We really enjoyed our conversation with Issue 2 Contributor Kate Choi on her piece “the han river calls me a bae-shin-ja (traitor),” using foreign language in poetry, and a few of her favorite poets.

Your poem “the han river calls me a bae-shin-ja (traitor)” stood out to me because of its format as a dialogue between the narrator and the Han River. Why did you choose to write the piece this way? What significance does the Han River hold and how does its personification play into the poem’s theming?

The Han River has always been a place of significance for me, both culturally and personally. I visited it often in my childhood, and (looking back) I wish I’d known to appreciate it more. As a child, I often resented my surroundings and country and thought I belonged elsewhere. When I got older, I revisited the Han River and realized how much of its beauty I had been overlooking. In many ways, I feel it has watched me grow up—like I’ve been showing it my entire life story. Throughout all this, the river has stayed quiet, tolerant. I started wondering what would happen if it could speak back, what opinions it would have, and what I would say in my defense.

Your piece grapples with cultural identity beautifully. One way in which you did so was in your use of Korean words like “bae-shin-ja” and “hanji.” Why did you decide to include them? What role does translation and language play in your poetic voice?

Thank you for the compliment! I wanted the title to seem like a direct quotation from the Han River. Based on how the river is personified in the poem, I thought it would use Korean for such a loaded accusation. As for hanji, I don’t think there’s an English word for it (I Googled it and the translation is “Korean paper”, which probably wouldn’t fit as well in a poem). I do think my use of translation in poetic voice is something I’m still figuring out. There’s a balance you have to strike: you can’t overexplain the culture, but you can’t be so vague as to confuse readers.

If you could describe your writing style in three words, what would they be?

Work in progress.

One of my favorite lines from your piece is “you’ve written sonnets / and haikus but never a sijo.” It’s such a great distillation of the poem’s themes. Is there a line from a poem that has stuck with you recently? What poets have you been reading lately that you’d recommend?

Not a particular line, but “Summer Solstice, New York City” by Sharon Olds has been haunting me for weeks now. I love Emily Skaja’s work—you should go check her out!

Finally, since we’re Marmalade Lit, do you have a favorite bread, pastry, or jam?

I love salt bread! As for my favorite jam, I’m going to be basic and say strawberry.