Introduction
Where to begin…. I was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1961. I went to the University of Michigan and majored in Japanese language and history. I then spent a year studying Korean at Seoul National University. I then returned to Ann Arbor and received an M.A. in Applied Linguistics. I went back to Korea and taught ESL for seven years before going to Dublin to work on a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics at Trinity College Dublin.
While working on my Ph.D., I was offered a permanent position teaching English at Ristumeikan University in Kyoto. I later taught foreign language education and developed e-learning programs at Kyoto University. My last position in Japan was at Kagoshima University, where I developed and taught in the new Korean language program. Teaching Korean took me to Seoul National University, where I taught teacher development courses in Korean as a second language in the Department of Korean Education.
While living in Seoul, I became active in the preservation of hanok (traditional Korean houses), especially in the Seochon area of Seoul. I also lived in hanok for most of my time in Seoul, including one in Seochon that I remodeled by mixing traditional and contemporary styles. While exploring Seoul, I became interested in street photography and was invited to participate in group exhibitions. In 2016, I had a solo exhibition as part of the KG+ exhibition. I returned to the U.S. in 2014 and am currently a writer and independent scholar based in Providence, Rhode Island. Since returning to the U.S., I have published six books in Korean and have begun my seventh. I began writing about Korean and Japanese art and culture in the late 1990s and continue to do so, though less frequently as I have shifted to writing books and columns. Recently, I have returned to writing about Korean art and culture in both English and Korean. I have previously written articles and columns in Korean for newspapers and magazines, including Dong-A Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, Sisa Journal, and Next Daily. I currently write monthly columns in Korean for Hankyoreh and Asia Business Daily, as well as occasional columns for Pressian and a biweekly column in English for The Korea Herald. In recent years, I have also been interviewed on several popular YouTube channels and podcasts in Korea.