Favourite Korean-American Fiction Read of 2023: (and some family history)

In what was a bumper crop of Korean-American fiction in 2023, one stood out above the others even if my first pass at it was less than stellar. Ed Park's Same Bed Different Dreams is a spiraling mosaic of interconnected snippets that asks "What is History?" (Leading to some Buffalo in the 80's nostalgia and some wild family history besides)
MENTIONED:
Korean American Fiction 2023 - • Korean-American Fictio...
Same Bed Different Dreams - amzn.to/42RGUB7
The Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD) - bit.ly/4bNeWut
ELSEWHERE:
Goodreads: goo.gl/vlGtSd
Instagram: / daejin
Discord: / discord
#SameBedDifferentDreams

[@ansk6850]

Man oh man! This video deserves an award. The connections, amazing. Thanks.

[@ThePoptimist]

Thanks - glad you enjoyed! Have you read Same Bed?

[@pfeffi030]

😮 what an interessting family history. Thanks for sharing🙏

[@ThePoptimist]

Thanks for watching!

[@lindysmagpiereads]

Your description of Same Bed Different Dreams has prompted me to add it to my TBR. Even better was hearing more about your parents’ history. What happened to the orphan your mom travelled with to Sweden? I read a memoir by a Korean Swedish adoptee that questions the assumption that transnational adoptions are humanitarian acts: Palimpsest by Lisa Wool-Rim Sjoblom. Your uncle’s brief reunion with your mother reminds me of another book: The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, which is about sisters separated by the Korean border. So many ways to look at history.

[@ThePoptimist]

Palimpsest is already on the TBR and I've read Keum Suk Gendry-Kim's Grass but not The Waiting yet. I don't know the specifics of what happened to the child, if she was picked up direct at the airport of if she was dropped off somewhere specific - maybe that line of questioning can open up some new memories though. Worth a shot - thanks!

[@lindysmagpiereads]

@@ThePoptimist Gendry-Kim’s Grass is so sad. I’m glad she included the modern timeline with the old women living in a home together. I should have realized that the orphan your mother accompanied was destined for adoption. Good luck on further conversation with your parents about the past.

[@TheBookBully]

I am so excited to get to this one. Thanks for this fantastic video!

[@ThePoptimist]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did - history is just wild

[@reglara79]

I went to StokerCon last year and I went to this panel of 5 Asian women horror writers and the moderator was also Asian. They were from all over. I have been to bad panels where you wonder if the moderator knew they were moderating this before they got there. But the woman in this panel-every time she asked a question she led off with a quote from the book or an interview they had done of the panelist she was asking the question to. She had done her work. The panelists were surprised and delighted. I was impressed. All the questions were relevant to the quote she read from. She was a star in my eyes. There was another panel about cryptids where even if the guests were no energy (honestly it was just one out of the five panelists who was low energy) he brought the juice. He weaved seamlessly between topics and segued between guests like a pro. I felt like I was listening to a well seasoned, make sure the air is full at all times, radio DJ. You’ll do great!

[@reglara79]

Also, great video.

[@ThePoptimist]

I like it! thanks for the input, it really does boil down to research and coming in prepared and doing the work - I've got time so there's no excuse. I love the idea of looking up older interviews from the authors too.

[@alldbooks9165]

So interesting you mention your parents being tight lipped about their pasts. My dad was a medic in Korea. He also was very tight lipped about that time … just a few moments ever mentioned.

[@ThePoptimist]

I just keep prying a little at a time - just so incredible some of the stories.

[@madworld1962]

I put the book on hold at my library :). Thanks for sharing some of your family history... very interesting indeed!

[@ThePoptimist]

It's not for everyone but I just loved it once I figure out the "right" way to read it.

[@alldbooks9165]

Good luck with the author panel!

[@ThePoptimist]

Thanks - getting more details as the date approaches, could be fun!

[@karakask5488]

Thank you for sharing your family history, I love hearing about where people come from. This book is going on the tbr for sure.

[@ThePoptimist]

I get so little info from the folks, I need to ask trickier questions that might open up new details!

[@kathyarrr]

You threw me into the way-back machine talking about Buffalo Saturday morning kids programming. I too watched Commander Tom along with Rocketship 7.

[@ThePoptimist]

Rocketship 7!! How could I have forgotten that detail - god it's depressing googling the images though. The pictures feel like they were shot a century ago.

[@kathyarrr]

@@ThePoptimist it feels like a century ago. 👵

[@1book1review]

The more I hear about this book the more curious I get but also think it should come with an introduction of Korean history roundup for dummys, to better understand and enjoy the book.

[@ThePoptimist]

I'm telling you, you probably know about as much Korean history as I do and that's enough. The stuff in here is all new and wild and requires no foreknowledge.

[@Robert.Sheard]

Okay, you need to write that book about your family's saga, whether you fictionalize it or not.

[@ThePoptimist]

It would have to be fictionalized, for something as significant as the reunion must have been, my mom has been very tight-lipped about the whole experience.

[@SamanthaWritesThings]

I loved this video, thank you for sharing. History (and its mutability) is one of my main preoccupations in both writing and in life, so hearing your own stories was so fascinating to me. Weirdly enough your Buffalo TV nostalgia stirred up similar Buffalo TV nostalgia in me even though I'm a bit younger than you. I look forward to your FOLD panel and good luck with moderating! I did it once and it was quite nerve-wracking but the authors I talked with were wonderful and open, which helped a lot. I find that talking about process/inspiration always leads to great discussion and is interesting for the audience as well. Jael Richardson was one of my moderating inspirations, and there are a couple of videos on the FOLD's KZbin channel of panels she's moderated. Oh, also - prepare more questions than you think you'll need!

[@ThePoptimist]

Love this and THANK YOU for the Jael Richardson recommendation - which in hindsight is a bit of a forehead slapping, should have known sort of thing. And absolutely will be coming over-armed with questions. Appreciate the suggestions!

[@davidnovakreadspoetry]

I haven’t read much Korean-American fiction. I guess Richard E. Kim qualifies and I’ve enjoyed all three of his English books, especially his second novel, which something you said made me think of. But I wonder if you’ve read _Meeting My Brother_ by Yi Mun-yol. It’s a novella and I liked it a lot. Good luck on your moderating. I’ve heard that if you wear a big chicken suit it makes everything go smoothly but I couldn’t vouch for the veracity of that. 🤔

[@ThePoptimist]

I haven't picked up any Richard E Kim - need to fix that! Haven't read Meeting My Brother either dammit! Hmmmm, the classic chicken suit moderator redirect - that just might work.

[@LittlePiscesReading]

❤❤

[@ThePoptimist]

thanks!