Reflections on a Mask: Two Novellas

Reflections on a Mask explores the disillusionment and search for identity of a young man in the post-Korean War era. A war veteran and writer, Min finds his life unfulfilled until he stumbles upon a mysterious organization that offers a procedure to aid in his search for his true nature. In the resultant hypnotic journey to a mythical Indian kingdom, Min pursues a warrior princess, whose "mask" he must take as his own.

Christmas Carol uses the themes of hope and salvation to examine relationships within a patriarchal Korean family, with clashes among traditional and modern values, including Western religion, as a backdrop. Three vignettes provide provocative, at times humorous, insights on the bond between father and son; two episodes explore the hollowness of religious sanctity during the post-war curfew.

Born in what is now North Korea, Ch'oe In-hun is one of South Korea's most highly acclaimed and respected authors. His literary career has spanned five decades, and his many novels and short stories command a wide readership. Ch’oe’s writings mostly deal with his own experiences during the Korean War, the issue of divided families, the problems that have arisen from the division of Korea, and the hope for eventual unification. He was nominated by his literary colleagues as a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992.

Stephen Moore is a retired Foreign Service officer, who first became interested with Korea during a two-year assignment in the Peace Corps. He later earned a Master's degree in Korean Studies at the University of Washington and has been involved with Korea during much of the past three decades.

Shi Chung Park Moore is an accomplished author with more than 30 short stories and seven novels published in her native Korea. She has also been recognized as a talented and imaginative Korean language instructor. Mrs. Moore holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Korean Language and Literature.