[Book Sip] "Love is... not a professional matter"

Margaret Atwood's 'The Real Story'

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of the book itself, while others instantly reach the reader's heart, creating a connection with the book. We present meaningful sentences excerpted from the book. - Editor's note

This is a poetry collection by Margaret Atwood, a novelist famous for works such as "The Handmaid's Tale," "The Blind Assassin," "Testaments," and "Mad Adam." Although widely known in Korea as a novelist, her career actually began with poetry. She has published a total of sixteen poetry collections. This book carefully selects the essence from her early works in the 1960s to her recent works in the 2000s.

Love, whether noble or not, / is not a professional matter // Sex is not a dental treatment / that glossily fills pain and holes // You are not my primary doctor / and you are not the one who heals me

Do not ask for the real story / why would that be necessary? // It is not something I unfold / nor something I carry around // What I carry while sailing / a knife, blue fire // luck, still effective / a few words of kindness, and the waves

(Written by Margaret Atwood / Minumsa)