The Early Lyrics, 1941–1960: Poems by So Chong-Ju: 90 (Cornell East Asia Series) - Tapa blanda

So Chong Ju, also known by the penname Midang, was born in Sonum village in the North Cholla Province of Korea, in 1915. His first poems were published in the late 1930s; his first collection of poems dates from 1941. The present volume contains the complete poems of his first four collections, on which his reputation as Korea's leading living poet largely rests. He has published many volumes of poetry, as well as poems published separately. He has edited a number of anthologies and published works on literary history and criticism. He was for many years a professor at the Buddhist University, Dongguk University, in Seoul, where he is now Professor Emeritus. He has been awarded many of Korea's most prestigious literary awards. Translations of selected poems by So Chong Ju have previously been published in France, Spain, Germany and the United States.

Brother Anthony of Taize (An Sonjae) was born in 1942 in the UK. He studied Medieval and Modern Languages at Oxford and in 1969 he joined the Taize Community in France. He taught English literature at Sogang University, Seoul, for nearly three decades. He is emeritus professor at Sogang University and chair-professor at Dankook University. Since 1990 he has published more than forty volumes of translated works by such esteemed Korean authors as Ku Sang, Ko Un, Cheon Sang-byeong, Shin Kyeong-nim, Park Yuhui, Yi Mun-yol, and Do Jong-hwan. Since January 2011 he has been president of the Royal Asiatic Society s Korea branch. He received the Korean government s Award of Merit, Jade Crown class, in October 2008 for his work to spread knowledge of Korean literature throughout the world. In 2015 he was awarded an honorary MBE (Member of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth for his contributions to Anglo- Korean relations. Robert D. Neff is a freelancer writer and historical researcher specializing in Korean history during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His writings have appeared in various newspapers, and books including Korean through Western Eyes, Westerner s Life in Korea, Christian Science Monitor, Royal Asiatic Society-Korea Branch Transactions, Korea Times, Korea Herald and Jeju Weekly.