[Weekender] ‘Religious leaders should provide stability’

Located across the narrow street from the western wall of the heavily wooded Changdeokgung Palace, Eun Deok Cultural Center is an oasis of serenity in the bustling metropolis of Seoul.Overseeing this rare gem is Lee Seon-jong, 70, a Won Buddhist priest who has occupied many of the top posts in the indigenous Buddhism founded by Master Sotaesan in 1924. While the center is operated by Won Buddhism, there is no trace of religion here.“It is run as a cultural center, not a house of worship,” explai

May 30, 2014

Madman, retired detective square off in Stephen King’s fast-paced thriller

In “Mr. Mercedes,” Stephen King gives the ghosts and ghouls a rest and returns to the non-supernatural suspense genre of such earlier novels as “Cujo” and “Misery.” He also resists the bloat that has crept into his books over the last decade, keeping the story moving at lightning speed ― I dare you not to read the last 100 pages in one sitting ― and focusing primarily on two characters, antagonists about to embark on an elaborate dance of wits.One is Bill Hodges, a retired 62-year-old detective

May 29, 2014

Ellen Gilchrist returns with fine new stories, unsentimental characters

The forces at work in Ellen Gilchrist’s latest story collection ― her first in eight years ― are not trifles. Nature. Time. Plain bad luck. And yet her characters remain undaunted. These flinty, practical, God-fearing Southern folk do not hold with complaining.“Life’s harder than we know it might be when we’re young,” acknowledges the widowed Arkansas First Responder in the National Guard in “Collateral.” She must leave her teaching job and son to travel to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. A

May 29, 2014

New Ferris novel stars alienated dentist

To Rise Again at a Decent HourBy Daniel Akst (Newsday)Until now, the only novel I could think of with a dentist as a protagonist was Frank Norris’ melodramatic “McTeague” from the turn of the 20th century.So it may not be saying much to award the laurels for Best Novel with a Dentist in a Starring Role to the alternately sad and hilarious new book by Joshua Ferris. “To Rise Again at a Decent Hour” showcases the wit, intelligence and keen eye for workplace absurdity the author displayed to such g

May 29, 2014

The life of Neil Gaiman (so far)

The Art of Neil GaimanBy Tish Wells (McClatchy Washington Bureau)If you haven’t heard of Neil Gaiman, you’ve missed a major force in creative fiction in the last 20 years. His offbeat writing runs from comics to films to television series to books.The best way to meet the man, other than at a book reading, is in the new biography, “The Art of Neil Gaiman” by Hayley Campbell. Lushly illustrated, it’s a rich treat of an introduction to Gaiman and his work.That “work” is imaginative fiction, scienc

May 29, 2014

A whole new palace experience

Nestled in the middle of ultramodern skyscrapers, Seoul’s royal palaces are a perfect refuge from the stress of city life. Shrouded in history, the five grand palaces of Korea’s last ruling dynasty of Joseon (1392-1910) seem almost unnaturally hushed, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The ambience of peace and tranquility is not all one can experience at the historic sites. A variety of cultural programs take place there, aimed at taking visitors a step back in time to when people liv

May 28, 2014

More than fun and games: iPads give autistic children a voice

AUSTIN, Texas ― Jaime Morin, 9, was diagnosed with autism at age 2 and has been nonverbal his whole life. When the therapy he was receiving at school became insufficient, his mother, Lupe Santander, sent him to Big Sky Pediatric Therapy, where he went for speech and occupational therapy once a week. It was there that they heard of Zach’s Voice, a nonprofit group that provides iPads to autistic children with communication deficiencies.“He can say exactly what he wants with the iPad,” says Santand

May 28, 2014

Homes for extended families are a new trend in the Charlotte area

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina ― When Alenoosh Kohl travels to her mother’s home, she doesn’t have to get into her car and take the interstate. She’s just one door down the hall.Living in a home designed specifically for multigenerational families, Kohl, 44, and her mother Anna, 67, each have private residences under one roof: separate living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and even laundry rooms.“We have the convenience of her being with us, because she wants to be part of our lives, and it mak

May 28, 2014

France’s stressed, suicidal white-collar workers

PARIS (AFP) ― Competition, pressure and harassment: France’s white-collar employees are facing a growing litany of “brutal” psychological risks in the workplace, according to experts.Despite France’s labor laws, some of the strongest in the world, depression, long-term illness, professional burnout and even suicide are becoming increasingly common among service-sector workers.Fabienne Godefroy became severely anorexic, losing 30 kilograms, and developed paranoia after two years of sexual and emo

May 28, 2014

Calendar

Dance“Mookhyang”: Fashion designer Jung Kuho’s dance “Mookhyang (Scent of Ink)” is returning for its second run in June. The piece is his second collaboration with the National Dance Company of Korea, a group that specializes in traditional Korean dance. It is inspired by Korean traditional ink painting and pays special attention to the “four noble ones,” the four plants believed to epitomize Korea’s Confucian aesthetics: bamboo, the chrysanthemum, the plum blossom and the orchid. The four were

May 23, 2014

Daughter shares fond memories of Rat Pack’s Sammy Davis Jr.

