Ellen is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. Originally from New York City, Ellen lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, three children, two dogs, and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel.

Connect with Ellen: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Top 5 Reasons to Read

Colliding Worlds is a delightful young adult contemporary + speculative fiction book. Mina suddenly finds herself the main character in her own webcomic, having been transported into that world. She has to save everyone from a conspiracy involving an evil corporation that she made up!

The story is a realistic examination of the power of grief and how everyone grieves in their own way, and how those ways of grieving may be damaging to others.

Colliding Worlds is also both a celebration of Korean culture and an examination of the ways in which it can sometimes be harmful (as is the case with any culture).

The discussions of food will have you salivating!

Most of all, I loved the strong female friendships and relationships found in this book. Whether it's her Auntie or her best friends in real life and new friends in the webcomic, it's girls and women who always have Mina's back, no matter what.

I hope you will pick this one up! I mean, it's inspired by A-ha's "Take On Me" music video, which was an absolute staple of my tween years! How cool is that? I highly recommend this one!

Rating: 4 stars!

**Thank you to Crown BFYR and Ellen Oh for the finished copy, and to TBR and Beyond for having me on tour.

Be sure to check out the bookstagram tour as well! You can find my post here, and the full schedule is here.

[goryhorroor]

masterpost of horror lists

here are all my horror lists in one place to make it easier to find! enjoy!

sub-genres

action horror

analog horror

animal horror

animated horror

anthology horror

aquatic horror

apocalyptic horror

backwoods horror

bubblegum horror

campy horror

cannibal horror

children’s horror

comedy horror

coming-of-age horror

corporate/work place horror

cult horror

dance horror

dark comedy horror

daylight horror

death games

domestic horror

ecological horror

erotic horror

experimental horror

fairytale horror

fantasy horror

folk horror

found footage horror

giallo horror

gothic horror

grief horror

historical horror

holiday horror

home invasion horror

house horror

indie horror

isolation horror

insect horror

lgbtqia+ horror

lovecraftian/cosmic horror

medical horror

meta horror

monster horror

musical horror

mystery horror

mythological horror

neo-monster horror

new french extremity horror

paranormal horror

political horror

psychedelic horror

psychological horror

religious horror

revenge horror

romantic horror

dramatic horror

science fiction horror

slasher

southern gothic horror

sov horror (shot-on-video)

splatter/body horror

survival horror

techno-horror

vampire horror

virus horror

werewolf horror

western horror

witch horror

zombie horror

horror plots/settings

road trip horror

summer camp horror

cave horror

doll horror

cinema horror

cabin horror

clown horror

wilderness horror

asylum horror

small town horror

college horror

plot devices

storm horror

from a child’s perspective

final girl/guy (this is slasher horror trope)

last guy/girl (this is different than final girl/guy)

reality-bending horror

slow burn horror

possession

pregnancy horror

foreign horror or non-american horror

african horror

spanish horror

middle eastern horror

korean horror

japanese horror

british horror

german horror

indian horror

thai horror

irish horror

scottish horror

slavic horror (kinda combined a bunch of countries for this)

chinese horror

french horror

australian horror

canadian horror

decades

silent era

30s horror

40s horror

50s horror

60s horror

70s horror

80s horror

90s horror

2000s horror

2010s horror

2020s horror

companies/services

blumhouse horror

a24 horror

ghosthouse horror

shudder horror

other lists

horror literature to movies

techno-color horror movies

video game to horror movie adaption

video nasties

female directed horror

my 130 favorite horror movies

horror movies critics hated because they’re stupid

horror remakes/sequels that weren’t bad

female villains in horror

horror movies so bad they’re good

non-horror movies that feel like horror movies

directors + their favorite horror movies + directors in the notes

tumblr’s favorite horror movie (based off my poll)

horror movie plot twists

cult classic horror movies

essential underrated horror films

worst horror movie husbands

religious horror that isn’t christianity 

black horror movies

extreme horror (maybe use this as an avoid list)

horror shorts

[lilmackiereads]

IF I HAD YOUR FACE (2020) BY FRANCES CHA - SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW

A couple months back I finished If I Had Your Face (2020) by Frances Cha. I was drawn in by the gorgeous magenta and yellow cover of a lovely Korean woman looking lost in thought. This review will discuss my thoughts on plot and characters and there WILL BE SPOILERS. For a Spoiler-Free Review click here.

