'The Season We Shine'... The Spring of My Life Is Right Now

Essay Collection by Novelist Jang Ryujin
Revealing the Author's Inner Pain
"Just as Pyongyang and Hamheung Naengmyeon Have Different Flavors,
I Believe I Have My Own Unique Taste"

Novelists are often said to be people who put their protagonists in extreme situations and capture the pain they feel within them, but writer Jang Ryujin has a different approach. Debuting in the literary world with the 2018 short story "The Joy and Sorrow of Work," Jang Ryujin, recognized as a "hyperrealism" writer, depicts life in a cheerful and enjoyable way from the perspectives of love (愛) and pleasure (樂). After publishing her essay collection We Are the Season That Shines (Originals), we met the author on the 4th at Millie's Library in Hapjeong-dong, Seoul, for her first face-to-face interview with the press.

Writer Jang Ryujin. Photo by Jeong Melmel

Publishing her first essay required a big decision. She was concerned that "capturing a changing person in a book tends to fix them in place." She felt a heavy burden in revealing her intimate stories. The writing process was not easy either. Unlike novels, where the author can change everything at an omniscient point of view, essays do not allow such freedom. "It was harder than writing novels. No matter how much I adapted, it was so difficult that I regretted it a lot."

The essay’s content is very detailed in describing situations and emotions, making it seem as if she had planned to write it from the start of the trip, but that was not the case. She decided to write after seeing a video call message from a friend’s son who said, "I love you, auntie." "When I actually tried to write, I wondered, 'Did I really say this?' and doubted every word. But at some point, I shed the burden and thought of it as a novel character, which made the dialogue come out comfortably."

That does not mean she fabricated the story. The author explained that she was more honest with herself than ever before. If the consistency between her previous novels and herself was "as much as strawberries in strawberry milk (0%)," then the essay contains "fresh strawberry juice" blended in.

In fact, the essay contains the author’s intimate pain. It includes anxieties about someone suddenly disliking her and stories about people who slander her and her works. The author said she "used her own techniques" to present these stories lightly. "Criticism bothers me, but since there is more praise, I decided to let it go. I came to trust myself with composure. Just like Pyongyang naengmyeon and Hamheung naengmyeon each have their unique flavors, I have my own flavor."

The author said that her current life is like spring. "Because I have built the family I want (husband and pet cat) and made what I like and am good at my profession." Whether comedy or tragedy, she plans to continue writing works that readers find "fun." Reflecting on the times when she was not recognized and some criticisms, she urged readers to "believe in the virtue of the newness they possess."