Development of Western Civilization Welcomes Mary-Kim Arnold

by Grace Whitman ’22 A&E Staff

On March 27, the American Studies and Development of Western Civilization departments welcomed the successful poet, prose writer, and visual artist, Mary-Kim Arnold. Arnold’s work has been featured in several literary and art journals, including Tin House, The Georgia Review, Hyperallergic, and The Rumpus, where she was the essays editor from 2013-2015. She was born in Seoul, South Korea and was raised in New York. She holds graduate degrees from Brown University and the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Arnold currently lives in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Students in their DWC Colloquiua are currently reading her book Litany for the Long Moment. About 100 students were present at the lecture in Guzman Hall. The book is based mainly on Arnold’s experience trying to discover her family history through a reality show that connects adopted children with members of their birth families. Simultaneously, Arnold discusses a day-by-day recount of her journey back to Korea. Regarding the format of the piece, neither the questions nor days are in chronological order, and she includes many images of her young self, documents, and pictures from a Korean textbook…

Reblogged from The Cowl

Image courtesy of The Cowl/Lillie Hunter