Category: Arts & Culture

“An epic novel brings complex 20th-century Korean history to life…. Extraordinary…. Gorgeous prose and unforgettable characters combine to make a literary masterpiece.” -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

An epic story of love, war, and redemption set against the backdrop of the Korean independence movement, Beasts of a Little Land follows the intertwined fates of a young girl sold to a courtesan school and the penniless son of a hunter. From the perfumed chambers of a courtesan school in Pyongyang to the glamorous cafes of a modernizing Seoul and the boreal forests of Manchuria, where battles rage, Juhea Kim’s unforgettable characters forge their own destinies as they wager their nation’s. Immersive and elegant, Beasts of a Little Land unveils a world where friends become enemies, enemies become saviors, heroes are persecuted, and beasts take many shapes.

Join in the conversation with author Juhea Kim about her debut novel. 

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

About the Speaker:

Juhea Kim was born in Incheon, Korea, and moved to Portland, Oregon, at age nine. Her writing has been published in Granta, Catapult, ZYZZYVA, and elsewhere. Kim earned her BA in art and archaeology from Princeton University, and she now lives in Portland, Oregon. Beasts of a Little Land is her first novel.

“Park’s stunning English-language debut takes readers through the wild highs and lows of young adulthood . . . The strength of the narrator, notably his flexibility of voice and expansiveness, caries the narrative to great heights, making this a standout among queer literature.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Love in the Big City is the English-language debut of Sang Young Park, one of Korea’s most exciting young writers. A runaway bestseller, the novel hit the top five lists of all the major bookstores and went into twenty-six printings as one of the highest selling debuts of recent years in Korea. Award-winning for its unique literary voice and perspective and particularly resonant with young readers, this story of a young gay man searching for happiness in the lonely city of Seoul has been a phenomenon in Korea and is poised to capture a worldwide readership. A brilliantly written novel filled with powerful sensory descriptions and both humor and emotion, Love in the Big City is an exploration of millennial loneliness as well as the joys of queer life.

In this episode of Author Talks, Sang Young Park discusses his career in Korea and his English debut.

“A novel, told through relationships, about navigating life as a young gay man in Korea . . . The novel skips freely around in time, lending it a sense of propulsion and instability that feels entirely intentional. It’s anchored, however, by the narrator’s irresistible voice, which alternates between earnest, heartfelt emotion, and likable wryness . . . This book will sweep readers up in its sheer longing. An addictive, profound novel.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred reviews) 

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

About the Speaker:

Sang Young Park was born in 1988 and studied French at Sungkyunkwan University. He worked as a magazine editor, copywriter, and consultant for seven years before debuting as a novelist. The title story of his bestselling short story collection, “The Tears of an Unknown Artist, or Zaytun Pasta,” was one of Words Without Borders’ most read pieces ever. He lives in Seoul.

“How can black and white drawings do this, you might ask. But maybe only black and white drawings can do this—Gendry-Kim offers us here a glimpse of the heart of a woman who has lost more than some might ever find, and who has never given up her love, if not her hope. The Waiting is a stunning achievement, and a testament to the power of her artistry. Not a line or word feels out of place.” – Alexander Chee

Keum Suk Gendry-Kim was a teenager when her mother revealed a family secret: she was separated from her sister during the Korean War. It’s not an uncommon story—the peninsula was split down the 38th parallel, dividing one country into two. As many fled violence in the north, not everyone was able to make it south. Her mother’s story inspired Gendry-Kim to begin interviewing her and other Koreans who left their hometown during the war and separated from their family. That research fueled the deeply resonant graphic novel, The Waiting.

The Waiting is the devastating follow-up to Gendry-Kim’s Grass, which received numerous prizes including the Harvey Award and appeared on Best of the Year lists of the New York Times, The Guardian, Library Journal, and more. In this episode of Author Talks, Gendry-Kim discusses her much-anticipated graphic novel, her career and her art.

“This family portrait reveals in heartbreaking detail the impacts of colonization and political upheaval that reverberate for generations.” – Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Another stunning masterpiece… Gendry-Kim’s stark black-and-white compositions couldn’t be more affecting: the ominous efficacy of all-black pages, unpredictable layouts with and without panels, and prodigiously empathic expressions throughout.” – Booklist Starred Review

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

About the Speaker:

Keum Suk Gendry-Kim was born in Goheung in Jeolla Province. She has written and illustrated graphic novels Grass, The Waiting, Jiseul, Jun, The Naked Tree, and Alexandra Kim, a Woman of Siberia; the autobiographical comic The Song of My Father; the three-volume children’s comic Coquinette; the picture books The Baby Hanyeo Okrang Goes to Dokdo and A Day with My Grandpa; and the children’s book My Mother Kang Geumsun. Grass (Drawn & Quarterly, 2019) appeared on Best of the Year lists from the New York Times and the Guardian, and received the Cartoonist Studio Prize for the Best Print Comic of the Year, the Big Other Book Award for Best Graphic Novel in 2019, the Harvey Award for Best International Book, and the Krause Essay Prize in 2020. The Waiting is her second book to appear in English translation.