FROM THE SERIES: Korean Poets

AUTHOR(S): Baek Seok
Peter N. Liptak, Joongwon Choi

PUBLISHED BY: an imprint of Exile Press on 20181201

EAN: 9781936342105

ISBN: 9781936342105

SUBJECT:

POE009000-POETRY / Asian / General
DCF-Poetry by individual poets
DCC-Modern & contemporary poetry (c 1900 onwards),DCF-Poetry by individual poets,DC-Poetry
English
North Korea,korean culture,spirituality,korean heritage,shamanism,countryside,harmony with nature,Korean Poet,Korean Poetry,People of North Korea,Korean Traditions,Korean food,poetry,translation,Baek Seok,dialect,fading customs,

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324
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The Palatal Poems of Baek Seok

This poet from Pyungangbukdo observed for us the institutions and character of fading local customs, infusing them with the foods and flavors native to Korea, a deep and spiritual connection to the natural world, and shamanic superstition.

With a tone that is variously meditative, joyous, nostalgic, critical, romantic, reverent, ironic, tragic and even bitter at times, Baek Seok's blend of litany, landscape and legend is full of nature's color, readily palatal flavors of rural cookery and an "almost tactile connection to those who people his poems," allowing us to experience his intense descriptions of a world now largely lost and to see into the culture and human relationships of the Korean condition.

Baek Seok (1912-1996) was a foundational poet of the early modernist movement in Korea, created palatal and pastoral poetry that tapped into the memories and han of the people through universals of food and farm, mountain and village and beasts, not mystic but common and not common but comfortable. This most Korean of Korean poets developed a genre unique to Korea, full of the foods and landscapes he relished and remembered, yet contributing to a discipline of poetry that was both Korean and modern at once.

In a country divided by war, politics and ideological schism, one grand master's poems revive the beauty of Korea's fading traditions and culture.

Dubbed the "Great Untranslatable Poet" for his use of intense North Korean dialect, Baek Seok gave voice to the distinctive culture of his people. This celebrated poet's poems paint a timeless picture of Korea's rich landscapes, timeless traditions, and spiritual superstitions of the Korean countryside.

Baek Seok's poetry has now been painstakingly translated by Peter Liptak providing a touching insight into the palatal & pastoral observations of this proud culture. Baek Seok: Poems of the North provides a glimpse into the fading traditions and culture of the North Korean people, allowing us to experience the human relationships and intense descriptions of a world now largely lost.

This thoughtful translation of such rich, vivid poetry embodies the proud culture and customs of the North, making Baek Seok: Poems of the North an instant classic and valuable resource for anyone interested in Korean language and culture.

2018 INDIES WINNER SILVER, MULTICULTURAL (ADULT FICTION) CHOSEN AS A FOREWORD REVIEWS' PRESTIGIOUS #FOREWORDINDIES BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS WINNER!

Revealing a hidden light of Korean poetry, the handsomely collected Baek Seok: Poems of the North shines with simple and universal splendor, set in the homes, yards, and farmland of twentieth-century Korea.

Peter Liptak applies his extensive skills and experience in English and Korean as he presents translations of the poetry of Baek Seok, who wrote his poems when Korea was occupied by Japan and was later split in two after World War II. Despite such turmoil, his poems focus on universal aspects of Korean culture: harmony with nature, family, love, and sadness. His work was rediscovered by modern scholars in 1987, and his growing reputation prompted this collection.

Baek Seok's poems carry a sense of nostalgia and community, delivered from an individual's point of view. Every line contributes to the whole, painting a picture in words. But Baek Seok's strength is his frugality, as seen in the poem "Green Persimmon," which creates an indelible image in just three lines:

On a night of countless stars
To the cool current of a north wind
The persimmon fell green to a dog's harsh bark.

One can contemplate deeper meanings or accept the poem at face value; either way, the strong sense of place and vivid imagery that are omnipresent in Baek Seok's work are evident.

Each poem is printed in English and Korean, accompanied by footnotes explaining references to specific locations, Korean terms, and other details. Choi Joongwon's exquisite artwork illustrates scenes in the book's color scheme of blue and white.

It's hard to imagine a better introduction to Baek Seok's work. A biographical timeline and "About the Author" section provide valuable context, while those more interested in the work itself will delight in the "List of Onomatopoeia," a technique used extensively by Baek Seok.

With Baek Seok: Poems of the North, Liptak has proven wrong the professor who called Baek Seok "The Great Untranslatable Poet"; in doing so, he has performed a great service to Western readers.

-- Peter Dabbene (September/October 2018) Foreword Reviews

"The stories are deep and rich, though about simple things... Very high-quality production. This almost feels like reading a history book, in a good way. The poems are wonderful vignettes of a place and time that is nearly gone."
~ MIPA (Midwest Independent Publishing Association) Book Awards Judge

"This book is absolutely gorgeous. What a delight to hold a heavy book and gaze at beautiful artwork."
~ MIPA (Midwest Independent Publishing Association) Book Awards Judge

"The interior illustrations are beautiful and enhance the clarity of the poems. Cover design is eye-catching, pleasing, and evokes a positive response. Overall Reaction: 10 The poetry of North Korean Baek Seok comes alive through Liptak's excellent translation. The culture, nature, relationships, and life in the countryside during Japanese occupation rise into our consciousness through the poems on the printed page. We enter the past world of Baek Seok... timeless, understandable, beautifully depicted."
~ Benjamin Franklin Awards Judge

"I found this book enchanting, not least for the journey it allowed me to the foreign place and time for which the poet was nostalgic. I enjoyed the stories and poems alike, even though some of the cultural concepts were lost on me. I appreciated the press's production with beautiful illustrations that enhance the reader's sense of place and time, bolstering the impression of the words and closing that cultural gap."
~ Benjamin Franklin Awards Judge