Sun Yung Shin’s first book of poems Skirt Full of Black (Coffee House Press) received the Asian American Literary Award for Poetry in 2008. She is the co-editor of Outsiders Within: Writing on Transracial Adoption (South End Press) and the author of bilingual Korean/English illustrated book for children Cooper’s Lesson (Children's Book Press).
Sun Yung has received artist grants and fellowships from the Archibald Bush Foundation, twice from the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Jerome Foundation, Blacklock Nature Sanctuary, and the Loft Literary Center. She has taught writing at the University of Minnesota, St. Catherine University, the Loft Literary Center and elsewhere in the community.
Her next book of poems, Rough, and Savage, is forthcoming from Coffee House Press in fall 2012.
She can be found on Facebook and Twitter.
NEWS:
Presenting at AWP 2012 Feb 29 - Mar 3, Chicago on the panel "Breaking Out of the Box: Writing and Selling the Adoption Experience" chaired by Kate St. Vincent Vogl with Meredith Hall, Jennifer Lauck, Amie Klempnauer Miller. This panel considers how to respond to the publishing industry’s tendency to marginalize writing on adoption. What did these award-winning authors do to break free and get their stories out there? How did that affect relationships with the surrendered or adoptive family? We will hear from an adoptee, a birth mother and an adoptive mother as to how to best approach writing, selling, publishing and marketing the stories they needed to tell — stories readers were hungry to hear.
Featured on Poetry Crossfire with wonderful poet Juliet Patterson in August 2011
Two poems "The North Korean Observatory" and (NAJU, WEEDING AT THE BASE OF THE PEAR TREE) forthcoming from Konundrum Engine Literary Review in late November 2011.
Reviewed / featured on Lantern Literary Review in May 2011
Awarded a 2011 Minnesota Emerging Writers' Grant from the Loft Literary Center.
Recorded poem "Until the Twenty-Second Century" on Fishouse Archive of Emerging Poets
New piece of fiction "Korean Cinema" published in Encyclopedia, Volume II, in December 2010
Poem "Which Way | Kichicheon | Yankeetown" nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Drunken Boat in November 2010
Poem "Which Way | Kichicheon | Yankeetown" nominated for Dzanc Books' Dzanc's Best of the Web 2011 Anthology by Drunken Boat in November 2010
Two essays published in Cerise Press, "Orphan: The Plural Form" and "100 Days in the Cave", Summer issue 2010
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Presenting "High Spirits, False Starts, and Finishing It: Writing the Second Book of Poetry" at the Loft Literary Center's The Poetry Conference (May 18-20, 2012) featuring a conversation between Mark Doty and Tracy K. Smith.
RECENT EVENTS:
Hosted Aslan Poetry Evening featuring Ed Bok Lee and Kristin Naca at Aslan Institute in Eagan, MN, Saturday 28, 2011, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
A poetry workshop sponsored by the Writer's Block at the University of Minnesota. Tuesday, January 24, 2011, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Second Annual Great Twin Cities Poetry Read, April 29, 2011, 7 p.m., Normandale Community College
"The Living Voice: A Late Winter Poetry Workshop" at Aslan Institute, Saturday, February 12, 2011, 1pm – 4pm. Click here for more information and to register.
"Beginning Fiction," a 6-week writing course at the Loft Literary Center during its Winter session. The class will meet on Mondays from 5 - 7 p.m. beginning January 24th, 2011. Click here for more information and to register.
"Non-fiction Anthology Panel" with Heid Erdrich and Kate Kysar at the Loft Memoir Conference, 11:15 a.m., March 13, 2011. Check the Loft website in January for more information.
September 28, 2010 - poetry reading & class visit, Sustainable Literature Visiting Writers Series, University of Wisconsin - Barron County, 7:30 p.m., Meggers Commons, Rice Lake, WI
August 3, 2010 - poetry reading, LIT Gathering, IKAA Gathering, 7:00 p.m., Lotte Hotel, Seoul, South Korea
BOOKINGS:
Sun Yung is available for artist residencies and creative writing workshops for your group (students of all ages), as well as individual editing. Sun Yung also speaks frequently to classes and groups on diverse topics such as multicultural education, adoption, and creative writing.
For speaking, teaching, or editing engagements, e-mail Sun Yung at sunyungshin@gmail.com.
