The Magical Language of Others explores selfhood, language, and family bonds
E.J. Koh s poetic memoir asks, Where do the stories of our mothers and grandmothers end and ours begin? Author: New Day Northwest Updated: 11:56 AM PST March 10, 2021
SEATTLE At age 15, Eun Ji Koh and her brother were left behind in California while her parents returned to work in South Korea. What was thought to be a temporary arrangement continued for many years. Her mother wrote her letters each week but she wasn t able to fully understand them until many years later.
In her memoir, The Magical Language of Others, Eun Ji translates the letters and looks to history, poetry, and her life experience to answer deep questions about family relationships, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
The Magical Language of Others tinhouse.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tinhouse.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Here are a half-dozen recommended paperbacks, if your bedside table is currently bare.
âThe Magical Language of Othersâ by E.J. Koh
Seattle author Kohâs intergenerational memoir, a recent winner of a Pacific Northwest Book Award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, was inspired by letters written to Koh in Korean by her mother, who left her children behind in California in order to return to South Korea for work.
A reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle described the book as âa wonder: a challenging and deep meditation on how wounds of the past and present inform our relationship with those outside of us, which is to say, everyone.âÂ
Artists making art right now is truly a blessing: Seattle poet, playwright, performer, and artist Anastacia-Reneé will present
(Don t be Absurd) Alice in Parts at the Frye Art Museum, running from January 30 to April 25. Grounded in the Black feminist and womanist tradition, Anastacia-Reneé explores gentrification and its detrimental effects on the body in the show, through the eyes of her character Alice Metropolis. The immersive installation allows viewers to walk through Alice s home, which we can t quite do just yet due to COVID restrictions. Instead, the Frye will host a virtual celebration and special performance this Saturday from 5-6:30pm. Viewers can expect a virtual tour of the show and a choreopoem inspired by Alice, read by seven artists and poets.