The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Tuesday, March 14, 2017 — 5
Jung Yun, writer and assistant
professor of English at George
Washington University, will be at
Literati Bookstore on Wednesday
to celebrate the paperback release
of her first novel “Shelter.”
Yun began writing the first
scene of her debut novel in 2004.
After 12 years, “Shelter” was finally
published in 2016 and is now being
released as a paperback book.
Yun studied at Vassar College, the
University of Pennsylvania and
the University of Massachusetts
at Amherst, where she received
her M.F.A. in Creative Writing. In
graduate school, she wrote many
short stories, and “Shelter” is her
first to recieve wide acclaim.
In an email interview, Yun said
she starts with the image.
“That tends to be my writing
process — image first, storyline
later,” Yun wrote. “Sometimes it
takes a while to understand what
the story is and how the image
connects, so I often tell people that
it took ten years to complete the
novel if I include all the thinking
time, or 3.5 years if I only include
the research and writing time.”
“Shelter” follows Kyung Cho,
a young father who is burdened
by a life he cannot afford. A few
miles away, his parents, Jin and
Mae, live in the most exclusive
neighborhood in the town. They
are surrounded by material things
that Kyung wishes he could have
for his own family.
The plot describes Kyung’s
uncomfortable childhood, his own
parents affluent, but extremely
unkind in nature. Later, Kyung
refuses to see them, or even ask
them for help when he needs
it most. However, when an act
of violence leaves Jin and Mae
unable to live on their own, Kyung
is forced to take in his parents.
Quickly, tensions begin to arise
as Kyung’s new relationship with
his parents resurfacse old feelings
of guilt and anger, along with the
constant question of how to be a
caring father, when he was never
shown love as a child.
Yun’s upbringing and childhood
has shaped her writing style
immensely. Born in South Korea,
but raised in America, English
is not her first language. In
lieu
of
constant
communication
with the English
language,
Yun
became
very
observant.
“I
constantly
watched
people,
studied
their
expressions
and
mannerisms, tried
to glean meaning
from
how
they
behaved in addition
to what they said,”
Yun said. “I think this watchfulness
carried over to my adulthood and
it’s served me well as a writer. I
find the disconnect between what
people do and how they might feel
endlessly fascinating.”
“Shelter” has already been very
well-received and is a finalist for
the 2016 Barnes & Noble Discover
Great New Writers Award, the
Goodreads Best Fiction Book of the
Year and long-listed for the Center
for Fiction’s First Novel Prize.
Yun claimed it is still shocking
the way that complete strangers,
like booksellers, librarians and
readers, have recommended her
novel to others. She supposes she
had always hoped for her novels to
be lining major bookstore shelves,
but it has taken some getting used
to.
“You don’t have to be Korean-
American to be broke in this
country and living beyond your
means to read my book. You don’t
have to be Asian-American to
have
challenging
relationships
with your family. And you don’t
have to be an immigrant to
question whether you want the
responsibility of caring for your
elderly parents, particularly if they
didn’t take such good care of you,”
she said.
“These challenges are relatable
to many, I think. I just chose
to
approach
them
from
the
perspective of a
Korean-American
family because I
found that culture,
ethnicity,
class,
immigration,
etc.
complicated these
challenges
in
interesting
ways
that I wanted to
explore,” she said.
What I found
most fulfilling from
speaking with the new author
was the advice she gave to me for
aspiring authors. Often, young
people trying to make it in the field
of literature hear “keep reading.”
But Yun points out that while this
is important, it’s also overstated.
Instead, she told me: “Simply
disappear.”
Her explanation: “The stories
that instantly engage me as a
reader, that pull me deep into
another world, are typically stories
driven by characters, not by the
author’s hand. I think writers
should be creators, not puppeteers
— no one should see our strings
— so I’d encourage people to be
patient and take the time to really
get to know their characters (as if
they’re starting a new relationship
because that’s essentially what
they’re doing).”
Lil Yachty in Paris: Young
Boat unites the culture
Sal DiGioia/The Michigan Daily
Lil Yachty hanging above the crowd at his concert in Paris
Arts Writer Sal DiGioia travels to the French capital and
reports on one of hip-hop’s breakout stars in a foreign land
“Est-ce que vous respectez
Gucci Mane!?!”
