Novel looks at life as damaged goods in violent Minnesota

“The Heavens May Fall”By Allen EskensSeventh Street Books (300 pages, $15.95)In Allen Eskens’ novels, Minnesota is a dark, violent place. His recurring characters routinely wrestle with loss, loneliness and loathing as they work their way through the carefully plotted mayhem imagined by the lawyer turned mystery writer.Eskens’ third book, “The Heavens May Fall,” is not exactly part of a trilogy, but it does follow a familiar pattern with familiar names. Minneapolis detective Max Rupert, who appe

BooksOct. 19, 2016

French woman smitten by America in ‘Champagne Baby’

“Champagne Baby” By Laure DugasBallantine (316 pages, $26)In many a light memoir or novel, an American moves to Europe and is transformed. “Champagne Baby” upends that theme - and lots of cultural assumptions. Laure Dugas, who comes from a French winemaking family, moves to New York for what’s supposed to be a six-month job and finds herself surprised and smitten by America -- “Blasphemous!” she says playfully.Despite its bubbly title, her story is mature, thoughtful and well written. It’s half

BooksOct. 19, 2016

MAP6 to perform at Festive Korea in HK

K-pop boy band MAP6 is heading to Hong Kong.　The group has been chosen to promote Korean goods at the Enjoy K-Style event at this year’s Festive Korea, which will run throughout October in Hong Kong, according to the band’s management agency DreamT Entertainment on Wednesday. 　“We will do our best to spread knowledge about Korean culture and products in Hong Kong,” MAP6 said in a statement.　The boy band will be performing at D-Park shopping center Saturday and Sunday as part of the event. 　Organ

PerformanceOct. 19, 2016

Viewers bash PyeongChang video featuring dancing frenzy

A video being used by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is the subject of heated criticism over what viewers are calling subpar content. Responding to the adverse public reaction, the ministry said Tuesday that the clip is not the official promotional video for the sporting event.The nearly four-minute video depicts K-pop singers and comedians who, infected with the “Can’t Stop Moving” virus, dance uncontrollably to an

CultureOct. 19, 2016

Shinhwa to release 13th album

Another first-generation K-pop group is gearing up for its return to the spotlight. 　Boy band Shinhwa will be releasing “She Said” from its upcoming 13th studio album this week, according to its management agency Shinhwa Company on Wednesday. 　“The new song is a medium tempo track that centers around two people who are more than just friends, yet not quite a couple,” according to the company. 　The six-member act -- consisting of Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin and And

PerformanceOct. 19, 2016

Juliet at 53: Prima ballerina Alessandra Ferri defies all odds

Defying all odds, at the age of 53, world-renowned Italian prima ballerina Alessandra Ferri is still not ready to hang up her ballet shoes. After deciding to return to the stage after a five-year absence, the dancer is in Seoul to re-tackle one of the world’s most beloved and iconic characters -- Juliet. The former Royal Ballet dancer will be hitting the stage alongside American Ballet principal dancer Herman Cornejo and the Universal Ballet Company in its upcoming production of Kenneth MacMilla

PerformanceOct. 19, 2016

Korean writers hold literary events abroad this month

Just in time for the busiest season for culture and arts, the Literature Translation Institute of Korea has been organizing events across North America, Europe and Asia to promote Korean literature.Writer and poet Song Sok-ze will be launching “Das Dorf am Fluss,” the German edition of his novel “Wepungdangdang,” and will talk about modern Korean literature at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany on Thursday.The following day, he will participate in a panel discussion with German author Ju

CultureOct. 19, 2016

Park Chan-wook's 'The Handmaiden' to open in North America

South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook’s latest erotic thriller “The Handmaiden” will open in North America this week, the film's local distributor said Tuesday.The film will be shown at five cinemas in Los Angeles and New York starting Friday, CJ Entertainment America said, adding that negotiations are under way to bring the film to other cities in the region.Loosely based on Sarah Waters’ award-winning novel “Fingersmith,” the film starring Kim Min-hee, Cho Jin-woong, Ha Jung-woo and Kim Tae-ri re

