LTI Korea 
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Book For You
[Book for You] I'm not sure if I will be living long term in Korea
Jeong Ji Hye(Jeong): Hello. I am Jeong Ji Hye, and I will be giving book prescriptions under Book for You, KLN’s online program. You Hee-kyoung(You): I am You Hee-kyoung, and I hope to move your hearts with effective prescriptions. Before we proceed, we should briefly introduce the purpose behind Book for You. Jeong: Overseas readers have limited opportunities to get to know Korean literature. Every now and then, KLN is asked to recommend Korean books. Together with the poet You Hee-kyoung, I will introduce to overseas readers a diverse selection of Korean literature. Book for You Hello,I am an American who has been living in Korea on and off since 2010. I have taught English for several years, I got a master’s degree in fine art painting at a university in Korea, and now am working as a translator. I am still not sure if I will be living long term in Korea. While I have read many short stories, lots of poetry,and a few full novels in Korean, I still am fairly new to Korean literature. I am very interested in stories that discuss race and nationality or foreignness. I haven't gotten to read much fiction that was specifically related to these topics, and I believe it could help me to decide if I will stay long term in Korea. You: Shall we begin by prescribing a novel? Jeong: There’s a novelist who came to mind as you read Taylor’s letter. You: Who would that be? Jeong: The writer Cho Hae-jin. Cho served as a Korean language instructor in Poland for a brief period after making her debut, when she was less busy with her writing. She experienced what it was like being a foreigner and a minority. Perhaps this is why the protagonists in her novels are often students studying abroad, migrants, or adoptees. The book I will be prescribing for Taylor is An Escort of Lights, which also has characters who are foreigners. Taylor mentioned in his letter that he is“still not sure,” and that’s what stuck in my mind. In An Escort of Lights, there is a short story titled “A Refusal of Time”. It contains a passage that would be the perfect prescription for Taylor. Let me read it to you. There’s nothing that stays in the body forever. Food, sensations and emotions, the worries that you staked your life over, and the time spent caught up in such worries. Seok-hui believed that the best consolation lay in being honest about how things that have passed would never return. Excerpt from “A Refusal of Time” That’s my prescription for Taylor. I chose it because even the deepest of concerns,circumstances at a certain time, and beliefs that we stood by tend to naturally change over time. The story’s last sentence is as follows. There would be a life to lead over there as well. You can live life anywhere, be it Korea or the United States. My advice for Taylor is to follow his heart, and watch how it plays out. I will cheer you on regardless of the path you choose. The life you will lead is right where you are. Which poem did you pick for today? You: I pondered over which poem would be most comforting for Taylor, and my choice might come across as unexpected. The poet is Saito Mariko. She was born in Niigata in 1960. She fell in love with Korean literature during her college days, especially Yun Dong-Ju’s poetry, and moved to Korea in 1991. Jeong: That’s really early on in time. You: Let me read you part of the poem titled “Photosynthesis”. I hope its underlying message will resonate with Taylor. Here goes. A tree is called “ki” in Japanese and “namu” in Korean. When I first learned the Korean language ten years ago, the word “tree” took root in my heart. For two months since I came to Korea, I wandered around with my head down. When I first looked up in June, the leaves were gently swaying above. I call them “namu,” and the “namu” within me sends its greeting. The leaves I had poured my heart and soul into over the past decade were glistening in the sun. Excerpt from “Photosynthesis” I believe that a seed called “Korea” has been planted in Taylor’s heart. It will grow into a healthy leaf before he even realizes it. Taylor will someday be able to take rest in its shade. That’s why I chose the poem by the translator Saito Mariko, who, in a way, has been in a position similar to Taylor. Now, try to find rest in the tree that has taken root in your heart. It’s already time to say goodbye. How do you feel about our first session? Jeong: I got to know a lovely poem, and it was a meaningful time. How about you? You: I felt a sense of responsibility in my role. Jeong: We will be giving book prescriptions to help resolve your problems, big and small. If you would like a book prescription, share your worries with us. Shall we wrap it up? Jeong & You: Book for You, Book for You. See you next time. Goodbye! Translated by Park Kyoung-lee
By Korean Literature Now
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The Place
Spain Bookshop: A Spanish Haven in Seoul
A narrow alley leads to a small bookshop like a Spanish haven in Seoul. Hello, I'm Eva the bookseller who runs Spain Bookshop. I was in indie publishing and used to take my books around to a lot of bookshops. That's when I became interested in bookshops. It seemed like a fun way to get involved with nice people and projects, so I started my own bookshop. I decided I would need a theme if I wanted to keep the place running for a long time. So I thought about what I liked best, and that was Spain. It has a lot going for it, culturally and historically. I figured it would give me enough to fill the space, so I decided on Spain as my theme. Q. How did you become interested in Spain? It all started with Gaudí, the architect. I stumbled upon a book about him when I was in high school and that was the beginning of my interest in Spain. At first it was just wonder. 'I can't believe someone thought of buildings like that.' And so I became interested in Gaudí, who did a lot of his work in Barcelona. That got me interested in Barcelona, and then eventually all of Spain. Q. How do you decide on what books to stock at Spain Bookshop? Keeping to our theme, the first books we stock are related to Spain,and Spanish-speaking countries. They run the whole range of subjects. We stock literature, art, travel books. But it's not like so many books are published about Spain or Central and South America year-round, so we can't fill the shop with just those releases. So for the rest, I stock books that interest me on a case-by-case basis. (Spain Bookshop also stocks Spanish editions of Korean literature such as the Spanish translation of Sohn Won-Pyung’s novel, Almedra.) Q. What are your top three bestsellers at Spain Bookshop? First there's this essay collection, Barcelona, Living in the Now. It's a collection of essays from a two-year stay in Barcelona. Think sketches of everyday life, but set in Barcelona. There's just a whiff of a travel element but more than that, it's really about living in Barcelona. You can easily imagine yourself living there and get a vicarious sense of satisfaction. It's simply written but still manages to touch your heart which is why I'm very fond of it and recommend it to everyone. The next one is a Spanish phrasebook called AMOR365. The subtitle is, "A collection of Spanish phrases for lovers." As you may guess from the 365 in the title, It has one Spanish phrase about love for each day of the year. "No star shines as bright as your eyes." It's very popular with people studying Spanish, or people buy it as a gift for a friend or significant other that's studying Spanish. The third book is one we got fairly recently about the Camino de Santiago. It's about the French Way, the most popular route. The author went on the French Way many times before making this book. It's all done in watercolor. It's an accordion book. The entire Camino is about 800 km, from east to west. So this book is made to unfold from left to right,just like the Camino. Q. Are there any nice spots to read around here? In the spring or fall when the weather is nice, there's Namsangol Hanok Village right nearby. It's quite big, and they have lots of places to sit, so it could be a nice place to go with a book. Q. What are your plans for Spain Bookshop? I'd like to keep this place going as long as I can while still staying true to our theme. Spain really means a lot to me, so I'd like it if we could keep that focus. I think it would be great if it could become a lasting space for His panophiles. To build a community with like-minded people and to keep that interest going, that's the goal. Translated by Yoonna Cho
By Korean Literature Now
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