I think he’s asking if the
crowd respects Guwop? Of
course, DJ Weedim speaks in
French, so I can’t understand
a single word he’s saying. Yet,
the songs in his opening set
are
exclusively
American:
Anthems by A$AP Mob, Lil Uzi
Vert, Playboi Carti, Migos and
more earn emphatic reactions
from
Paris
locals,
equal
participants in the culture.
The opening set of a rap
concert is always a uniquely
fraternal
gathering,
with
excited fans reacting in unison
to hit songs they have obviously
been waiting to hear on proper
speakers for some time. But
on Sunday, February 26, the
crowd at La Maroquinerie is
particularly ecstatic, because
Lil Yachty — the infamously
red-haired crooner, who has
found remarkable success as a
part of hip-hop’s new wave — is
sailing through the Old World,
preparing to play his first
concert in Paris, France. The
energy in the venue is almost
overbearing.
In preparation for Yachty’s
performance, DJ Weedim is
only playing tracks that are
associated (either in form or
spirit) with the Atlanta-raised
artist’s unconventional, niche
realm of hip-hop, and the
French concertgoers clearly
approve,
their
excitement
vividly manifesting itself in
wild mosh pits. More than
once, I watch as a fan removes
himself from the standing pit to
take a break from the raucous
crowd, only to hear the first
few notes of DJ Weedim’s next
selection, defenseless against
his own instinct to turn up!
Wow, what a scene! The room
is aged primarily between 16
and 26 years old and, naturally,
many bodies are marked by
notorious streetwear brands
like Supreme and A Bathing
Ape. Paris! Fashion!
As I anxiously await the
arrival
of
Young
Boat,
I
cannot help but notice some
curious
stares
being
shot
in my direction by foreign
hypebeasts
who
mistakenly
believe that I might actually be
somebody. It is so fascinating
how — no matter where one
is in this grand, vast world
— simply wearing a Supreme
cap and holding onto an entry-
level DLSR camera can seem
to signal some amateur level
of importance to those in a
certain
subcultural
crowd.
What
is
more
fascinating,
however, is that such a crowd
exists even in Paris, France, the
alleged home to high culture
itself.
Some time around 21:30, Lil
Yachty steps onto the venue’s
small cement stage wearing
bright red sweatpants and
a crewneck sweatshirt the
same shade, both of which
are carefully matched to his
signature braids. Though La
Maroquinerie is much smaller
than
many
of
the
North
American festivals and arenas
where he has played in recent
months, all of the fans present
have come out solely to see him,
and the crowd is completely
captivated. The energy seems
to excite Yachty.
Yachty opens with a brief
introductory
skit,
then
dives into “Bentley Coupe”
to bring the crowd to its
maximum volume. He walks
out what feels like his entire
discography, talking through
older,
mellower
songs
like
“Wanna Be Us” in a teaser-
like fashion before bringing
out his most loyal sailing
partner Burberry Perry. Perry
helps erupt the venue on
explosive hits like “Mase In
‘97” (his collaboration with DJ
Carnage). Other joint ventures,
such
as
“Broccoli”
with
D.R.A.M. and “iSpy” by Kyle,
are also included in the show,
as are Yachty’s in-character
antics. At one point, he asks if
those in the room smoke weed
and — after they obviously
reply loudly in affirmation —
announces that he and Perry
do not. Oh, the irony.
Lil
Yachty
is
a
major
figurehead
for
a
young
generation
of
rap
stars.
The
Internet-fueled
sub-
genre
through
which
he
earned
himself
a
Grammy
nomination consistently stirs
up
controversy
among
the
genre’s older, more seasoned
gatekeepers (think Funkmaster
Flex). Yet, at a time when
records are expected to flop
and the amateur rapper market
is especially saturated, this
18-year-old has accomplished
the unthinkable: He blazed
his own odd-ball trail, fueled
by a weirdly cool, playful
energy and already, he has
not only shifted the culture,
but has apparently become an
international star, too.
After his set, Lil Yachty
announces that he and Perry
will remain on stage for a bit
to “turn up!” with fans, so
naturally, they proceed to bop
and boogy while Kanye West
and Jay-Z’s hit record “N*gga’s
In Paris” scores the scene.
