[Current & Culture]The Heart That Waits for Someone

I am making a book for my friend L. It’s not because he is my friend, but because I like his writing that I am making his book. To be precise, when he said two years ago that he wanted to write, I had already told him, “If you write, I will make your book.” I like his life and thoughts. I have a certain belief that developed from meeting various writers: good people write good texts. Good writing doesn’t come from elegant words and sentences, but from the life the person has lived. When I feel that I am living well myself, I have many things I want to write, but when I don’t, I either can’t write a single line or write something that doesn’t reach anyone.

Last week, the proofreading of the book’s main text was almost finished. I asked L if he had any wishes for this book. In fact, after sending the manuscript, there is almost nothing left for the author to do. Unless it’s self-publishing, the publisher bears all the costs, so decisions about the cover, format, price, or getting endorsements are usually the publisher’s responsibility. Still, I wanted to make a book that perfectly matched his heart. L answered me that his wish was to get an endorsement from author O. He said he had lived reading poet Baek Seok and that author’s writings since childhood, and that those two people’s writings made who he is now. The moment I heard that name, I thought it was impossible. If it were Baek Seok, at least there would be the excuse that he had already passed away, but author O would have been as famous as Baek Seok if he had lived in Baek Seok’s era. I have never met him anywhere and probably never will. Still, I didn’t want to disappoint L, so I nodded and said, “It will be difficult, but I will try to send a request for an endorsement.”

So yesterday, I sent an email to author O. I asked around among writers I know and barely got his email address. If I reveal a small part, it goes as follows:

“The deadline for the endorsement is whenever author O sends it. Please feel free to write as much as you like. If you send one line, it will be placed on the band; if three lines, it will be on the back cover; if longer, it will be included in the main text. Whenever you send it, both I and writer Lee Wonjae will wait with respect for you.”

From that moment, the two of us became like children. When will he confirm receipt? What if he doesn’t? He must be that busy. No, he should at least confirm. We exchanged complicated feelings like these.

It had been a long time since I sent an email to someone and waited like this. Meanwhile, I recalled that I had received dozens of endorsement request emails. I received many proposals by email from manuscript to lectures to publication. But even when I saw the email notification, I sometimes delayed confirming receipt or didn’t reply, using busyness as an excuse. I thought the other side would understand because they were busy too. Yesterday, L and I waited until late at night, and our hearts shrank and we fell asleep. In fact, I expected this to happen. I just spent some time reflecting on myself. Who am I? I decided not to make anyone wait. I once heard that if you cannot reply within four hours after checking an email, it is business etiquette to send at least a brief reply within 24 hours. I’m not sure about that, but first of all, there is one earnest person waiting.

Kim Minseop, Social and Cultural Critic