Susan Straight lives mere blocks from where she was born in the Inland Empire town of Riverside. She says there are two types of people, those who stay and those who leave. Straight has always stayed.“All I am is a writer and a mom,” says Straight, the author of eight novels, divorced mother of three daughters and a professor of creative writing at UC Riverside.On a recent Monday afternoon, just a few days before the release of her latest novel, “Between Heaven and Here” (McSweeneys, $24), Strai

Books Oct. 11, 2012

Lee Won-kuk Ballet showcases Korean-War tale ‘Eyes of Dawn’While Korea’s traditional folktales such as “Chunhyang” and “Simcheong” have been made into ballet pieces by major local troupes here, no company has tried to create an original repertoire featuring the nation’s turbulent modern history.Former Korean National Ballet dancer Lee Won-kuk’s upcoming project “Eyes of Dawn” aims to do exactly that, telling the story of three young souls who live through the Japanese colonial period as well as

Performance Oct. 11, 2012

O Muel’s ‘Jiseul’ portrays tragic historical event in exquisite black-and-white cinematographyBUSAN -- Director O Muel occupies a rare place in Korean cinema, being one of the very few filmmakers creating works about Jeju Island. All of his previous films were shot on his native Jeju, in Jeju dialect, featuring the lives of people living on the island.Two previous films, “Pong Ddol” (2010) and “Nostalgia” (2009) were rather humorous accounts of ordinary Jeju residents, from a flakey filmmaker to

Film Oct. 10, 2012

Former Justice Minister Kang Geum-sil on Monday said Korea should move away from its authoritarian political system, during a press meeting promoting er latest book “Politics of Life” published by Rhodos Publishing.The former minister said the ruling Saenuri Party has been following the authoritatian and controlling political style of former President Park Chunghee, nd the party with such a system should not rule the country for the next five years.“We cannot move forward if we don’t move away f

Books Oct. 9, 2012

Japanese-born director’s ‘Our Homeland’ delves into hardships of ethnic Koreans in JapanBUSAN ― Japanese-born director Yang Yong-hi, who was in Korea last year with her personal documentary “Goodbye Pyongyang”― a cinematic account of her young niece who lives in Pyongyang, North Korea ― visited Busan with her first feature-length feature film, also based on her personal story of her unusual family. Yang, who was born and grew up in Osaka and obtained her South Korean citizenship in 2004, says sh

Film Oct. 8, 2012

Make-up artist shares her six years’ experience working for BIFFBUSAN ― BIFF is one of the biggest fashion events in the country, on top of being the biggest film bash.And every actress needs perfect make-up to go with her stunning dress. Pro make-up artist Kim Eun-ji is one of the hidden faces behind the glamour; she has been working for BIFF’s opening ceremonies for the last six years, and experienced the highs and lows of the exciting event. On the morning after BIFF’s opening, the lobby of H

Film Oct. 7, 2012

‘Unbowed’ director says he wants presidential candidates to see his latest work, which recounts torture suffered by late democracy activist Kim Geun-taeBUSAN ― After highly controversial courtroom drama “Unbowed,” director Chung Ji-young has returned with another socially conscious, politically themed drama inspired by the true story of late politician and democracy activist Kim Geun-tae.In spite of its serious subject matter, last year’s “Unbowed” was often comical and humorous. Yet Chung’s lat

Film Oct. 7, 2012

Theater“Phantom of the Opera”: Tickets are available for the upcoming run of the world’s beloved musical, “Phantom of the Opera.” The show opens on Dec. 7 at Blue Square’s Samsung Electronics Hall in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the musical tells the story of a beautiful soprano Christine, and a mysterious, disfigured musical genius who becomes obsessed with her. Australian actress Claire Lyon will play Christine, while veteran Broadway actor Brad Little will perform as t

Performance Oct. 5, 2012

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is wistful, witty, romantic and sentimental, a “Breakfast Club” for the new millennium. It’s not high school as it really was and remains today. It is high school as it really should be.Writer-director Stephen Chbosky, adapting his own novel, presents a version of those years that is equal parts hopeful and cruel, with complicated, fragile kids with deep dark secrets and great, unrequited loves. The unpopular are protected from bullies by kind strangers, their p

Film Oct. 5, 2012

Chinese actresses share their experience making Korean-Chinese production “Dangerous Liaisons”BUSAN -- Stars of one of the most anticipated films at this year’s BIFF shared thoughts on making of the film on the second day of the festival in Busan. China’s top actress Zhang Ziyi and Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung together praised Korean actor Jang Dong-gun, whom they co-starred with in Korean director Hur Jin-ho’s latest drama “Dangerous Liaisons” -- for his professionalism and looks. “I’ve bee

Film Oct. 5, 2012

Russia’s ice theater troupe presents Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake’While Olympic champion Kim Yu-na has made figure skating more of a spectator sport than ever before in Korea, many still may not be familiar with the genre of ice theater.Hence Russia’s Bobrin Ice Theatre’s performance of Tchaikovsky classic “Swan Lake” would offer a unique experience for both local ballet fans as well as figure skating buffs. The troupe has been in Seoul since last week, to present the Tchaikovsky piece not in toe sh

Performance Oct. 4, 2012

The 15th Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance), the nation’s largest annual dance bash, kicks off on Oct. 5 for its 15-day run, with a total of four pieces officially banned for teenagers. One of the most reputable genre showcases here, the event is presented by the local section of the International Dance Council CID-UNESCO. Fifty-three dance companies from 16 countries will present 57 works during the festival. This year’s edition has been receiving a lot of attention even before the op

Performance Oct. 3, 2012