Tracey Davis always knew growing up that her father, Sammy Davis Jr., loved her and her two adopted brothers, Mark and Jeff.But the legendary performer and member of the Rat Pack “was married to his work. He wanted a family. But he didn’t know how to prioritize family because work was his passion. I am not saying that he didn’t love us, but work was his driving force.”She admitted that he often didn’t know her phone number. And he didn’t even attend her college graduation. But their relationship

May 22, 2014

Tolkien’s translation of ‘Beowulf’ published

One does not casually read “Beowulf.” It takes commitment. It also takes a good translation, and few were better at that than Oxford don J.R.R. Tolkien, better known now as the author of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.His son, Christopher, has finally, and reluctantly, published Tolkien’s version of “Beowulf.” As he says in his prologue, his father wrote the translation in 1926 before he went to Oxford as professor of Anglo-Saxon. He would continue to study the poem for decades and lecture on i

May 22, 2014

Author shows WWI flying ace’s ‘Enduring Courage’

Enduring CourageBy Tish Wells(St. Martin’s Press)In “Enduring Courage” John F. Ross aims to revive the memory of World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker, who was also an early racecar driver of renown, and the creator of now-defunct Eastern Air Lines.“I spent a lot of time reading about Eddie Rickenbacker, his buddies, the kids, the flyboys,” said Ross at a book gathering, “and the early American air service over northern France flying against the real pros, the Germans, the Flying Circus. You

May 22, 2014

Tiaras never get old: Pageant entrants enjoy their senior moment

LOS ANGELES ― Contestant No. 9 took the stage wearing satin gloves and a billowy chiffon gown. She had 35 seconds at the mike:“To be happy in life,” Gail Stebbins told the audience, “you have to learn to adjust to the things you can’t change.”When she lost her teeth years ago, she got new ones. When her hair fell out, she began to wear wigs. And when her bosom headed south, she gave it a lift with a little padding.It’s not exactly the kind of thing a beauty queen cares to admit. But Stebbins was

May 21, 2014

Figurine-maker hopes for a miniatures resurgence

LOS ANGELES ― Susan Renaker Nikas still remembers the duck that saved her parents’ ceramics business nearly 70 years ago.The tiny bird was white and seemed to be gliding on a lake, designed on a whim by her mother. As an afterthought, her father added it to an order sheet for the dishware that the couple had been selling, somewhat steadily, despite a few nagging production problems.The duck, however, changed everything. Customers snapped it up.“From that point on, they decided to make animal fig

May 21, 2014

Once ignored, iron Buddha gets new status

The National Museum of Korea’s revamped Unified Silla section, which opens to the public Tuesday, displays an undisputed new star: a larger-than-life Buddha statue made of cast iron. Placed in a spacious room right in the middle of the hall, the statue overwhelms visitors with its mystic beauty and half-smile. The exquisiteness of this artifact, which dates back to the late eighth or early ninth century, however, went unnoticed until recently.  Iron seated Buddha (National Museum of Korea)“This

May 20, 2014

Gyeongju museum chief puts tomb relics in the limelight

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province ― Yi Young-hoon, director of Gyeongju National Museum, is one of the few who breathe fresh air into the otherwise dull local museum scene. Through a series of exhibits on royal tombs of the ancient kingdom of Silla, he brought to the spotlight a slew of long-forgotten relics from the backroom of the museum. “Rediscovery of relics from our own storage rooms is what I emphasize to most to my staff here,” Yi said at his office in the museum last week. “The concep

May 19, 2014

Museum’s unsung heroes

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province ― Looking through a microscope, a researcher in a blue gown is poised to tackle a thumb-size, heavily corroded metal object with what appears to be a medical scalpel. After a deep breath, he starts scraping off the rust in a slow and controlled movement. Welcome to the conservation lab of Gyeongju National Museum, where ancient treasures are reborn with the help of the latest technology. “Patience is the greatest virtue around here,” says Shin Yong-bi, one of

May 19, 2014

Calendar

Pop musicSeoul Jazz Festival 2014: Every year the annual two-day Seoul Jazz Festival features a wide variety of musical acts, from legendary jazz musicians to popular contemporary figures. This year’s headline artists include Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice, jazz-pop musician Jamie Cullum, jazz pianist Eddie Palmieri, the Jack DeJohnette Trio and R&B soloist Eric Benet as well as local bands Jang Kiha and the Faces and Urban Zakapa. The 2014 Seoul Jazz Festival will be held at Seoul Olympic

May 16, 2014

[Eye on English]Disputes show importance of translation

Recently, a debate rose in the literary world over the Korean translation of the novel “The Stranger” by French writer Albert Camus. What triggered the debate was the claim by the publishing company Saeum that the original Korean translation had many translation errors. The publisher even argued that “‘The Stranger’ we’ve read so far is not Camus’ original.” The claim instantly drew the attention of readers, with 4,700 copies of the new version sold in just two weeks, according to Saeum. The boo

May 14, 2014