#Deborah Smith quotes

[metamorphesque]

Human Acts, Han Kang (translated by Deborah Smith)

[words-and-coffee]

She headed straight to the heart of the darkness, which lacked even a single point of light, and where not even the road beneath her feet could be seen. Like a blind owl, she walked as one with the darkness, undisturbed by it.

Bae Suah, Untold Night and Day (translated by Deborah Smith)

[sharry-arry-odd]

It's your body, you can treat it however you please. The only area where you're free to do just as you like. And even that doesn't turn out how you wanted.

The Vegetarian, by Han Kang

[koreanbibliophilegirl]

What is your opinion about Han Kang winning the 2024 nobel prize in literature? Is she the best representative of Korean literature nowadays?

This took a while to answer, sorry nonnie. I wanted to try making this as informative and helpful as possible- plus I was(and still am) kinda busy with preparing for college entrance stuff😅.

So!!! To answer your question:

The Korean author 한강(Han Kang) mainly writes fiction about human life and resisting violence, or historical fiction dealing with Korean modern history; I'm gonna focus more on the historical fiction side here though.

Her historical novels focus on the mental & physical scars left on Korea during the tumultuous period right after the Japanese Colonial Period & the Korean War, through the eyes of ordinary people whose lives were destroyed by each event. So Han Kang winning the Nobel Prize is super meaningful to us, because it means the world is taking an interest in Korean history, and the pain we went through.

There's a well-known quote in Korea; it was said by the Japanese Colonial Period Independence Activist & leader of the Provisional Korean Government, 김구(Kim Gu).

"오직 한없이 가지고 싶은 것은 높은 문화의 힘이다. 문화의 힘은 우리 자신을 행복하게 하고, 나아가서 남에게 행복을 주기 때문이다."

("The only thing I wish we had limitlessly is high power of culture. For the power of culture brings joy to ourselves, and furthermore gives joy to others.")

This quote means cultural power is crucial in drawing in the world to our side. If other countries enjoy our culture, they'll also take an interest in understanding us, which will in turn lead to them taking an interest in our wellbeing & listening to our voice. In fact, it's happening right now! People are learning Korean for K-Pop and K-Dramas! People are getting interested in Korean culture!! Han Kang won the Nobel Prize for books about our history!!!

So, yeah. I think Han Kang's Nobel Prize is very important to Korea, because we're now one step closer to the world acknowledging the sufferings of our country that previously went unrecognized.

And yes, I think Han Kang's novels are a good representation not just of Korean literature, but of the spirit of Korea as well! A number of her works describe some horrific incidents in our history, and others present a calm sort of criticism on the violence of society. <채식주의자(The Vegetarian)>, one of her better-known works of fiction, is a neat slightly grotesque(?) example of this recurring theme of advocating for peace and resisting violence. (This one isn't about history BTW! It's about a woman resisting the lifestyle of her secular family.)

Both history and peace are especially important themes to Koreans. History, because we're always striving not to let it repeat & not to let unsolved disputes be forgotten. Peace, because we're in constant danger, from being the world's one and only divided country, among other things.

BUT, as many Koreans are pointing out, Han Kang is- though undisputedly very talented- one of many amazing writers in Korea. In fact, I've even heard people say up to 60~70% of Korean authors are likely capable of winning the Nobel Prize, if only their work would be translated properly. I- and a lot of others- think Han Kang's success on the international level is not only thanks to her own stellar talent, but also to her translator, Deborah Smith. Deborah Smith has been translating Han Kang's works for a while now, and her thoughtful translations have been much appreciated. NGL, I've seen so many Korean-to-English translations that suck so bad, so seeing Korean literature get translated by someone who very obviously cares a lot about the text? It was like a breath of fresh air after being stuck in the school auditorium for two hours. (And yes, I have just walked out of the school auditorium after being stuck there for two hours.)

This is a lil besides the point, but this is part of why I'm planning to start a Korean literature YouTube channel after I graduate. So many great works of Korean literature either have low-quality translations or don't have any at all, and I want to introduce those works to the wider world properly.

I still have a few months to go till graduation though, so in the meantime, I hope Han Kang's works, at least, get all the well-earned love and respect it deserves.

Thanks for the ask nonnie, and sorry again for the late answer! Feel free to ask if you have any additional questions- though I'm gonna be honest, I'll probably be late in answering those as well.😅 College entrance preparation is hard haha.