In those moments, the sheer
sight of Yachty’s shy, boyish
smile, standing up there in
Paris, France with a glistening
collection of diamond-coated
rope chains dangling around
his neck, literally illuminating
(and
illuminati-ing)
his
cartoonish
persona,
the
underground, rainbow-headed
rock-star, was truly a spectacle
in itself.
Yet, the way the foreign kids
respond to his music, and the
energy with which they attempt
to replicate the weirdly nasal,
extremely specific twang in
which he sings, shouts and
(yes, of course) mumbles his
lyrics — this remains the real
sight worth emphasis, and
breathtaking is the only word
that can accurately describe it.
Lil Yachty’s music hardly
make sense to most native
English speakers. Surely, these
French kids cannot understand
the words? But they mouth
along with tracks anyway,
and
their
faces
light
up
magnificently in his presence.
“It get colds like Minnesota!”
It sure does, and now they
know, even if many of them
still have no idea where that
place is.
SALVATORE DIGIOIA
Daily Arts Writer
Naturally, many
bodies are marked
by notorious
streetwear brands
like Supreme
DO YOU HAVE IMAGINARY
DIALOGUES WITH DECEASED
MEMBERS OF THE BEATLES?
SO DO WE!
So join Daily Arts and let me know what was going through Ringo Starr’s mind when he
wrote “Octopus’s Garden.” E-mail arts@michigandaily.com for
information on applying.
CONCERT REVIEW
Yun’s ‘Shelter’ describes
the reality of family strife
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
George Washington University professor discusses debut novel
ELI RALLO
Daily Arts Writer
Fiction at
Literati:
Jung Yun’s
“Shelter”
Literati Bookstore
Wednesday March
15th @ 7 P.M.
Free
‘Tickled’ digs into bizarre
competitions, finds more
Documentary explores the strange world of competitive tickling
A few months ago my roommate
walked into the living room of our
apartment and told me about this
documentary he watched called
“Tickled.” He told me what it’s
about, and that it’s one of the best
(and weirdest) movies he’s seen
in 2016. So, when I saw that HBO
was airing the doc, I followed his
recommendation and watched
it. Boy, am I glad I did. “Tickled”
might just be the most bizarre
documentary I’ve ever seen, and
it’s one of the best as well.
“Tickled,” directed by New
Zealand entertainment journalist
David Farrier and Dylan Reeve, a
filmmaker, follows what happens
after Farrier spots an online video
of a competitive tickling league.
When he reaches out to the
company that produces the videos,
he receives homophobic threats
as a form of denying a request for
an interview. The deeper he digs,
the more legal threats he receives.
What starts out as an absurd look
into the world of competitive
tickling becomes something much
bigger, and much more nefarious.
The reason why
I’m being slightly
coy
about
what
“Tickled” is truly
about is a part of
what makes this
documentary
so fascinating is
watching everything unfold. The
film knows about the absurdity
of what happens to Ferrier and
Reeve, and it takes great care
of how it tells its story. There
are twists and turns I wouldn’t
have expected from it. By the
time the movie finishes, it’s no
longer about something as simple
as
competitive
tickling,
and
has become about something
much deeper and much more
interesting. In this case, to say
more would be a disservice to
the movie, as the surprise of it all
is one of the documentary’s best
aspects.
For most of “Tickled,” it’s truly
shocking how much the people
behind the “competitive tickling”
would want to keep it a secret,
and the lengths they’ll go to keep
the
true
reason
for what they do
quiet.
Through
this
narrative,
the documentary
tackles the power
that comes with a
lot of money. Many
of the participants in the tickling
“competitions” have been doxxed
online, and have been threatened
with lawsuits or other life-ruining
events. When these people are
interviewed by Farrier and Reeve,
the impact of these threats is clear,
as is the tragedy of the situation.
“Tickled” introduces itself as a
documentary that takes a look at
the bizarre sport of competitive
tickling. However, by its end, it
shows itself to be so much more
than that. It unfolds its true story
in a way that’s as fascinating as it
is bizarre. Farrier and Reeve have
made one of best documentaries
I’ve seen in a long time.
ALEX INTNER
Daily Arts Writer
“Tickled”
Documentary
HBO
MAGNOLIA PICTURES
Documentary “Tickled”
DOCUMENTARY REVIEW