U.S. influence on S. Korean politics examined

The Constitution of the U.S. and the Presidential GovernmentBy Lee Sang-donSojin Publishing Co.America’s constitutionalism and the principle of checks and balances have offered crucial guidance for many nascent democracies around the world, including South Korea decades ago.In his new book, “The Constitution of the U.S. and the Presidential Government,” Lee Sang-don, law professor at Chung-Ang University, delineates how the U.S. legal and political systems have taken root and evolved, and affect

Jan. 10, 2013

‘Les Miserables’ sweeps Korea

It’s been a few weeks since Tom Hooper’s “Les Miserables” was released in local theaters. The star-studded musical film, whose cast includes Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, has been doing well at the box office, attracting over 4 million viewers as of Thursday. And it’s not just the film’s importers that are making money. Thanks to the movie’s popularity, publishing houses are also seeing sales rise of the French novel published in 1862 ― a book considered one of the greatest pieces of literatur

Jan. 10, 2013

Man Asian literary prize unveils 2012 shortlist

HONG KONG (AFP) ― A debut novel and a work by a Nobel laureate were among five books shortlisted for Asia’s most prestigious literary prize on Wednesday, with entries across the region from Turkey to Japan.The shortlist for the $30,000 Man Asian Literary Prize was drawn from a longlist of 15 published works, after 108 entries were submitted to a panel of judges led by literary critic and journalist Maya Jaggi.Professor David Parker, executive director of the Asian Literary Prize, the organising

Jan. 10, 2013

An American family saga

The Twelve Tribes of HattieBy Ayana Mathis(Knopf)In “The Twelve Tribes of Hattie,” first-time author Ayana Mathis walks upon some of the richest thematic terrain America’s history can offer a novelist.Her protagonist, Hattie Shepherd, arrives in Philadelphia from Georgia in the mid-1920s, one of a legion of travelers in the great migration, that movement of African-Americans from the Jim Crow South to the promise and relative freedom of the North.The great migration gave us the Harlem Renaissanc

Jan. 3, 2013

19th century Korea seen through eyes of foreign women

Among all of the U.S. Ambassadors to Korea since 1883, John M.B. Sill (1831-1901) served during one of the most turbulent periods of Korean history. During his stay in the country ― from 1894 to 1897 ― Korea went through the Sino-Japanese War, the Gabo Reform, the murder of Queen Myeongseong, and King Gojong’s refuge in the Russian legation.Written and compiled by freelance writer and history researcher Robert Neff, “Letters from Joseon” features personal letters written in Seoul by Sill’s wife

Jan. 3, 2013

McPartland bio hits all the right notes

Shall We Play That One Together? The Life and Art of Jazz Piano Legend Marian McPartlandBy Paul de Barros(St. Martin’s Press)Paradise may be a great place to live, but the implicit lack of conflict makes it a lousy home for a dramatist. In similar fashion, it’s challenging for any biographer to take on the life of an exemplary human being and fashion a compelling story out of it.Consider the case of Marian McPartland, pianist, composer and longtime host of NPR’s peerless “Piano Jazz” series. For

Jan. 3, 2013

After Newtown, essential reading: ‘Columbine’

When it comes to events like school shooting in Newtown, Conn., there are knowns, unknowns and, already, mis-knowns. A photograph of Ryan Lanza circulated asserting he was the shooter, when in fact it was his brother, Adam Lanza. Their mother, Nancy Lanza, whom Adam killed, was reported to have been a teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary, where the other shootings took place ― but she was not. The story of what happened Friday when 20 children and seven adults were killed has been written and rewrit

Dec. 27, 2012

Reading books by their cover

Don’t judge a book by its cover, so goes an old saying, but looking at this book exhibition one is reminded of what Oscar Wilde once said: “It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances; the true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.”Kyobo Book Center’s current exhibition, “Art, Design, Culture: The History of Penguin by Design,” shows how book covers have responded to ― and influenced ― changing trends and culture in the past 77 years. The exhibition, featuring des

