Twenty-five million people who live in North Korea are denied freedom in every respect of their lives. In short, they are hostages. Imagine 25 million hostages.
Min Jin LeeRead
We're always observing, and we're cautious people. We really want attention, but at the same time, we're ashamed of wanting attention. All those bizarre qualities of being outside are necessary for being a writer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writers often grapple with the desire for attention while feeling ashamed of this desire, which reflects the complexity of the creative process.
This quote by Min Jin Lee highlights the dual nature of writers and their relationship with attention. On one hand, they seek recognition and validation for their work; on the other hand, they feel a certain embarrassment or shame about this need. This internal conflict is rooted in the truth that creativity often demands vulnerability and observation, making these 'bizarre qualities' essential for the art of writing.
Themes
WritingAttentionCreativityVulnerabilityShame
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop about the struggles of writing, this quote can be used to spark a discussion on the balance between seeking validation and remaining authentic.
More from Min Jin Lee
All quotes →My father was born on Christmas Day in 1934. He grew up in what is now part of North Korea. When the Korean War began, my father was 16, and he found passage on an American refugee ship,thinking he'd be gone for just a few days, but he never saw his mother or his sister again.
Min Jin LeeRead
I think it's not an accident that you don't have that many Asian American women writers who are breaking out. I don't think it's an accident that you don't have that many Asian American writers, either women or men. I don't think that immigrants are encouraged to become artists. That's very gendered and racialized and ethnicized.
Min Jin LeeRead
Koreans are worried about the Japanese right-wing people, who tend to be against foreigners. But the Koreans in Japan aren't even foreigners. They are essentially culturally Japanese. If a family has lived in Japan for three generations, it's absurd to see them as foreigners.
Min Jin LeeRead
I've often felt like an outsider, not necessarily because I'm Korean, an immigrant, or female. I think writers are odd people.
Min Jin LeeRead
Education is a beautiful, liberating thing, but I think that tying in education and status, and the need to do well at every cost, is toxic.
Min Jin LeeRead
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