-Lilly xx

[samuelschoon]

"The Wire," an HBO series, dives into life in Baltimore, Maryland. It explores the drug trade, the police department, and the struggles of both criminals and law enforcers. The show highlights systemic issues like poverty, corruption, and institutional failures, which are topics we've discussed in our course. It helps us understand how social and historical forces impact cultural identities and how the media shapes our views on race and ethnicity. The show also highlights issues like racial profiling and police brutality. It portrays these problems as part of a larger pattern of institutional racism, not just isolated incidents. This creates important conversations about race, ethnicity, and cultural diversity, which we've been discussing in our course.

"The Wire" connects to our course materials that discuss race, power, and privilege. For example, Takaki explains how African Americans have been systematically oppressed through discriminatory laws and practices, creating lasting racial inequalities. The show brings these discussions to life by showing how these injustices continue today. In an article about The Wire and it’s depiction of policing in America,  I found an interesting statistic: “Recently, as reported by USA TODAY, the Invisible Institute in Chicago created the largest known collection of police misconduct records, which they have made open to the public. Out of those findings the highest number of investigations were for misconduct and abuse. 22,924 for excessive force, and another 2,307 for domestic violence.” Race-based brutality in America started as early as the first settlers, with the Indigenous People being heavily oppressed by the settlers. In the first episode of “The Wire”, D’Angelo is demoted to leading a crew in a low rise project called “The Pit” This is a confined slum that many people of color have been essentially cast out to due to decades of inequality and institutional failure. This reminded me of the Wounded Knee massacre, and how the Lakota Sioux had been confined to a specific area so the government could track their movements and suppress their culture. 

Our course also emphasizes understanding intersectionality—the way race, class, and gender intersect. "The Wire" shows this by highlighting the added challenges faced by black women in the drug trade and the criminal justice system. A reoccurring event in the show is court room hearings, with many black people being unfairly treated by the justice system. Throughout history people of color have been systematically dismantled by the justice system , with not much justice being served. This is often done by attacking even the simplest of things like the way some people choose to present themselves. I am often reminded of “Picturing Us” by Deborah Willis and its ideas about how important self-representation is, and how long people of color have struggled in America to have agency over their image, rather than fit in with what the white man would rather they conform to. This is encapsulated throughout history in photography, and ho few images there are of black people that were controlled and authored by black people. In “Picturing Us”, Deborah Willis includes a quote from Frederick Douglass originally included in his article “A Tribute to the Negro”, which sums up this idea quite succinctly. “Negroes can never have impartial portraits at the hands of white artists. It seems to us next to impossible for white men to take likenesses of black men, without most grossly exaggerating their distinctive features. And the reason is obvious. Artist like all other white persons, have adopted a theory dissecting the distinctive features of Negro physiognomy.”

Citations:

Takaki, Ronald T., and Clint Smith. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. Back Bay Books / Little, Brown, and Company, 2023. 

Willis, Deborah. Picturing US African American Identity in Photography Edited by Deborah Willis. New Pr, 1996. 

Armistead, Wilson. A Tribute for the Negro: Being a Vindication of the Moral, Intellectual and Religious Capabilities of the Coloured Portion of Mankind: With Particular Reference to the African Race: Illustrated by Numerous Biographical Sketches, Facts, Anecdotes, Etc. and Many Superior Portraits and Engravings. William Irwin ; Charles Gilpin, 1848. 

Adams, Kiersten. “Understanding Policing through HBO’s the Wire.” Medium, Medium, 10 July 2020, itskierstenadams.medium.com/understanding-policing-through-hbos-the-wire-778796ab23d9. 

Images:

https://wallup.net/the-wire-hbo-crime-drama-television-police-2/

https://oddstops.com/location.php?id=60

http://www.ifc.com/shows/the-spoils-before-dying/blog/2015/07/10-reasons-omar-from-the-wire-was-the-ultimate-badass

[wfcn-co]

12 Old Movies that are still a delight to watch

Despite the rapid evolution of the film industry, certain old movies continue to captivate audiences even today. These cinematic gems, often celebrated at the film festival, have transcended their era and remain a delight for movie lovers of all ages.

