Comments for "I read your book." | Sung J. Woo

Comment on Everything Asian by Sung

Sung — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:04:54 +0000

Dear Sally,

You know your Korean food! Your pronunciation isn’t far off, either — “yook-hae” is what it is. And yes, you’re right — perhaps the reaction from Mrs. Kim should’ve been something along the lines of, “What is this? Did you order yook-hae?” Even though it is part of Korean cuisine, I think the fish version is more popular (“sang-sun-hae”), much like sushi and sashimi. And one thing for sure — if anybody Korean was gonna eat raw beef, there better be a tub of “go-choo-jang” to go along with it. And you know, on a personal level, I’m just not a fan of eating raw beef in any cuisine, so that probably also influenced the ending of that chapter.

Thanks so much for enjoying the book! It’s already been two years since it came out, so it heartens me to hear that there are still readers out there for my little first novel.

- Sung

Comment on Everything Asian by Sally Wenger

Sally Wenger — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:07:52 +0000

I just finished Everything Asian and really enjoyed it. I just had one very minor question: When the two women have lunch, Mrs. Hong mistakenly orders tartar steak, only understanding the word “steak.” The chapter ends there, but the impression is that this would have been a bad mistake.
I thought that this was a common Korean dish. It is usually on Korean menus called something like U-kay. And they are surprised if we order it, since they think only the Koreans will want it.
Actually, I have made tartar steak for years, but improved it after eating it in Korean restaurants by adding sesame oil.

Comment on The Bad, the Worse, and the Worst by Sung

Sung — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:58:37 +0000

Cage telling Molly Parker to get off her bike (at gunpoint!) was also one of the funnier moments. It is just an inept movie, and I do wonder how it got that way. LaBute is absolutely a misogynist, but I don’t think he’s a dope, and yet he ended up making a very dopey film. Nurse Betty might end up being his best movie.

For unintentional humor, the first “Saw” is still way up there!

Comment on The Bad, the Worse, and the Worst by Jessica

Jessica — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:38:49 +0000

OMG, The Wicker Man is a (new) bad-movie classic! How dare you impugn it by saying it’s somewhat decent. Any movie that features Nic Cage’s insane line-readings of HOW’D IT GET BURNED?!?! and KILLING ME WON’T BRING BACK YOUR GODDAMN HONEY!!!, not to mention NOT THE BEES!!!! MY EYES MY EYES BLLEERUGUGGHHH!! cannot be anything but awesome. Also, I love how it confirmed Neil LaBute’s suspected misogyny in the most blunt and unsubtle way possible (EVIL WOMEN WILL CUT OFF YOUR BALLS AND MAKE YOU THEIR DRONE!!!!).

If you need any more bad movies, may I recommend Dreamcatcher? Full of classic lines we still quote to this day (most, unfortunately, I suspect taken directly from the Stephen King novel), and a performance by Damian Lewis that is either genius or the worst acting choice made in the history of ever. Also features Timothy Olyphant looking sleazy.

Comment on Everything Asian by Sung

Sung — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:15:48 +0000

Dear Jessi,

First of all — thank you so much for writing. It never ceases to amaze me that there are people reading my book, let alone taking time out to write to me about it. Your question about the audience is indeed an interesting one. I never thought for a moment that I was writing a novel that would be shelved in the young adults section, but that’s happened quite a bit. Last year, the APALA (Asian Pacific American Librarians Association) bestowed my novel the literature award in the young adults category, so who am I to argue? The market will do what it does, and let me just say I’m thankful there’s a market at all!

Even though I did not set out to write a YA work, I can see why there is affinity in that sector. The narrator is a young boy, and since half the novel is written in the first person, it’s a pretty natural fit. If I were to use the MPAA rating system, I’d place my book somewhere between PG and PG-13. Nothing too risque there, at least by today’s standards.

Again, thank you, Jessi, for writing. It means a lot to me that there’s an audience for my book. I can’t believe it’s already been two years since it came out. Time to get back to work!

- Sung

Comment on Everything Asian by Jessi

Jessi — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:37:38 +0000

Mr. Woo,
Wow! What a great story, told through so many perspectives! I loved reading Everything Asian and have such an appreciation now for families who leave everything behind to start a new life. I love Asian culture and find such value in the hard work ethic and power of family. Even though David’s family was messy, they stuck together, through fire, theft, affairs, sickness, and bits of happiness along the way.
I am a teacher and would have watched out for a boy like David. Knowing that he felt so awkward and left out was painful. I guess I would want to take care of him like Stacy. I am currently working on a unit of study for a graduate class. This unit of study could be used in a classroom in grades 6-12. My question for you is did you write Everything Asian for a specific audience? Do you see your work as adult reading or adolescent reading? Every reader is different, and while David is twelve in the book, do you see this as a book for younger readers? I would love to know your take on this. There are elements of this powerful story that may be suited for an older audience, and I’d like to know what you think. Thank you so much for your time and for creating such a unique book. I loved it!

Sincerely,
Jessi

Comment on 121951 Words by Sung

Sung — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:23:39 +0000

Thanks, Rebecca! I’m not looking forward to the rewrite, but hey, what must be done must be done.

- Sung

Comment on 121951 Words by rebecca l

rebecca l — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:50:46 +0000

yay! now keep on going! well done, Sung -