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Korky Pauls world: youth and imagination

By Ines Min Witches live in large, spooky houses, have frazzled manes of hair and wear offbeat, quirky clothing like striped socks. Right? For Korky Paul, award-winning children’s book illustrator, that’s exactly what Winnie the Witch should look like. Known for his depiction of the silly, benign witch — whose inaugural adventure in 1987 saw her magically paint her black cat so as not to sit on him in her monochrome mansion — Paul helped evolve the image of magic in the imaginative world of children. Since the tale’s sweeping of the Children’s Book Award a year after publication, Paul, 59, has continued with his distinctive style, optimistic hope for imagination and realism within the industry. Winnie the Witch — now published in 30 languages with more than 3 million copies sold — continues her ventures in Korea as well, with the recently-released “Winnie in Space.” “I’m always amazed by why my books do so well in Korea because you’ve got such wonderful artists in this country as well,” Paul told a group of reporters last week in Insa-dong, cent

Nov 5, 2010

Recent books

A Cultural Guide to Korea, as Told by Students World Association of Volunteering Elites; Nulbom Publishing Co.: 272 pp., 12,000 won With the upcoming G20 Seoul Summit in November, a number of government branches, media outlets and everyday citizens are looking to put Korea’s best foot forward, introducing the characteristics of the nation they know and love. The World Association of Volunteering Elites (WAVE), comprised of 14 ambitious, teenaged students, are no exception. “A Cultural Guide to Korea” explores the economic, social and religious facets (from global statistics to public baths) of the country as they, contemporary youth, understand it, providing a refreshing if not always the most accurate account of life here. Written in English, the book demonstrates the writers’ impressive efforts, though the language is far from being fluent. More importantly, the informative guide offers a look into the minds of today’s rising youth, their priorities, their philosophies. The personable perspectives keep the reading entertaining and, while first-time visitors may want to explor

Oct 29, 2010

Activist poet espouses hope in global era

By Chung Ah-young Poet and activist Park No-hae, who sang for the labor movement and campaigned against capitalism, was a voice of time in the 1980s. He is back. Known for his works in “The Dawn of Labor,” which sent a shockwave to the literary world in 1984 and became a song of grassroots demonstrations, and “Man Is Only Hope” in 1997, the poet received both critical acclaim — and political persecution — at that time. His works delve into the recitation of socialist and intellectual ideologies and the daily life of laborers in their own language. He was imprisoned in 1989 for his involvement in the so-called “Socialist Labor Alliance,” and was only released by special pardon on Aug. 15, 1998. Park’s prison work “A True Beginning”is less cynical and satirical and reveals the calm self-reflection of the former labor activist who witnessed the fall of ideology. Park kept silent for more than 10 years after his last poetry collections “Today Is Different” and “Winter Blossoms”in 1999. Now he has released a new book, “So Don’t Vanish,” consisting of 304 poems fro

Oct 29, 2010

Recent Books

Every Dog is Different Kim So-hee; Petian Books: 336 pp., 15,000 won They say that dogs are man’s best friend, and the new book ``Every Dog is Different’’ proves just that. Korea’s first ``animal columnist’’ Kim So-hee has written a unique book that deals with not only dogs, but also their owners. Rather than simply listing the different breeds, origins and tips on how to raise dogs, Kim features the dogs that were loving companions to famous people, including Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley and even Adolf Hitler. Most of all, the book is about friendship: how the pets managed to accompany so many people and also what people learned from the animals that was so much a part of their lives. ``I hope the love story between man and dog that has been going on for more than 12,000 years will continue one by one in the future,’’ the writer wrote in the preface. For dog lovers, the book will be a great reminder of their friendship and affection for their pets, while others will find it fascinating how a dog can give back so much and yet desire so little and also about

Oct 22, 2010

Seasonal journey of a family growing up

By Chung Ah-young When South African author Melanie Steyn first came to Korea in 2002, it was summer. Everything was shining and green. She encountered the peninsula in the southern tip of the land and found picturesque villages with hipped and gabled roofs and temples on a curved dirt road lined with trees. Steyn, who teaches in the department of English education at Suncheon National University in South Jeolla Province, weaves all these things into her novel “Once Around The Sun” (Seoul Selection; 141 pp., $7.95 or 5,500 won). Set in a fishing village in the area, the novel revolves around Lee Chang-joon, a fictional family man, and more concretely focuses on other members of Lee’s family in each chapter. Consisting of four chapters ― summer (son), fall (daughter), winter (mother) and spring (grandmother), the book intriguingly associates a family member to each season.

