#newdirectionspaperback

[greeniezona]

One of my readathon books I didn’t dedicate an entire post to, partly because this book required some processing. This was one of my vacation purchases at Prairie Lights Books, and the only one I was explicitly looking for. I’d seen this book recommended on twitter, and as I’m learning Korean right now, I thought I should read more Korean writers! (I am still a VERY long way from being able to read them in Korean.) . Anyway, this was my first introduction to Hyesoon, and it was a good one. As it is all about death, it was interesting reading this so aoon after Stiff, especially with lines like: . Do you want to be a friendly corpse? Do you want to be a scary corpse? . These poems range all over from angry to sad to clinical, touch on the body’s relation to mind and soul, a body’s relation to other bodies, the ways life and death give each other meaning. The last poem, which is separate from the death cycle, I think would be very relevant to those with chronic illnesses or who have spent time hospitalized. . I am sure there were cultural things that I missed in this work, but much was accessible without it, and there was a translator’s note at the end that was very interesting and helpful. I wish more translated books included similar notes. . A great rec for #witmonth, a great read for my poetry goals. Oh! And the illustrations are also fantastic! I would love to know if you’ve read this or if it is on your TBR! . . #womenintranslation #womenintranslationmonth #poetry #autobiographyofdeath #kimhyesoon #translatedpoetry #fijaelee #donmeechoi #newdirectionspaperback https://www.instagram.com/p/B06XdprgbHc/?igshid=1r37r8m8am9yl