GoldBy Chris Cleave (Simon & Schuster)TV producers who create those biographical segments on Olympic athletes could only wish that Chris Cleave wrote their scripts.In “Gold,” Cleave fashions a life-and-death story of two female cyclists, long entwined athletically and personally, competing for a single spot on Great Britain’s Olympic team.Cleave’s earlier novels include the bestseller “Little Bee.”“Gold” feels like a marriage of “Wide World of Sports” with Lifetime television; that’s meant as a

Books July 13, 2012

Margaret Atwood has always been one step ahead. The recent to-do over the use of the word “vagina” on the Michigan state House floor, for instance, would fit right in with the world she imagined in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which was published back in 1985.So maybe other adult novelists should take note of Atwood’s latest move: She’s jumped into the frenetic teen writing site Wattpad (www.wattpad.com). “I look forward to exploring the ways Wattpad connects people to reading and writing, and may hel

Books July 13, 2012

The public intellectual has become a rare creature in America, but Kurt Andersen has helped keep it from going extinct. He co-founded Spy magazine, was editor of New York magazine and now writes pieces like Time’s 2011 person of the year story, the Protester. These days, though, he mostly splits his time between hosting “Studio 360,” broadcast weekly to 160 NPR stations, and writing the occasional bestselling novel. His newest book, “True Believers” (Random House: 447 pages, $27), came out Tuesd

Books July 13, 2012

UBC dancer Ahn Ji-eun theatrically impressive in MacMillan’s interpretation of Shakespearean tragedyWhile considered one of the greatest love stories of all time, Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is also a coming-of-age story.The piece is filled with adolescent rebellion; it deals with first love, loss of innocence, and the characters’ first efforts to separate themselves from their parents. The young lovers’ tragedy largely stems from having patriarchal, controlling parents, who ignore their na

Performance July 12, 2012

Irish scholar shares his view on the leading philosopher of late Joseon Love your people, and serve their interest -- not yours.The message of Dasan (1762-1836), one of the greatest thinkers in the late Joseon period, transcends time and cultural boundaries. It certainly was the case for Irish scholar Kevin N. Cawley when he read one of Dasan’s texts a number of years ago. Cawley, who grew up Catholic, saw striking similarities between teachings of Catholicism and the Joseon scholar’s writing.“W

Books July 11, 2012

Newly promoted principal dancer Seo Hee to perform the lead roleFour years after the American Ballet Theatre charmed Seoulites with “Don Quixote” and “Rabbit and Rogue” in 2008, the renowned American troupe is back in Seoul this month to showcase their romantic ballet “Giselle.”The upcoming run is stirring even more excitement as the company’s Korean-born member Seo Hee, who is to perform the lead role, was promoted to principal member on Friday. She is the first Korean dancer to hold the positi

Performance July 10, 2012

Korea’s legendary traditional folk dancer Gong Ok-jin died in Yeonggwang, South Jeolla Province, on Monday. She was 81.Gong, who was designated intangible cultural heritage, had been undergoing medical treatment for the last 14 years, after suffering a stroke in 1998. Born in 1931 in South Jeolla Province to a pansori artist family, Gong was once taught by the famous late modern dancer Choi Seung-hee (1911-1969) in Japan, and joined the Joseon Changgeukdan, a Korean traditional opera troupe, in

Performance July 9, 2012

‘Kongchilpalsaesamryuk’ based on real-life suicide case of two young women in SeoulOn April 8, 1931, two young, sophisticated-looking women, dressed in Western clothes, approached the Yeongdeungpo train station in colonial Gyeongseong (today’s Seoul). The two walked toward the railroad tracks, smiling and cracking jokes ― as if on a picnic. When they saw a train steaming toward Incheon, however, they jumped in its path. They were killed instantly. One of two women was Hong Ok-im, the daughter of

Performance July 9, 2012

The American Ballet Theater (ABT) has promoted its Korean-born ballerina Seo Hee to the position of principal dancer, the renowned U.S. troupe announced via its website on Friday. Seo is the first Korean dancer to hold the position. Seo’s promotion takes place just weeks before her “Giselle” Korean tour, which is scheduled to run from July 18-22.  The 26-year-old dancer joined ABT in 2004, became a member of its corps de ballet in March 2006 and was promoted to soloist in August 2010. Her repert

People July 8, 2012

On Feb. 6, 1982, director Jung In-yeop’s legendary erotic romance “Madame Ae-ma” was released at the Seoul Cinema Theater in Jongno, central Seoul. The venue was completely packed with an excited crowd, and fierce competition for tickets ensued, resulting in broken windows. It was the first Korean movie to be screened late at night, after the nightly curfew had been lifted exactly one month before. The sexually explicit film, which is considered one of the iconic works of 1980s Korean cinema, dr

Film July 8, 2012

The Thieves (Korea)Opening July 25Crime. Action. Directed by Choi Dong-hun. Anycall (Gianna Jun), Popeye (Lee Jung-jae), Chewing Gum (Kim Hae-sook) and Zampano (Kim Soo-hyun) are professional thieves who work together. After their success in a gallery heist, the group hears that Popeye’s old partner and mastermind of robbery Macao Park is back for another job after many years of missing. Pepsi (Kim Hye-soo), a genius safecracker and old flame of Macao Park, decides to join the group to settle th

Film July 6, 2012

Behind the wheel of his tour bus, Don Baisa prays.Please. Give me George Clooney today, he thinks as tourists scramble aboard the 12-seat, open-top van marked “City Tours!”Or Charlize Theron. Or Jennifer Aniston.Will Ferrell. He’d take Will Ferrell.Baisa, a 61-year-old veteran of the tour bus scene with a neatly groomed, salt-and-pepper mustache, knows what his passengers want during their two-hour journey through Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Spotting stars means big tips. One day, after Ryan Se

Film July 6, 2012

American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across AmericaBy Michelle Obama (Crown)Michelle Obama can recall a time when she “had no idea that tomatoes didn’t come in green plastic trays, covered by cellophane and that they could be any color other than pale red.”She’s come a long way, and now she is working to bring the rest of us with her. Her efforts to garden on the White House lawn and to involve people all over the country in growing food are the subject of her

Books July 6, 2012

Korean DanceBy Kim MalborgTranslated by Lee Jean-young (Ewha Womans University Press)Although local ballet troupes have developed their original Korean repertoires ― such as “Shim Chung” and “Prince Hodong”― and received enthusiastic reviews overseas, little is known about traditional Korean dance in the international dance scene.For those who are interested in exploring the world of Korea’s traditional dance, local scholar Kim Malborg’s English-translated book, “Korean Dance” is a useful guide.

Books July 6, 2012

The Rock Bottom Remainders played their last gig recently, and the guy on bass guitar knew it would be a heartbreaker. Still, Ridley Pearson was typically upbeat.“We spent 20 years having a great time and raising $2 million for charity. It was such a labor of love.”When talking about work, family, friends ― even his adopted city of St. Louis ― most everything seems to be a labor of love for Pearson.His default mode is optimistic, says his friend Jim Bogart, development manager for the St. Louis

Books July 6, 2012