Ideologies and familiesAn Appointment with My BrotherBy Yi Mun-yol(Jimoondang, 5,000 won)Based on author Yi Mun-yol’s personal family history and literary imagination, “An Appointment with My Brother” tells a moving tale of a Korean family separated by the two Koreas’ ideological differences.The narrator, whose father voluntarily defected to North Korea a few years after the Korean War, is a unive

Rarely does a writer immersed in the world of academia publish a first novel that becomes an international success, but that’s what happened to Kim Edwards.In 2005, the University of Kentucky creative-writing professor followed her award-winning 1997 short-story collection “The Secrets of a Fire King” with “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter,” which enjoyed 122 weeks on the New York Times’ bestseller li

Seattle-area writer Matt Briggs has published six books. In 1999 his first novel got a half-page review in The New York Times Book Review, the literary equivalent of winning the lottery.That’s the good news. Here’s the rest of the story:―The initial print run of his first book, “The Remains of River Names,” was 600 copies. Because of the national exposure it immediately sold out, but the publisher

Upo Wetland, a complex of natural wetlands located in Changnyeong County, South Gyeongsang Province, and two specific trees of Rose of Sharon (Mugunghwa), Korea’s national flower, have been added to Korea’s natural monuments list, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday. Known as the largest natural wetland in the country, Upo complex includes Mokpo, Sajipo and Jokjibul wetlands. It is

Kang’s new movie ‘Glove’ tells true story of hopeLike many other sports, baseball is a game of communication. Catchers are yelling which base to go, the crowd screams when someone hits a home run, and coaches constantly shout what to do when the players are at their bases. It’s also a sport of accumulated team effort. Having one great pitcher cannot make a strong team.Director Kang Woo-suk’s new f

From visual voicemail to a portable media player and an Internet client, the iPhone has been serving the international public as a great multi-tasker with its revolutionary, diverse functionalities.The small handheld device has now arguably made another step, as Korea’s highly acclaimed director Park Chan-wook and his brother Park Chan-kyong ― a renowned media artist ― revealed their latest collab

Korean director Bong Joon-ho has been selected as one of the five jury members at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Utah from Jan. 20 to Jan. 30.Bong will be judging a total of 58 films in competition in four categories.The Sundance Film Festival is the biggest independent film gathering in the U.S. Founded by American actor and Utah resident Robert Redford in 1981, the festival established itsel

Movies can mean a lot of things. They can be made, studied, critiqued and simply watched. They can give multiples of meanings and hardships, as well as aspirations and enormous wealth.The 6th Cinematheque Friends Film Festival, however, simply focuses on the joy of cinema this year. Starting on Jan. 18 at Seoul Art Cinema in central Seoul, the one of a kind festival showcases a total of 44 Korean

1. The Last GodfatherOpened Dec. 29Directed by Shim Hyung-raeStarring Shim Hyung-rae2. Hello GhostOpened Dec. 22Directed by Kim Yeong-takStarring Cha Tae-hyeon, Kang Ye-won3. The Yellow SeaOpened Dec. 22Directed by Na Hong-jinStarring Ha Jeong-woo, Kim Yoon-seok4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Opened Dec. 16Directed by David YatesStarring Bill Nighy, Emma Watson5.Tron LegacyOpened Dec. 30D

 As director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu remembers it, he and Javier Bardem first met at “The Losers Party.”It was Oscar night 2001 and Inarritu had just been overlooked by the academy ― for the first time. The then-38-year-old filmmaker celebrated the defeat of his “Amores Perros” by drinking copious amounts of tequila with Sean Penn and Bardem, two men who would later serve as unlikely muses for

The national traumaThe WoundedBy Lee Chung-joonTranslated by Jennifer M. Lee(Jimoondang, 5,000 won)The Korean War (1950-1953) left both physical and psychological wounds to its people. Lee Chung-joon’s “The Wounded” explores the national trauma that continues to haunt individuals who suffer from their memories of the war, and other “hidden” existing traumas that cannot be identified.A spritless ar

This past fall I put out a call to readers: Send me your favorite mysteries set in other countries, written by international (e.g., not American) writers.I’m glad I asked ... I think. Already the most popular literary genre in America, mysteries may be taking over the world. I got more than 70 nominations ― writers and books set in locales from Cuba to China to Iceland to Australia. Wherever crime

At a garage studio in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Eagle Rock, Lisa Pearson is publishing books with the skill of a craftsman, framing the printed word as a work of art.One volume, “Torture of Women,” features a red cloth cover with an embossed title resembling scar tissue. Inside, images of the female body are overlaid with matter-of-fact accounts of women who have suffered torture. “Fascist p

Song Yige’s perspective rich, imaginativeShe had a perfect childhood in Harbin, China, and those innocent days made her who she is as an artist today. Song Yige is holding her second solo exhibition at Gallery Hyundai in Gangnam, Seoul, starting Jan. 7. The 30-year-old was discovered by world-renowned Chinese artist Zeng Fanzhi last year. With his support, Song held her first show last year at ART

Korea’s oldest wooden structure building located in Bongjeong Temple in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, is showing cracks and other signs of damage only seven years after it underwent major repairs.The building, Geungnakjeon, meaning “paradise hall” serves as the main building of the historic temple, housing its Buddha statue. The building’s side walls and columns are showing visible cracks, an

Korea Foundation translates book by master Lee Heung-guAmong many intangible cultural assets of Korea, traditional court dance “Jeongjae” has a long history. From the Three Kingdoms period (37 B.C. 668 AD) to Goryeo (918 1392) and Joseon (1392 1910) dynasties, the dance moves carried traditions and values of the Korean royal culture.Korea Foundation’s newly released book, “Korean Court Dance: As S

On Christmas Eve morning in 2009, business owner Deborah Delaney was pulling the cinnamon rolls from the oven in her well-appointed Wayzata, Minn., home and worrying about preparations for her guests arriving for that evening’s festivities.At that moment, the phone rang with news that would change her life, ultimately for the better.“I want you to know that your (breast) biopsy came back as cancer

For 20 years, William Borah’s gas stove sat disconnected and idle, a place to store pots and pans he has never used.As a workaholic attorney, Borah never had time to cook. If it was not from a restaurant or in a microwavable container, he was not eating it.Now in his 50s and a judge with the Illinois Human Rights Commission, Borah laments the opportunities he has missed to gather family and friend

Constant headaches and migraines had Diana Schulin considering acupuncture, but she found herself tensing at the thought of sitting alone in a room while being poked by a dozen needles.She finally took the plunge, and she’s glad she did. The needles remain. But at least now she has company.The health care information worker is among a small but growing number of people experiencing the ancient Asi

I admit that I am confused.For years I’ve read about the effects of global warming. If the Earth is warming, why are we experiencing frigid arctic blasts even before winter’s official starting date this year?Winter weather has gripped most of the United States in the last couple of weeks. To blame the unusual weather on global warming seems like a contradiction, but that is what scientists think i