Dear my visitors: Subliminally, I’ve been chasing the illusions of peace and beauty in all seasons of my life. Miraculously, I’m given a bouquet of poems, prose, a novel (Nayoung’s Journey), images and poem videos. The following are the links to the literary magazines that have published some of my works, as well as my YouTube videos. As a bilingual writer, my book in Korean, "천송이 목련화 (A Thousand Magnolias)," which is a collection of poems, stories, and images, has been published as of May 25, 2022. Thank you so much and the very best to you all! Therese
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![]() Thatch-roofed House | ![]() Harvest Moon at Dawn | ![]() Crock Jars for Kimchi and Sauces | ![]() Tea and Pottery House | ![]() Dinner Arrangement | ![]() Flowers and Stone Figures |
![]() Latticed window and the kitchen door | ![]() Cooking Cauldrons on the Sunken Furnace | ![]() Shadow of Eaves over Latticed Window | ![]() Tiled Roof and the Stone Wall | ![]() Stone Lamps in the Garden | ![]() Wind-bell |
![]() Silk Pouch and White Crochet | ![]() Smoking Pipe, Writing Brush, Happiness Pouch | ![]() Village Shrine | ![]() Pavilion on the Pond | ![]() Village Guardian Spirits | ![]() Stone Figures |
![]() From East to West | ![]() Femme en Chapeau by Sellier | ![]() Office Windows on Park Avenue | ![]() St. Patrick's Church | ![]() Golden Statue in Rockefeller Center | ![]() Wooden Plank Water Tower |
![]() Snow in Manhattan | ![]() Central Park Winter | ![]() The Moon over New York City | ![]() White Horse of Central Park | ![]() ![]() with Nayoung's Journey © Therese Young Kim | |
Stone Lamps - Please, refer to the first page, Prelude, in this website, for images and the article about the stone lamps.
“Kisaeng” is a word transliterated from Korean, meaning “entertaining girl or girls,” who were professionally trained to sing, dance or play ancient instruments in old world Korea. Some wrote classic Korean poetry called, “Sijo,” and recited them to the haunting melody of kayagum sound. Despite their high artistry and elegance, however, they belonged to a lower-class in social strata, who served as entertainers in banquets and ceremonial dinners for aristocrats and high officials. Hwang, Jini (1506-1560) is known to be one of the most legendary Kisaeng girls and an acclaimed poet of her time. She was featured in the Korean movie titled by her name.
In the changing ethos of time, however, especially following the tragic Korean War and her rapid growth as an industrialized nation, the classic sight of Kisaeng girls in Korea has long been eclipsed by modern social mores of the country. Nonetheless, it may not be a mere coincidence if one finds the footprints of their beauty and haunting legacy still alive in various forms of the Korean traditional performing arts today.
Following are the three images of Kisaeng girls in classic Hanbok (traditional Korean dress), courtesy of Hyunam Publishing Co. in Seoul, Korea. In the far left stands a Kisaeng girl in her outdoor mode in her hat (called Jonmo), made of bamboo and oiled paper that were worn by lower class women. In the middle in all white is a dancing girl, and in the right she is wearing her formal Hanbok dress.
The above images were selected from the book:
“Korean Costumes during the Chosun Dynasty”
Written and Illustrated by Kwon,Oh-Chang
Hyunam Publishing Co.
Written and compiled by © Therese Young Kim The Author of © Nayoung's Journey All Rights Reserved
As I sit here with my old computer, I feel grateful for having journeyed this far with 7½ lives (a bit less than an old cat), much of which have been spent in my cluttered city life. To look for a modicum of calm and peace, I rambled around the parks, strolled in the sunny side of sidewalks, or drifted into humble cafés at quiet hours. In return, together with some poetic pictures, they gave me a lovely basketful of poems and stories, a fraction of which have been published in a few literary magazines and in my website.
I am happy to say that after years of toiling I’ve completed a novel, Nayoung’s Journey, for which I’m now seeking a home with a literary agent or a small press. It is a provocative story about a young Korean woman coming of age in America with her broken dream. In this page there is an array of photo journalistic images I introduce as a kind of a visual preamble, hoping that Nayoung the protagonist will see her story published one day. If you, my kind visitors, happen to have any recommendation or advice on this matter, you are more than welcome to drop a few words in the email box below.
If I may, let me close this message with the following wishes:
Just as the world has come closer to our fingertips, may the possibilities for a peaceful and gentler world be ever closer to us all!
I thank you and wish you the very best New Year in excellent health and peace!
Most cordially, Therese
January 2018 © Therese Young Kim
Dear Readers, your questions or comments posted here will be kindly honored.
Thank you.
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