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The story relates the lives of five young Korean women in Seoul who each have their own personal and family hardships. The main ladies we receive first-person narration from are Ara, a mute hairstylist with a tragic past and a K-pop obsession, Kyuri, a room salon worker who knows all the coolest plastic surgery and fashion trends, Miho, a Korean-American artist who made her way out of an orphanage, and Wonna, a newlywed facing the uncertainty of motherhood. While there are five main storylines we hear about, one of the women, Sujin, does not get any chapter narration and thus we can only discover her story via the observation of the other women in the group. An orphan who grew up with Miho, Sujin is saving up to be like her role-model, Kyuri, in hopes to be considered rich and beautiful by South Korean standards. I like that this story brings together friendship through hardship and fun as well as talking about economic strife and the harsh standards of beauty, marriage, and motherhood expected in their society as women struggling to balance modern and traditional values.

I do not know a whole lot about Asian culture, let alone South Korean culture, so some of the cultural standards seemed very strange to me. For instance, plastic surgery is not considered taboo/ high maintenance/ unnatural in South Korea as it is in many parts of the United States. Rather, it's encouraged as a way to compete for better opportunities in romance and the workplace. Due to this, I feel like I was able to relate to Miho the most because she is Korean-born but spent a few years in the United States as a young adult and is considered the "odd" one of the group due to her American customs and opinions on individuality (American belief) vs community (Asian belief). While I liked Miho a lot, some of her decisions made me CRINGE. The biggest Miho cringe moment for me was when she kissed Ruby's boyfriend, Hanbin, at a party and then started a relationship with him after Ruby completed suicide. I do love when she gets revenge on Hanbin for cheating on her with one of Kyuri's friends, but I wish we had actually seen the revenge go down instead of hearing it from the perspective of someone other than Miho. Also, her art sounds eerily pretty. It would be cool to see if this becomes a film.

My favorite character was Ara because I feel like she had a lot of spunk and I feel like she and I have similar interests and reactions to life's challenges. I used to be super obsessed with a few rock and pop bands from the ages of about 12 to 22 and the boys in the band were allllll I could think about. Also, she and I both dye our hair bright colors which is fun. Also, we were both "edgy" teens, but luckily for me I wasn't in a gang like Ara.

The most heart-breaking story for me was Wonna. After three miscarriages and her terribly abusive past with her grandmother, her anxiety about becoming a mother was gut-wrenching.

Kyuri and Sujin were ok, but I feel like their characters revolved so heavily around working in the salon room and getting plastic surgery that there was not a lot of other interesting things happening in their lives in my opinion. Reading their sections just made me kind of sad to be honest because they were so pretty on the outside but so sad and ashamed on the inside. I do feel really bad for Kyrui though because I do think she is a really good friend and daughter by always being there emotionally and financially. It was hard seeing her trapped in a horrible job situation that keeps her in debt, constantly intoxicated, and feeling lonely. It was sad when she fell in lust (she thought it was love but I'm saying lust because he didn't reciprocate the feelings toward her) with one of her clients. It must be really hard for a woman in the sex and escort industry to find a partner who respects and values her for more than her body. :( I am proud of her for leaving the salon in the end and starting her path as a career woman, even if it is in the plastic surgery office.

This book reminds me a lot of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which I have not read but I have seen both films. However, I think this story relates on a lot darker topics, such as body modification, physical-emotional-and mental abuse, working in the sex and escort industry, suicide, adultery, and alcoholism.

Would I read this book again?

Probably not because I think the story ended with a lot of my questions unanswered. Also, the backstories on most of the women are pretty depressing. However, I think it is a very interesting book and is worth the read, especially if you are interested in Korean culture.

[swansongofalyre]

Cover Reveal + Preorder!

Don't look back.

Did Eurydice want to return from the underworld? Did anybody ask?

Weaving together Greek mythology, neuroscience, and memories inherited from her Korean grandparents, the narrator grapples with death by telling stories to her younger brother that ask what life means for him, for her, and for their family.

Recasting the myths of Eurydice, Orpheus, Persephone, and Hades through the lens of a Korean American family, Eunice Hong's debut novel explores the grief and love of a woman coming to terms with trauma, memory, and the inescapability of death.

Release Date: August 13, 2024

Preorder at Bookshop, Target, and Barnes & Noble, among other places!

[blacktabbygames]

We're thrilled to announce that we've wrapped principal development work on Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut. We'll be releasing it this Fall (date TBD) so we can simultaneous ship the update with both the game's console release (surprise!) as well as official subtitling support for 11 new languages, all with the help of our wonderful new partners at Serenity Forge (who you might know from their publishing work on Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!)

