Magnetic Refrain

by Nicky Sa-eun Schildkraut

Adopted from Korea at the age of two, Nicky Sa-eun Schildkraut grew up in New England, a circumstance that inevitably prompted an early fascination with the diaspora that followed the Korean civil war. She observes that, accordingly, “many of my poems repeat and return to the themes of inarticulable loss, separation, and reimagination of the family and kinship.” As the title of this debut collection suggests, Schildkraut locates these themes in a formal expression oriented between refrain as song and refrain as restraint --“a nuanced method of expressing the equivocal and uncertain” that produces a tense flexibility in the look and feel of her poems. Schildkraut’s provocative and intensely lyrical poems seek to both unsettle and complicate presumptions about what binds people together in times of longing and loss. They do not draw solely on personal experience, but also tell the larger tale of the Korean diaspora--particularly the experiences of its women--in stories of war brides, defectors, birth mothers and other adoptees.

Genres: Poetry

86 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2012

About the author

Nicky Sa-eun Schildkraut is a poet and teacher who teaches literature, creative writing and journalism in Los Angeles. Her first collection of poetry, Magnetic Refrain, was published in February 2013 by Kaya Press. She is currently writing a literary novel and co-editing an anthology of personal essays about adoption and race from Indian, Asian-American, African-American and biracial perspectives. She holds an M.F.A. degree in poetry (2002) from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. degree in Literature & Creative Writing from the University of Southern California (2012).

Reviews

[MariNaomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just re-read this on 9/19/15, this time all the while referring to the notes in the back. It was like appreciating a beautiful painting with the accompaniment of an artist statement, really shining a new light on the words. I love this book and look forward to many future reads.

[Jai · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Magnetic Refrain, transnational Korean American adoptee Nicky Sa-eun Schildkraut speaks through folktales and fox-demons, inflatable dolls and war brides, defectors seeking asylum and mothers separated from their children by adoption and military partition, to explore the magnetism of twinning, the conjunction of self and other, and the continued return to the loss of never knowing. READ MY FULL REVIEW AT LANTERN REVIEW: http://www.lanternreview.com/blog/201...

[Natalie L · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this read! though for most poetry, you need to read it a few more times to truly understand the beauty.
my literature professor recommended this book to me and i’m so grateful. it showed me the historical aspect of korean woman and korean diaspora and it’s truly inspiring.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And even though it hurt to always follow,
to always echo, I loved being
a shadow that grew larger and radiant
as he skipped across stage, bringing
me with him out into the open.
And when he laughed, I cracked
a smile of relief. And when he ached
I made it storm with violent rain,
and when he wandered back
to save the city from burning down,
I didn't hesitate to follow
and spread myself into a salty wave
crushing, soundlessly, in his wake."
-eurydice's refrain II