[KS] Korea and Koreans as featured in literary works by non-Korean(ist) writers

[DeberniereTorrey]

I admit I should probably refrain from such comments on something I haven't read. I also commend Brother Anthony for coming to the defense of a well-intentioned writer. But I should clarify: before posting I had read Whalen's Amazon.com author page, as well as the four positive reviews. But I still found  the title and cover illustration problematic and culturally insensitive, and my emotional reaction to them remains negative. If the book indeed stands up to criticism, I wonder why the author and editors were not more thoughtful about the title and the cover, especially in light of the anti-American sentiment of the 80s, when it was published. As for the comment re. "literature," I tend to use this term in a more old-fashion sense, and the qualification was not meant to be pejorative so much as descriptive (There are a number of popular novels I love but would not call "literature"). In any case, this has inspired me to see for myself what's beyond the
 cover, and I've just ordered the book from the library.



________________________________
From: Brother Anthony <ansonjae at sogang.ac.kr>
To: DeberniereTorrey <djtorrey at yahoo.com>; Korean Studies Discussion List <koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2011 9:24 PM
Subject: Re: [KS] Korea and Koreans as featured in literary works by non-Korean(ist) writers

Alas, such ferocious scorn is surely undeserved. I find it a great pity that Deberniere did not do a little research. Of himself, Whalen writes movingly (Amazon.com author's page):

I left the farms and coal fields of Pennsylvania and was assigned to the U.S. Army as an infantryman and combat correspondent in the hostile fire zone north of the Imjin River in 1967. I traveledd around the country a lot and early on realized that Koreans were well worth defending and knowing. I had to stop by the U.S. Forces Korea at times and every time I went into the lobby I saw these stoic photos of generals who commanded since the war started in 1950. I was raised around the sons and daughters of immigrants to the coal region, and I loved the crossing of cultures.
I sensed there was much more to the Korean-American story and spent the next 15 years researching, reading reports and talking to old-timers. What I discovered prompted me to write Corean Dawn, which I hope you will enjoy. It is my sincere hope that the book can help with understanding of how Korea came to be what it is…

If I understand correctly, he has rewritten The Yobo and broken it into two separate novels, with Seoul added as a sequel. The three are published as Kindle ebooks, a reminder that you cannot now find everything published on the shelves of a library.

Corean Dawn a Novel of Korea (Corean Trilogy) by Whalen Wehry (Kindle Edition - Sep 4, 2010) - Kindle eBook 
Corean Dusk a Novel of Korea ((Corean Trilogy)) by Whalen Wehry (Kindle Edition - Jul 19, 2010) - Kindle eBook 
Seoul a Novel of Korea (Korean Trilogy) by Whalen Wehry (Kindle Edition - Mar 8, 2011) - Kindle eBook 

Regarding the reception of his work, I find the enthusiastic comments by the reviewers of "The Yobo" (in the Amazon.com page devoted to it) to be significant and valid, coming as they do from people who do not study literature.

Brother Anthony
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