Casablanca (1942)

Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman's iconic performances in this romantic drama set against the backdrop of World War II make it a must-watch for movie lovers. Over seventy-five years after its release, we're still quoting lines from this timeless classic.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Audrey Hepburn's iconic portrayal of Holly Golightly in this romantic comedy-drama captures the essence of 1960s glamour and sophistication. Aside from catapulting Hepburn into the role of Hollywood fashion icon, her performance is one of her best.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Jimmy Stewart's heartfelt performance as George Bailey in this beloved holiday classic reminds us of the power of love, friendship, and our impact on others. It might be over seventy years old, but it is one of the best movies ever.

The Women (1939)

Starring Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, and Rosalind Russell, this fantastic female-led movie did wonders for women despite the era. The story centers around divorce, fashion, and unyielding gossip, making for a terrific girls' night viewing.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

This psychological horror starring Hollywood greats Bette Davis and Joan Crawford has achieved cult status over the years. You'll never see sibling rivalry quite like this as two competitive sisters are holed up together in a fancy mansion in old Hollywood. The authentic dislike between the two actresses is palpable.

An Affair to Remember (1957)

Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr's poignant romance in this classic tearjerker about star-crossed lovers who vow to meet at the Empire State Building captures the essence of old-fashioned romance. You'll struggle to feel anything but love between the two main characters, and it's quite beautiful.

The Godfather (1972)

You won't find a greater mob movie with a more talented cast of actors than The Godfather. The soundtrack is beyond powerful, and the performances of Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, and Al Pacino are second to none.

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Judy Garland's performance as Esther Smith was considered her best-to-date, with her alternate lyrics turning a melancholy Christmas number into a positively upbeat one. This classic musical is a delight for the whole family.

These timeless films, celebrated at film festivals around the world, continue to inspire modern filmmakers and captivate audiences. Their enduring appeal is a testament to the power of great storytelling, unforgettable characters, and the timeless magic of cinema.

[infjtarot]

King of Cups. Weiser Waite Smith Tarot

The King of Cups is seated and is holding a cup close to his chest. He does not look into it, but gazes outward. It is not clear if he is offering you the cup or is keeping it for himself. The King of Cups is traditionally seen as the romantic figure—more committed and stable than the Knight; less wishy-washy than the Queen. But the King is also thoughtful and concerned about others, or a spiritual figure. When it comes to the matters of the heart, the King of Cups prefers to take an intellectual approach. He can dissect the various methods of love, its biological and its emotional components, and the historical and sociological pressures on a couple to marry. He would watch a romantic comedy and understand how it relates to myths such as Psyche and Eros, Tristan and Isolde, and he would have something to say on how these movies give their viewers unrealistic expectations for emotional connection. He will also have read a lot of Freud. None of this should impact the King of Cup’s ability to feel and to love, however. The understanding, if anything, adds depth to his emotions. The King does not reach this level of knowledge in order to scheme. He is not trying to game anyone or learn bogus seduction techniques. He simply wants to understand his own heart in order to survive its pangs and know what to do with it. At the time that Harry Harlow was studying psychology in the 1920s, there was a strange atmosphere in the scientific community. Male doctors were instructing new mothers not to touch their babies. Too much touch and too much comfort would make a baby soft and dependent as he or she grew older, they contended. Better to let the infant learn self-sufficiency, cry out his problems, and figure out what to do on her own. It would lead to strong, intelligent men and women. Harlow knew this was nonsense, and he decided to prove it. He would separate baby monkeys from their mothers and put them in cages to see how they reacted. He would create fake monkey mothers out of cloth and wire—the cloth ones provided no food, while those fashioned from wire did—and see which ones the babies preferred. Even when hungry, they would cling to the soft cloth mother. Babies without any touch at all simply didn’t thrive. Many became violent, anxious, and began to hurt themselves. Babies need touch and love, he determined—as much, if not more so, than they need food. Harlow’s studies revolutionized our understanding of love and the human need for it. Periodically we decide that the need for love must be weakness, and then someone—a King of Cups—goes about proving it’s essential for human life. Like all the Kings, the risk is overabstraction. That by studying love and emotions they run the risk of separating themselves from it. Or, understanding the darker side of love so well, they can’t let themselves trust ever again. Harlow himself was a terrible husband, or so said his first wife Clara Mears. Cold and distant, showing more concern and attention to his monkeys than to his own family. But in general, the King of Cups can recite Shakespeare’s sonnets, explain the science of attachment, quote studies on the evolutionary advantages of love, and yet refuse to give himself over to the actual experience of it. But the King of Cups has a tremendous capacity for love and emotional connection, if he is willing to accept that the strangest aspects of love cannot be dissected logically. Love is as mysterious as the soul, and people have been trying to figure out that thing for centuries without much luck. The brain will take you only so far into love; the rest of the way has to be lit with uncertainty. RECOMMENDED MATERIALS The Seven Storey Mountain, book by Thomas Merton Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding, book by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection, book by Deborah Blum Jessa Crispin

