Book Launch: An Anthology of Poetry and Essays by Korean Canadian Writers
This guest post is by Mary Kim, a Korean-Canadian writer.
The book launch begins
50 years is a long time to foster a peaceful and supportive relationship. It is a long time to enjoy frank conversation and grow with one another. Canada opened her arms to Korean immigrants just about 50 years ago, and fostered an exponential growth, resulting in a strong and robust Korean community in their adoptive nation. At an evening in North York, where first generation Korean-Canadians came together to share food, culture and ideas, hosted by Liberal nominee Sonny Cho, the launch of The Anthology of Poetry and Essays by Korean Canadian Writers in commemoration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Canada and Korea was celebrated.
The trio of singers that performed
I had the pleasure of sitting with a table of strangers who became fast friends. I sat with a journalist and his realtor wife, and a colourful poet with whom I practiced my Korean (and said that she was impressed, that as a 2nd generation, I even spoke as much Korean as I did). As we sat down to enjoy our buffet plates of japchae (잡채, stir-fried sweet potato noodles with vegetables), bap (밥, rice), kimchi (김치, Korean spicy pickled cabbage) and pan-fried yellow croakers (참조기, chamjogi – a fish), the familiar warmth of history and community immediately settled into our bellies.
The quartet of singers
The opening remarks by the president of the Korean Canadian Writer’s Association, Mr. Sang Mook Lee, was particularly poignant: “This celebration,” he said, “brings together our intentions of fostering intellectual curiosity to bridge our similarities and differences in our multicultural society.” This anthology brought together both new writers and those who had been writing long before immigrating to Canada; the stories in this collection begin with reflections on their homeland, to stories of navigation and adaptation of their new home, to reflections that tie us all together, no matter where we come from: love, nature, home, food and family.
Cindy Zimmer speaking about the stories
In celebrating cross-nation relations, several Canadian (non-Korean) speakers were asked to give their reflections on the stories and poems found in the collection. Mr. George Iantorono, a former principal of Blessed Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School, gave his reflections of the poetry section of the book. He spoke about “Stitching Him Up,” a poem by Hee Ra Lee, and the tender ode from wife to husband as her husband tries to navigate the immigrant experience of job-hunting. Ms. Cindy Zimmer, writer, editor and founder of ATK Magazine, an online journal dedicated to Korean culture in Canada, considered how though she grew up in rural ontario, she could relate heart and soul to the speaker of “Little Pieces of Happiness,” a short essay by Kyung Yong Shin about how the writer retired from a city job to work on the land on a country estate. And Ms. Emily Quail, a student of English Literature at King’s College, spoke about the running theme of ‘identity’ in the collection, “a delicate balance of two countries” found in each story; Ms. Quail noted how in Na Ri Park’s “Couple with Wine Colour,” the speaker comments on the importance of patience and time in relationships.
Emily Quail speaking about the book
With readings by Ms. Clara Yang and Ms. In Sook Kim, and a daegeum (대금, Korean flute) performance, as well as delightful performances by a Korean male trio and a Korean female quartet, the evening was filled to the brim with celebration of Korean Canadian cultural sharing. At our table, the convivial spirit continued; we quickly established how we actually knew each other through a few degrees of separation, and how similar our experiences were across place and age gaps; that despite language barriers, mine being Korean, theirs being English, we would still communicate, share stories and find a common ground in our community and culture; how collaboration is the key to building the legacies for the generations to come. Sonny Cho’s co-MC Ms. Ok Jae Won, noted how “The translations of these works are so important, so that children, grandchildren and their children will have a legacy and tradition to hold on to, to know the stories of their parents here and abroad, and how they have come to find a place in Canada.” The work of the poet I sat beside, Ms. Cheon Hak Kwon (please see her feature below), was particularly poignant for me by the end of the evening, where in the poem “2H2 + O2 = 2H2O”, she speaks of the importance of collaboration: “If they were not mixed/they would float/as a powerless dream…/as a meaningless cell/But the green and the heat met/and became water.”
Daegeum performance
Feature Poet: Ms. Cheon Hak Kwon
Raised in South Korea, poet, essayist and writer Chun hak Kwon (Cheonhak Kwon) studied at the Graduate School of Korea University. Now she resides in Toronto. She made her literary debut in the monthly Hyundai Munhak. Also, she was a columnist for Seoul Newspaper and Kwanak Munhwa Newspaper. Chunhak has published over 10 books, including “Dictionary of Korean Proverb and Quotation”, “The Sky in Bronze Mirror” (poems about the ancient Korean Kingdom of Baekje), “I am Still in an Apple Seed” (poems about trees), “Gaea Being Ill in Bed” (poems about the environment), “Loneliness Virus”, and “The Sorrow of Grass-green Vitamin, Or” (poems about seas/oceans). She has also been the recipient of many awards including the Modern Buddhism Literary Award (first prize), the Si wa Ŭisik Literature Award and the Kyung Hee University Overseas Korean Literary Award (Grand Prize). She served as Editor-in-chief of Blue Note, a web magazine of the Korean Literature Library. The translation of her poems was published in a book entitled, “2H2 + O2 = 2H2O” which was the winner of the First Annual Min Chapbook Competition organized by Harvard University’s Korea Institute and Tamal Vista Publications. Her poems and essays are regularly featured in Toronto Korean-language newspapers.
2H2 + O2 = 2H2O
The woman like oxygen and the man like hydrogen
the two met an became water
Refreshing dream and explosive power
float afar with different names
one fateful day
they bump into each other
and make a sound
they bump into each other
and give off a light
they become a lump
and blend into each other
they clean and embrace each other
they rise into the sky together
and settle on the spine of the cactus together
If they were not mixed
they would float
as a powerless dream and a dreamless power
as each corpuscle, you and I
and as a meaningless cell
but the green and the heat met
and became water
They become water
live on the clouds
and stay on the flower petals.
(Translated by the poet’s daughter, Ms. Ha Na Kim and republished with permission from the poet)
Book launch group shot
Editor’s note: The book launch and celebration was held on Saturday, November 16, 2013 at Seoul House, North York.