Dec. 27, 2012

Book offers a bird’s view of deserts

Desert AirBy George Steinmetz(Abrams, New York)‘Tis the time of year for coffee table books and, for the adventuresome, there is nothing better than “Desert Air.”World-class photographer George Steinmetz who worked for National Geographic and GEO Magazine has published a number of his finest photographs in a book that is only just big enough to hold their subjects.He was fascinated with the hyper-arid regions ― “areas that get less than four inches of annual precipitation.” Seated in a motorized

Dec. 27, 2012

Neurologist examines ‘Hallucinations’

HallucinationsBy Oliver Sacks(Knopf)Enter a nondescript building in the West Village, ride an old elevator a couple flights up and suddenly you’re in a world of wonder long in the making.You’ve entered the office of Dr. Oliver Sacks.The well-worn lair of the world’s most literary neurologist bespeaks a restless spirit that all but says, “Yeah, I’ve been at this awhile.” A vintage, multicolor Chart of Electromagnetic Radiation dominates one wall; it looks like something you’d find in a gargantuan

Dec. 27, 2012

Isle of Man is backdrop for ‘Safe House’

Safe HouseBy Chris Ewan(Minotaur)Most Americans probably have little idea where the Isle of Man is on the map. For the record, this self-governing British Crown Dependency is located in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland and may be best known to sports fans as the site of the annual TT (Tourist Trophy) motorbike festival, going on since 1907.The Isle of Man also makes for an intriguing backdrop for “Safe House,” Chris Ewan’s first stand-alone thriller. “Safe House” works as an emot

Dec. 20, 2012

How natural world is comming back

Nature Wars: The Incredible Story of How Wildlife Comebacks Turned Backyards Into BattlegroundsJim Sterba(Crown)The nature-challenged reader will discover many new and startling facts in Jim Sterba’s new book. Among them all one stands out: Not only are America’s Eastern forests roaring back to life, they’ve been doing so for more than a century.Sterba, a veteran reporter for the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, literally stumbles onto this truth one day amid the majestic trees of Maine’s

Dec. 20, 2012

Books explore world of Korean lit, hallyu

The Korea Culture and Information Service, an affiliate of the Culture Ministry, continues to publish books on Korean culture, this time about literature and the history of hallyu, the Korean wave.“K-Literature: The Writing World’s New Voice” is the latest addition to KOCIS’ English-language book series featuring Korean culture and artists.Earlier this month, the organization added two new volumes to the series, one about Korean sports and the other about fashion. The previously published books

Dec. 20, 2012

Film’s mark on colonial Korea

While local movie buffs now enjoy IMAX theaters and movies rendered in 4-D, watching movies was a different affair about 80 years ago in Seoul. First of all, people had to endure an “almost unbearable” stench from the theater’s public bathroom, and sometimes, their fellow viewers. The stench and filthiness of the movie theaters became a public hygiene problem in the early 1930s; newspapers published articles warning people not to bring infants to the theaters, as it could seriously risk their he

Dec. 20, 2012

History of Christmas tree tradition

Inventing the Christmas TreeBy Bernd Brunner, translated by Benjamin A. Smith(Yale University Press)If you’ve just returned from a tree lot and plan to pull out boxes of decorations this afternoon, you may find it hard to imagine that Christmas trees took well into the 19th century to be widely accepted in the United States.“In a sense,” writes scholar Bernd Brunner in his compact cultural history of the holiday icon, “the Americanization of the ‘German’ Christmas tree runs parallel to the Ameri

Dec. 13, 2012

A man’s spiritual transformation

Cross RoadsBy Wm. Paul Young(FaithWords)Paul Young isn’t insulted at the suggestion that the lead character in “Cross Roads” has a dark soul.To the contrary, the author of “The Shack” chuckles with delight.“Thank you,” he said. “That is a compliment. ... I’m a writer that likes to explore questions, and one of my questions is: ‘How does grace or transformation get into the heart of someone who is really lost? Who’s really isolated themselves from relationships?’”Anthony Spencer’s desolation is c

Dec. 13, 2012