Interview to Eva Petropoulou Lianou Συνέντευξη με τον πιο γνωστό ποιητή της Κορέας
A Spider
That dreams a rainbow-colored dream,
Spinning the threads of desire
In a corner under the dark eaves.
Though no insects appear today
Like they did not yesterday,
It gasps entangled
Among the nets
Spun by itself.
But even moaning sometimes,
It sings the song of hope
Spinning another thread.
A Strange Bag
He is all smiles
Humming
With only the expectation he may possess
He knows he won’t be filled up
But he always opens his mouth
Just like a man exhausted with hunger.
He is proud of his possession,
But when lost or deprived,
He doesn’t fall asleep or falls ill.
Laughing or weeping
With the things like the wind
That’ll stay for a short time,
He opens his mouth
Just like a man exhausted with hunger.
Tears of the Moon
A woman who has come
Stepping lightly on the darkness
In yellow skirt and coat,
And white socks.
Why does she look around
With her big eyeballs?
Is it because she wants to see her lover?
In the whirl of flashes
Sharp like the edge of a knife
On the streets of blazing lamps and neons,
She’s shedding only tears
With eyes blind and heart torn
Shrinking and lingering.
Do you remember writing your first words of poetry? When was it? Please tell us more about it. The first words of my first poem was “A dancing water jar.” I wrote the first poem when I was in university. I was so excited as I wrote that poem, because it was the first poem in my life. I showed it to my friend and asked him to tell me his feeling. He said, “It’s great.” I was so happy. I got a little confidence in writing poems.
Did you have any early influences/inspirations? I was raised up in the countryside when I was young. The fields and mountains near my home were so beautiful. I enjoyed playing with my friends going around them. They often give me the pure inspiration even after I became an adult. They are so helpful to write my poems.
What/who started you writing poetry? When I was in university, I suddenly had an serious disease while I was preparing for the national exam for a diplomat. I was extremely frustrated by the diagnosis that even modern medicine had no cure for my disease from the doctor. At that time, I had the opportunity to meet God at the revival service of a neighboring church. Beginning a life of faith, I got a challenging hope of life with the miraculous healing of my disease. Besides, forming the sense of value totally different from that before the incurable disease, I opened the eye of a new vision on everything of life. Entering a graduate school and majoring in English and American literature thanks to the recovery of health, I began to write poems.
Does your background / heritage influence your writing? Please explain. Yes. My Christian faith, and the literary and philosophical insight formed by the wide knowledge of English and American literature I got at graduate school much influenced my writing.
What subjects mostly inspires you to write? Why? The disease of modern civilization has inspired me to write. The whole world is dying due to the serious disease of modern civilization. So I am trying to give its solution to the people through my writings.
Do you remember your first ever published work? Where, what was it? When? Tell me how you felt seeing your words in print. Yes. I published my first poem, ‘Tears of the Moon” at the magazine of Monthly Literature Space in South Korea. I was so excited and happy.
What publication are you most proud to have your work published in, why? I am so proud of “Key publisher” which published my books, “The Bible Stories, the New Testament” and The Bibles Stories the Old Testament”, because the publisher is not only a big and famous one but also it made the two books bestsellers in Korea.
Do you have a favourite genre of poetry? Why? Tell me more about it. My favorite genre is lyric. Because lyric is suitable to deliver the subject to give the readers consolation and hope.
What are your future plans as a writer/poet? I have a plan to publish the poetry books to give the people of difficult situation consolation and hope.
What projects are you working on and why? I am writing a Christian book, “Heart of God,” Because I want to tell the readers about God’s real love and plan for each of them.
A phrase that you like and inspired you. Great hopes make great men. (Thomas Fuller)
Bio (Wansoo Kim)
Wansoo Kim achieved Ph. D. in English Literature from the graduate school of Hanguk University of Foreign Studies. He has published 7 poetry books. One poetry book, “Duel among a middle-aged fox, a wild dog and a deer” was a bestseller in 2012. He was granted the World Peace Literature Prize for Poetry Research and Recitation, presented in New York City at the 5th World Congress of Poets(2004). He published poetry books, “Prescription of Civilization” and “Flowers of Thankfulness“ in America.(2019), received Geum-Chan Hwang Poetry Literature Prize in Korea(2019) and International Indian Award(literature) from WEWU(World English Writer’s Union)(2019). He published “Heart of God” in America.(2020) He published an autobiography book, “Secrets and Fruits of Mission” and a poetry book, “Flowers of Gratitude”(2021). He received India’s Independence Day Literary Honors 2021”(2021).
