Human Time: Selected Poems

by Haengsook Kim, Jake Levine (Series Editor), Susan K (Translator)

First English-language collection from a leading poet in South Korea. Kim Haengsook is one South Korea’s most eminent contemporary poets, but a complete collection of her poems has never appeared in English before now. This selection draws on her work across her career and five books in Korean. Haengsook's poetic spaces are shrouded in a magic fog that is clarifying instead of obscuring. Built out of a language that incorporates a strategy of what she calls "precise ambiguity," her work radiates outward like great waves whose philosophical rhythm you can't help but get caught in.

120 pages, Paperback

Published April 4, 2023

Reviews

[Ada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ple d'imatges estranyíssimes. En alguns poemes no hi entrat gens. Però alguns altres m'han portat a llocs i atmosferes i idees i formes d'expressar nous(noves).

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My interest in Korean poetry began after watching the K-drama "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha", which features Kim’s poem “Gatekeeper.” I picked up this book as it’s the only English translation of Kim’s work I could find.

While many of the poems are challenging and still sinking in, I’m glad to have started my Korean literature journey here. Some pieces draw on Western classics like Kafka’s Metamorphosis and Orwell’s 1984. Having read these works beforehand may make it easier to understand Kim’s poems.

My favorites from this collection: “Gatekeeper”, “Dear Angel”