[loveinquotesposts]

https://loveinquotes.com/the-best-sex-takes-us-somewhere-somewhere-warm-and-expansive-a-paradise-of-lust-and-happiness-sex-is-and-can-be-and-should-be-but-only-very-rarely-is-an-act-of-communion-with-something-bigger-than/

The best sex takes us somewhere. Somewhere warm and expansive, a paradise of lust and happiness. Sex is and can be and should be but only very rarely is an act of communion with something bigger than ourselves. Men fuck and women make love, people say, but we men make love when we fuck a woman we adore: it’s the same thing to us. We mean it sincerely. I had places inside me only Cathy could fill with her body, and I made her happy with my body more than I ever thought I could. ― Deborah Smith, The Crossroads Cafe

#DeborahSmith, #DeborahSmithDeborahSmithLoveQuotes, #DeborahSmithQuotes, #DeborahSmithLoveQuotes, #TheCrossroadsCafe, #TheCrossroadsCafeQuotes

[liriostigre]

Han Kang, Human Acts (translated by Deborah Smith)

[metamorphesque]

Human Acts, Han Kang (translated by Deborah Smith)

[words-and-coffee]

In the past, people were vaguely fearful of photographs, believing the camera's exact reproduction of their own image would steal their souls. Not only did these images survive for much longer than their subjects, they were also endowed with an aura of magic the subjects lacked. A superstition, but one whose traces can still be felt today. People sense that the photograph captures an uncanny moment in the interstices of reality, enhancing reality's eeriness, the root of which is unknown, and fixing that moment in place like a death mask. Photography differs from the art of painting in that capturing or exposing such a moment happens neither at the will of the photographer nor the one who is photographed. What is photographed is a ghost moment, clothed in matter. Photography is the dream of comprehensive meaning. Each object has parts of itself that are invisible. This territory, which neither the photographer nor the subject can govern, constitutes the secret kept by the object. Unrelated to the intention of either photographer or subject, within the magic of photography dwells a still, quiet shock. Try to imagine our house one day when we ourselves are no more. Somewhere in that house is the ghost of us, which will pass alone in front of a blind mirror, revealing our own blurred image.

Bae Suah, Untold Night and Day (translated by Deborah Smith)

[sharry-arry-odd]

Or perhaps it was simply that things were happening inside her, terrible things, which no one else could even guess at, and thus it was impossible for her to engage with everyday life at the same time.

The Vegetarian, by Han Kang

[gennsoup]

Time was a wave, almost cruel in its relentlessness as it whisked her life downstream, a life which she had to constantly strain to keep from breaking apart.

Han Kang, The Vegetarian

Author: Han Kang (Korean)

Title: The Vegetarian

First Published: 2000

Original Language: Korean

Translator: Deborah Smith

View on Wordpress

[merulae]

There are certain memories which remain inviolate to the ravages of time. And to those of suffering. It is not true that everything is coloured by time and suffering. It is not true that they bring everything to ruin.

Han Kang, The White Book

[ahb-writes]

Literary style is not simply a mark of identity, like a fingerprint — it also has a function and a significance. Function is the easy part: the cool, understated prose of The Vegetarian functions to offset the feverish violence, to prevent it from seeming sensationalistic and over-the-top, a reminder that the darkest horrors are found in the everyday. Significance is trickier, because it depends on context: What styles are used by this author’s contemporaries? What’s the mainstream? What tends to garner praise, get labeled “modern,” “original,” “experimental,” or even just “literary���? Translating from Korean into English involves moving from a language more accommodating of ambiguity, repetition, and plain prose, to one that favors precision, concision, and lyricism.

Deborah Smith ("What We Talk About When We Talk About Translation")

[luthienne]

hello angel, I hope that you are doing well.

I’m sorry if I may be pestering you... but I thought that I could ask you this. Could you perhaps display a collection of quotes revolving around “disappearing.” ?

