Wow! So true. And very inspiring. And the trip to Korea was also part of this spiritual need to do what you felt your spirit had to do. Being Korean-American, how did the trip to Korea affect you?
Most American-born second generation Korean Americans make a trip to Korea at some point in their youth. There are some popular Korean language summer programs at universities in Seoul, for example, for high school and college students. I somehow never made the trip back then, so I was ripe for it when the opportunity arose. I was grateful, actually, to have waited; my mindset was one of exploration and curiosity (as opposed to, say, shopping and partying).
What books have most influenced your life most? Who are your favorite authors and what really strikes you about their work?
Too many to name; but I’ll say that Annie Dillard’s A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek was my “conversion” book, i.e. I read it and thought, very clearly, “I need to be a writer. ”
Readers can check out Sonya's Reading Events page.
She’s also written a memoir-essay, "How to Become a Writer," describing her journey as a writer. She also writes regularly for The Millions. Her essays can be found at Sonya Chung’ Essays.
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