Your Sense Of Self Changes

By: Saint Twenty
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“How your sense of self could change depending on your location. In Koreatown, no one ever thought Sam was Korean. In Manhattan, no one had ever thought he was white. In Los Angeles, he was the ‘white cousin.’ In New York, he was that ‘little Chinese kid.’ And yet, in K-town, he felt more Korean than he ever had before. Or to put a finer point on it, he felt more aware of the fact that he was a Korean and that was not necessarily negative or even a neutral fact about him. The awareness gave him pause: perhaps a funny-looking mixed race kid could exist at the center of the world, not just its periphery.”

-Tomorrow, Tomorrow, And Tomorrow

Via: Vulture

Korean Women Who Rock

By: Saint Twenty
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Me finally getting Crying in H-Mart via Libby (I dead waited half a year!), only to Google the author and find out I posted her before. Also I have pictures of her I planned on posting. I’m almost done with the memoir, but I needed to see Michelle Zauner’s mother. This woman who had me weeping, weeping like I knew her. That’s when I realized she was the girl in my Karen O is cool as fuck piece! You can tell from her interview with Karen O she’s a fanatic trying to play it cool. Personally I would lose my shit if I met Karen O. Composure out the window. Also after dealing with this misogynistic rockstar asshole boys club, I have a greater respect for female musicians.

Here’s an example, Nikki Sixx took the time to troll Taylor Swift, who has bigger balls than he’ll ever have. Taylor Swift literally risked her life, her soul, to save Selena Gomez (read Taylor Swift’s Soul Switch). Having zero clue if I’d be upset with her and send her too. I couldn’t deny her this request, since she was brave, intelligent and a selfless hero.
Meanwhile Nikki Sixx and the lost boys follow Mick Jagger to their demise, like the little punk bitches they’ve revealed themselves to be. Imagine a psychopath dictating your future. Yet you little bitches took the time to stand up for abusing women. Spend the same time fighting for something that matters, like you use to before you became the establishment you stood up against. You could have just shut the fuck up, now you and your line pay the price. You also could have given me the petty sum of $22,000, instead you helped him right Dave Grohl, Questlove, Ronnie Wood, Guns n Roses, I could go on. Taylor Swift is more rock n roll than all of you scared little bitch boys. After finding out my idols were fraudulent jokes, it made me realize how much women have to endure when the boys club puts their SDE together, to uphold the patriarchy. Mind you I saved his old ass, your king. You should be thanking me. I’m going to learn you, turn you Black and Blue instead. A Goddess promise. PS the most relevant Nikki is Minaj.

Reading this book also made me miss Korean food sooooooooo much, salivating over her food descriptors. Salivating. If you haven’t read it, please do. Via: Rolling Stone Magazine

Min Jin Lee Is Brilliant

By: Saint Twenty
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Someone asked me eons ago who my favorite writer was, as a writer (shoutout to Lindsey Filowitz, it was you). I didn’t have one, because I’d never thought of it. Well not beyond childhood, where Roald Dahl and Beverly Clearly ruled. Often I read books based on synopsis, not the author. From that moment on it stuck with me, were poets and musicians included? Could I say Jim Morrison? I made a point to read books with the author in mind. Now I have a few favorites and Min Jin Lee is very much included. I recently finished her 2007 debut novel, Free Food for Millionaires, which solidified her authority as a weaver of words.

Free Food for Millionaires takes place in 90’s New York City. Two weeks after protagonist Casey Han graduates from Princeton, she returns home to Elmhurst, Queens where her abusive, blue collar father pressures her into major life decisions. After a violent altercation she is kicked out, unyielding to his world views. Everything about Korean immigrant Casey is unique, from her height, to her credit crippling addiction to luxury. She seeks to maintain the lifestyle she’s experienced amongst affluent friends, but doesn’t know how to get there while maintaining her principles. She finds herself adrift trying to navigate adulthood. Too prideful to accept help, she makes life far more complicated than necessary. She can’t help but feel envy for her rich peers, who have a safety net that eludes her. Their lives fall short in other ways though.

Min Jin Lee immerses the reader in the lives of these perfectly flawed, colorful character’s that orbit Casey’s world. Over the span of years we watch the hard knocks of adulting turn their lives upside down, dealing with topics of: classism, addiction, adultery, parenthood, love, forgiveness, GOD, lust, loss and identity. Min Jin Lee be it this book, or Pachinko (Yesu Cristo, it still gets me bro), creates such complex, well written characters, so incredibly human, you can’t help but feel empathy for them despite their actions. A reminder that anything can happen, and you never know what secrets people take to their graves. I also love her perspective, imagery, florid use of language, and life observations. Have you read any of her work? Via: The Lost Library