There's a lot for us to share about The Pristine Cut, but before we get into the details, please check out our new trailer!

Here's what we've got coming for you: Content

For those of you who are just now hearing about The Pristine Cut, it's an entirely free director's cut of the game that adds about 35% more content on top of the initial release.

This includes massive expansions to The Den, The Apotheosis, and The Fury routes, each of which is over three times bigger than their release versions, with tons of variations to discover across multiple playthroughs.

On top of this, we're adding three brand new chapter three routes that will add even more depth to your stories with The Damsel, The Prisoner, and The Spectre.

And we're adding a new ending.

All in all, these additions come to over 2,500 new voice lines, over 1,200 new hand-drawn illustrations, and over 15 new tracks of music.

We're also adding an extensive CG gallery with over 400 unlocks to help all you completionists track your progress, complete with cryptic hints to help you discover some of the game's more obscure and buried interactions.

Languages

And all of this is coming with a giant wave of localization support, covering the following languages: Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, German, Russian, Spanish (Latin American), Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, and Polish. These localizations are just going to cover subtitles, so we can be as thorough as possible about maintaining the quality of Jonny and Nichole's performances.

Consoles, Physical Release and New Merch

With the help of Serenity Forge, we’re bringing Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut to every major current console — Nintendo Switch, PS4 + 5, and Xbox.

And these won’t just be available as digital downloads. You’ll also be able to pick up a physical edition for the Switch and PS5, with an exclusive sticker sheet and a download code for the game’s soundtrack.

And if that’s not enough we’re also doing a Collector’s Edition, complete with a 7 inch statue of the Princess, a mirror with a lenticular lens, an acrylic standee, and more.

And finally (for now), we’re launching the first wave of new line of sticker sheets, featuring chibi art of the Princesses as seen in The Pristine Cut’s new gallery. Pre-order them now at Topatoco!

Alongside these developments, we've also launched a new website for the game: check out slaytheprincess.com where you can order the physical editions, check out merch, and more!

Thank you so much for your patience while we've worked to make The Pristine Cut the definitive version of Slay the Princess. We can't wait to share all of the game's new stories with you this Fall.

Until then, we're back to working full-time on the next Episode of Scarlet Hollow (and have been for about a few weeks now!)

Best, Abby and Tony

[daegu-based-terrorist]

I think a lot of people misunderstand why we talk about both racism and anti communism when discussing anti north korean sentiment. I do understand why people don’t think the racism aspect is all that important to emphasise, after all Samsung Republic is probably the north’s greatest detractor and the most vile anti North Korean scumbags can all be found on this side of the DMZ.

However I think it’s also a failing to not recognise that alot of the anti North Korean sentiment that comes from outside of Korea utilises anti Korean racism.

(South) Koreans are a great example of the “model minority” * huges swaths of our popular culture has been exported and deliberately changed for the consumption of the white westerner. Koreans in the American diaspora have often taken to becoming members of the petty bourgeois, and for some reason, doing this. South Korea is a hyper capitalist military state and uses Korean culture as a product to be sold to casual enjoyers and fetishists a like. New developments in popular tourist cities may as well cater towards the white expat/tourist’s gaze. Korean Americans have delighted in and actively encouraged the proximity to whiteness they gain by being neither black, native american or one of the “bad asians” (south, west ect.)

The dprk, and by extension, it’s people, destroy the shaky foundations all of these myths are based on. So despite being the same ethnicity, North Koreans aren’t given the privilege of proximity to whiteness, or treated as if they are almost honorary Europeans.

The Korean of the north is still a uncivilised dog eating animal who doesn’t know what is good for them and should either be saved by the benevolent American army or put out of their misery if the first option fails to materialise.

If we were to overthrow the ROK government today and reunite with the DPRK under the current North Korean government, South Koreans would be treated with as much vitriol as those of us from and/or in the north.

Because as affective as anti communist propaganda is, the fact that white people already viewed Koreans as docile, unintelligent people, really helped in promoting the idea that North Koreans are unable to think for themselves or have any sort of agency/autonomy.

Idk. I’ve been awake for two days straight and feel like I’ve written this weirdly so please as for any clarification. I’m exhausted lol

* (now please correct anything that I say wrong here, I’m not American so I’ve only understood this threw literature and the stories and anecdotes of other Korean comrades)