Correct me if I'm misunderstanding something, but isn't it common to not win many literary awards? I'm under the impression that it's very difficult to win awards for writing, and that it's...
Correct me if I'm misunderstanding something, but isn't it common to not win many literary awards? I'm under the impression that it's very difficult to win awards for writing, and that it's unfortunately difficult to make a living as a writer all over the world.
I assumed that awards are likely more common in North Korea on an (awards given / writers) basis, mostly because there appears to be a rather rigid career ladder for writers there. In the US, you...
I assumed that awards are likely more common in North Korea on an (awards given / writers) basis, mostly because there appears to be a rather rigid career ladder for writers there. In the US, you can become a writer and I believe are mostly self-employed but under contract with publishers (please correct me if I'm wrong - this is just a guess!). In North Korea, only approved people can become writers, and even then not all writers can write about all topics (No 1 works being the example given in the book). I assume awards are given out in a similar way promotions would be given out at a regular job.
An interesting piece, but I can't help thinking it reads a lot like a propaganda piece itself. Like, who takes a picture of some art and instead of describing it calls it a propaganda mural? Gonna...
An interesting piece, but I can't help thinking it reads a lot like a propaganda piece itself. Like, who takes a picture of some art and instead of describing it calls it a propaganda mural? Gonna go up to Washington DC, take a picture of the Lincoln Memorial and call it a propaganda statue? Putting things in terms like the Kims are gods and the elites live well, as if most people wouldn't be honored to meet the president of their country and as if their own rich didn't live much more luxurious lives than the poor. I'm not in favor of either "system", just pointing out the hypocrisy.
Also, the writer of the original book has a vested interest in making NK look as bad as possible, because by his own admission he was not getting any recognition in writing... except perhaps when it comes to writing about a country most people know nothing about.
Articles and works like this are obviously interesting and it's probably good to have them around, but I think it's worth taking the more shocking things with a grain of salt, no matter the country being talked about.
The article contains translated excerpts from the book Tobenai kaeru: Kitachōsen sennō bungaku no jittai (The Frog that Couldn’t Jump: The Reality of North Korea’s Brainwashing Literature),...
The article contains translated excerpts from the book Tobenai kaeru: Kitachōsen sennō bungaku no jittai (The Frog that Couldn’t Jump: The Reality of North Korea’s Brainwashing Literature), written by Kim Ju-sŏng, a North Korean writer who has defected to South Korea.
I was trying to find a full translation of this out there but it doesn't appear to exist. I like his writing style and would love to read the full thing.
I was trying to find a full translation of this out there but it doesn't appear to exist. I like his writing style and would love to read the full thing.
Correct me if I'm misunderstanding something, but isn't it common to not win many literary awards? I'm under the impression that it's very difficult to win awards for writing, and that it's unfortunately difficult to make a living as a writer all over the world.
I assumed that awards are likely more common in North Korea on an (awards given / writers) basis, mostly because there appears to be a rather rigid career ladder for writers there. In the US, you can become a writer and I believe are mostly self-employed but under contract with publishers (please correct me if I'm wrong - this is just a guess!). In North Korea, only approved people can become writers, and even then not all writers can write about all topics (No 1 works being the example given in the book). I assume awards are given out in a similar way promotions would be given out at a regular job.
An interesting piece, but I can't help thinking it reads a lot like a propaganda piece itself. Like, who takes a picture of some art and instead of describing it calls it a propaganda mural? Gonna go up to Washington DC, take a picture of the Lincoln Memorial and call it a propaganda statue? Putting things in terms like the Kims are gods and the elites live well, as if most people wouldn't be honored to meet the president of their country and as if their own rich didn't live much more luxurious lives than the poor. I'm not in favor of either "system", just pointing out the hypocrisy.
Also, the writer of the original book has a vested interest in making NK look as bad as possible, because by his own admission he was not getting any recognition in writing... except perhaps when it comes to writing about a country most people know nothing about.
Articles and works like this are obviously interesting and it's probably good to have them around, but I think it's worth taking the more shocking things with a grain of salt, no matter the country being talked about.
I can't think of any US president in recent memory that was/is praised as a savior, can you?
The article contains translated excerpts from the book Tobenai kaeru: Kitachōsen sennō bungaku no jittai (The Frog that Couldn’t Jump: The Reality of North Korea’s Brainwashing Literature), written by Kim Ju-sŏng, a North Korean writer who has defected to South Korea.
I was trying to find a full translation of this out there but it doesn't appear to exist. I like his writing style and would love to read the full thing.