Oct 22, 2010

German illustrations overtake Seoul

By Chung Ah-young German picture books are known for their diversity with growing recognition on the international sphere. The National Library for Children and Young Adults will hold a special exhibition of original works by 13 German representative illustrators from Oct. 22 to Nov. 21. They will be shown for the first time in Korea, jointly organized by the Goethe-Institute and the Troisdorf Bilderbuchmuseum. The exhibition consists of a total of 65 illustrations ― five each from the 13 artists such as Janosch, Klaus Ensikat, Wolf Erlbruch, Jutta Bauer, Nikolaus Heidelbach and Karoline Kehr. Known for his extremely prolific and internationally renowned German author/illustrator of books for young children, Janosch has published over 100 children's books. His works have been translated into 47 languages with some 5 million copies sold worldwide. He has written not only his playful and grotesquely funny tales for young children, but also several novels for adults. Considered one of the most brilliant contemporary book artists, Ensikat is known for his real-to-life ch

Oct 19, 2010

Recent books

Dasan’s Latter Half of Life Cha Byukp; Dolbegae Publishing; 391 pp., 20,000 won Ideological strife is still a problem in South Korea. However, it is nothing compared to the sectarian rift among top bureaucrats during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Top government officials and scholars could be degraded to treasonous villains overnight, depending on which sect grabbed power. Jeong Yak-yong (1762-1836), one of the greatest philosophers and thinkers of the late Joseon era, lived a tumultuous life. The great scholar in pragmatic Confucianism or “practical learning” was expelled to a remote village in 1801, after King Jeongjo (1752-1800) passed away abruptly. Jeong (penname Dasan) lived in a village on the southwestern coast for about 18 years during which he wrote as many as 600 treatises. There have been many books about Dasan. However, this one is different from others as the author is not a scholar but a photographer. He followed in the footsteps of the scholar to portray the latter half of his life, capturing every aspect of Dasan’s life in 90 photographs. He

Oct 15, 2010

A comprehensive look into heavenly Mt. Baekdu

By Chung Ah-young Spanning the border between North Korea and China, Mt. Baekdu has been regarded as the “spirited mountain” or “divine mountain”— to which people claim their ancestral roots according to traditional mythical beliefs. It continues to attract visitors for its scenic Heaven Lake, located within a caldera atop the mountain, and more recently, it is becoming the center of attention as geologists warn of the possibility of an eruption of its dormant volcano. Despite Mt. Baekdu’s symbolic importance to South Korea, little is actually known about the mountain here due to the lack of academic resources and difficult access to the region. And more importantly, a volcanic eruption would have devastating results not only for the region but for South Korea as well: some 2 billion tons of water from Heaven Lake would be displaced, and volcanic ash could directly or indirectly affect the local agriculture, fisheries and air travel as well as entailing clean-up costs. “Mt. Baekdu — Present and Future,” written by 13 experts and published by the Academy of K

Oct 15, 2010

Taiwan to host Korean studies congress

By Chung Ah-young Some 400 scholars specializing in Korean studies will gather at the World Congress of Korean Studies to be held in Taipei, Taiwan, from Oct. 25 to 28. The Academy of Korean Studies said that the congress, the largest of its kind, is expected to raise awareness about Korean studies abroad, particularly in China and Taiwan. Under the theme of “Korean Studies for the Advancement of Global Civilization,” some 180 academic theses from 25 countries will be presented. “I was surprised to learn that the Chinese Culture University in Taipei, Taiwan, is eager to teach Korean studies. The university has some 10 full-time professors in the Korean studies department alone. The number of professors is a lot for one department, especially for Korean studies, something unusual in other parts of the world,” Kim Jung-bae, president of the academy, said. Fourteen sessions will deal with Korean history, art, language, politics and society during the event, while panels from various countries will freely discuss issues such as “The Relations Between Korea and China and K

Oct 12, 2010

Recent Books

The Nancy Lang Story Nancy Lang; Samunnangeok: 270 pp., 12,000 won Pop artist Nancy Lang could be judged one of the most controversial figures in the art and entertainment scene nowadays. Not just because she carries a white cat doll on her shoulder wherever she goes or because of her unique artwork, but mostly because the 31-year-old is not afraid to show off to the world who she really is. Her new book ``The Nancy Lang Story’’ does just that. Don’t be fooled by the sweet and innocent cover, for the book contains her raw perspective toward the world, and it’s not all hopeful and innocent. ``Everything I do is a performance. It’s part of my art,’’ she wrote in the prologue. The book reads like her journal, from her first acquaintance with art to her latest exhibits around the world, plus her insights and opinions on almost everything, from art, fellow celebrities, fashion, entertainment and life. Strange and somewhat hard to understand Lang may be at first glance, but the book will hopefully help those who have been skeptical of her work and reputation.

Oct 8, 2010
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