A review by greeniezona
Whale and Vapor by Jake Levine (Translator), Kim Kyung Ju

4.0

The only book I bought at full price as a part of my #virtualawpbookfair binge-shopping, from a press I had never heard of before (Black Ocean Press) who I now definitely want to buy more from. I definitely chose this one at least partially because I had #koreanmarch in mind.

I love the quote on the back: "You've got to make peace with my chaos. It's a chaos no one understands." Many of the poems moved me emotionally in ways I couldn't explain narratively. Exhaustion isn't named explicitly but it is everywhere in these poems.

Particular favorites were "Without a Trace," "Snow Falling in Water," and "Midnight Highlighter."

A lovely and sometimes odd little collection that continues to grow my understanding of Korean culture.