FilmOct. 19, 2016

A stranger-than-fiction tale of a murder conspiracy, among posh Brits

Suppose you had a secret. A secret that would cost you your career, your friends and your place in a very stratified society. The list of things you shouldn’t do is pretty basic: don’t put anything on paper, don’t tell anyone and don’t continually plan a homicide in earshot of your colleagues.Yet all of those are exactly what Jeremy Thorpe, a charismatic and nattily dressed Liberal member of Parliament, did, and he ended up “in the dock,” as the English say, on charges of conspiracy to murder, i

BooksOct. 19, 2016

Roman coins with baffling origins identified in Japanese ruins

TOKYO (AP) -- The eyes of a visiting archaeologist lit up when he was shown the 10 tiny, tarnished discs that had sat unnoticed in storage for 2 1/2 years at a dig on a southern Japan island.He had been to archaeological sites in Italy and Egypt, and recognized the “little round things” as old coins, including a few likely dating to the Roman Empire.“I was so excited I almost forgot what I was there for, and the coins were all we talked about,” said Toshio Tsukamoto of the Gangoji Institute for

CultureOct. 19, 2016

83-year-old US Supreme Court judge Ginsburg is pop culture icon

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Known for her lacy white collars and fastidious vocabulary, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg seems like a figure from a bygone era in the austere chambers of the US Supreme Court.Yet the “Notorious RBG” is a liberal trailblazer, championing progressive views that have made the 83-year-old a beloved pop culture icon.The doyenne of the venerable court has a new book out, “My Own Words,” a compilation of her writings and speeches that shine with finely crafted arguments.Its publicati

BooksOct. 19, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] How designs of everyday products transform lives

When Samsung Electronics launched a washing machine named “Addwash” in September last year, it immediately became a hit with consumers for its unprecedented design: The front-loading washing machine featured a smaller door, in addition to the main door, that could be used to put in additional laundry after the wash cycle had begun.While Samsung’s Addwash was designed to address a common laundry problem, Alberto Alessi, CEO of Italian houseware brand Alessi designed a spider-like citrus squeezer

Arts & DesignOct. 18, 2016

VIXX to unveil last part of yearlong trilogy project

K-pop boy band VIXX is returning with a new release.　Inspired by Greek mythology, the group’s yearlong trilogy “2016 Conception” will conclude with the upcoming EP “Kratos,” referring to the Greek mythological god of war. To gear up for the release, the group shared teaser images featuring the bandmates with their eyes covered by strips of black lace via official social media channels Tuesday morning.  The photos were created in collaboration with fashion and beauty photographer David Byun, who

PerformanceOct. 18, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] ‘Philosophy of future design is convergence’

Bringing all things together regardless of industries will be the dominating philosophy of future design, said a renowned British industrial designer. “The philosophy of the future is ‘convergence,’ which is the title of my show next year at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Converging one with the other, from environmental issues, material resources, new additive technology, digital design, to core human values of why something should or could exist will dominate the design industry in the future,”

Arts & DesignOct. 18, 2016

B.A.P hints at comeback

K-pop boy band B.A.P may be gearing up for a return to the spotlight.　The group released a cryptic teaser image asking the question “Who is X?” via its official social media channels Tuesday morning. At the bottom of the poster is the word “Noir,” which may be hinting at the title of the boy band’s upcoming album or track. Additionally, given the dark concept behind the image, the six-member group -- best known for its upbeat dance tracks “Feel So Good” and “That’s My Jam” -- may be returning wi

PerformanceOct. 18, 2016

Drama series focus on the unemployed, underprivileged

In “Drinking Solo,” newbie lecturer Park Han-na struggles to capture students’ attention in the cutthroat world of Korean private education while pursuing a slippery romance with her co-worker. Kim Dong-young, one of her pupils, crams every day to pass the exhausting state exam that will reward him with a stable job as public servant, all the while working part time so as not to burden his lower-middle class family. Recently, television shows like the tvN production have been nabbing audiences b

TelevisionOct. 18, 2016

Kim Jun-su receives best musical actor nod for 5th annual Yegreen Awards

The nominations are in and Kim Jun-su in his leading role as the devilishly handsome Dorian Gray in the eponymous new original musical has earned him a bid for best musical actor of the year at the upcoming fifth annual Yegreen Musical Awards. Last month, K-pop mega star Kim and his management agency CJeS Culture unveiled their first original production, “Dorian Gray,” which has also earned itself a Yegreen nomination for “Best Musical of the Year.”The production is a musical adaptation of Oscar

PerformanceOct. 18, 2016