In a sense, from everybody’s life. but still being alive. But I would appreciate anything that you post.

Again, sorry for pestering. Thank you and I wish you all of the best.

It was very easy to disappear. Very easy to put on a red coat, switch off all the lights, go somewhere else, not go back to sleep anywhere.

Valeria Luiselli, from Faces in the Crowd (tr. Christina MacSweeney)

Louise Glück, from Averno

Nikki Giovanni, from “Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day”

Han Kang, Human Acts (translated by Deborah Smith)

I’d never seen anything like it. You haven’t got the strength. You are exchanged for a ghost,

Hélène Cixous, Hyperdream (tr. Beverly Bie Brahic)

“The me you see isn’t me – I am my ghost.”

Mahmoud Darwish, from ‘Mural’, Mural (trans. John Berger & Rema Hammami)

fr. “Extracting the Stone of Madness” by Alejandra Pizarnik, tr. Yvette Siegert

Mahtem Shiferraw, Your Body is War; “The Art of Invisibility”

The girl speaks even more slowly than usual, she’s absentminded, she who’s usually so interested in everything, her expression has changed, she’s become a spectator…

Marguerite Duras, from The Lover

Me, as ever, gone.

Anne Carson, from Decreation; “Despite her Pain, Another Day”

Mary Oliver, Blue Horses; “Blueberries”

...and / this is what we are reduced to, / the task of being disembodied / the small, small task of disappearing / without a sound, without a whisper of sorrow.

Mahtem Shiferraw, Your Body is War; “The Suicide Chamber”

Perdita doesn't seem to mind this or to sense that she is in danger of losing her right to corporeality. On the contrary, she purposefully deflects attention. When someone accidentally speaks to her, she just shakes her head. If they still won't take the hint, she'll add, 'No, I'm not here,' in a gentle way rather than a snippy one.

Helen Oyeyemi, from Gingerbread

ANN LAUTERBACH x NIGHTCORP | “Eclipse with Object”, And For Example (1994); untitled photos/edits by @nightcorp, published 14 July 2019 (x)

Christa Wolf, Cassandra: A Novel and Four Essays (tr. Jan van Heurck)

The girl is in a trance. All day in a kind of trance… She never makes a gesture. Immobile. Confronting herself. Surprised. Somnambulistic. She only moves to become someone else.

Anaïs Nin, from Nearer the Moon: The Previously Unpublished Unexpurgated Diary, 1937-1939

I don’t seem to want / anything others want. I don’t even know if / I want something. To be perfectly quiet, still alive / with no one pressing me.

Alice Notley, from Certain Magical Acts; “I Went Down There”

Sue Zhao

...I turned apathetic and silent. I could not say the most important thing, so it no longer occurred to me to say anything.

Christa Wolf, Cassandra: A Novel and Four Essays (tr. Jan van Heurck)

And I wish that I was someone else, a girl with words behind her face, not this one done up like a stone in herself.

Eimear McBride, from The Lesser Bohemians

Anna Kamienska, from A Nest of Quiet: A Notebook

Janet Fitch, from White Oleander

It was like not feeling real any more. Disconnected despite all the talking. Watching the self I’d built up over four or five years just crack and fall off me like paint.

Eimear McBride, from The Lesser Bohemians

Ono No Komachi, tr. by Jane Hirshfield and Mariko Oratani, from The Ink Dark Moon Love Poems by Ono No Komachi and Izumi Shikibu

I just can’t bear to think about it, actually. Just…empty. All day and night. Day after day and night after night.

Harold Pinter, from Betrayal

and i / learned to see but not show feeling and i learned to talk / while not / screaming

Nikki Giovanni, from "Poem of Angela Yvonne Davis”

Henry Dumas, Knees of a Natural Man: The Selected Poetry of Henry Dumas; “Saba”

Mahtem Shiferraw, Your Body is War; “The Memory of the Body”

Olga Broumas, Beginning with O; “Love Lines”

Joanna Klink, from “Winter Field”

Sometimes, when I'm careless, I think survival is easy: you just keep moving forward with what you have, or what's left of what you were given, until something changes—or you realize, at last, that you can change without disappearing, that all you had to do was wait until the storm passes you over and you find that—yes—your name is still attached to a living being.

Ocean Vuong, from On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous