Scope and Contents This book is a collection of biographical sketches of the author and her mother. Branch Amazon.com: "The autobiographical work of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, "Dictee," is both a challenging and unique experience to read. Her provocative blend of prose, poetry, narrative and historical pieces, among other genres, reveal a voice that purposely avoids a "typical" patriarchial discourse that is refreshing although disarming. Her words, contextually somewhat difficult for the (this) reader not previously aware of the complexities and truths of Korean history (both in Korea and America), are at once powerful and insightful...poetic, yet raw. Cha is able to use her gift to offer a glimpse into one woman's history and journey; one that ended much too soon on this planet for this talented artist."Wikipedia: Cha was raped and killed by security guard and serial rapist Joey Sanza in New York City, New York, just a week after the publication of Dictee. Sanza was convicted after three trials and...

Scope and Contents Murray Media: In her radical exploration of cultural and personal identity, the writer and artist Theresa Hak Kyung Cha sought 'the roots of language before it is born on the tip of the tongue'. Her first book, the highly original postmodern text "Dictee", published in 1982, is considered a classic work of autobiography and is widely read by students internationally. This stunning selection of her uncollected and hitherto unpublished work at last brings together Cha's writings and text-based pieces with images spanning the period between 1976 and 1980. The volume includes two related poem sequences, "Exilee and Temps Morts", major texts incorporating autobiographical elements as well as themes of language, memory, displacement, and alienation - issues that continue to resonate with artists decades after Cha explored them. These moving works give a fuller view of the creative nexus out of which "Dictee" emerged and attest to the singular literary achievement of a major figure in...