“Piece of Mind: A Novel” 　By Michelle Adelman　Norton (304 pages, $25.95)　“I was brain injured before it was trendy.”　That’s the arresting first sentence of “Piece of Mind,” the title of Michelle Adelman’s debut novel and an apt description of the way Lucy -- its 27-year-old narrator -- sees herself.　After being hit by a truck when she was 3, Lucy lost what she describes as her “executive functions,” including those that “relate to organizing, prioritizing, reasoning, disciplining, goal setting,

With a high level of stigma, low public awareness and poor provisions of treatment, mental health is a tricky area for Koreans and foreign residents alike, but visa and language barriers, as well as cultural issues, can make it a particularly difficult area for expats. Lack of balance between work and other activities, alcoholism and the negative stigma attached to psychiatric medication are making mental health issues worse, according to counselor Yvon Malenfant. 123rfOverseas studies also conf

What’s in a word? Quite a lot for Nils Clauss, a video artist and documentary filmmaker who has used terms coined during Korea’s industrial rise to study the turbulent period in his latest work, “Bikini Words.”　The film shows people who worked in factories during the period, who playfully yet plaintively illustrate the terms while giving explanations of their meaning and recollections of that time via voice-over.　A still from “Bikini Words” by Nils ClaussClauss made the video for the Geumcheon D

The Seoul International Women’s Association honored key participants in its 2015 charity bazaar at a morning coffee social at the Conrad Hotel in Seoul on Wednesday.The bazaar was held in partnership with local firms, members of the diplomatic community and other groups. Last year, it raised 81 million ($65,700) won for SIWA’s welfare fund, which helps charities in Korea.The association awarded the Israeli Embassy first prize for its participation, followed by the Japanese Embassy and the embass

The Corea Image Communication Institute welcomed 60 foreign diplomats and opinion leaders with a calligraphy class Tuesday night, marking the opening of the 21st Korea Culture Quotient Program.　Hosted at the residence of Malaysian Ambassador Rohana Ramli, the meeting gave an opportunity for the participants to welcome the spring program by learning and experiencing the art of calligraphy.　Popular Hangeul calligrapher Kang Byung-in entertained the guests, explaining the art of calligraphy and the

 MILAN (AFP) - Hundreds of mourners flocked to Milan’s Sforza Castle Tuesday to pay their respects to Italian literary giant Umberto Eco, the intellectual phenomenon behind the best-selling “The Name of the Rose.”　Fans gathered outside the writer's home in the north Italian city applauded as Eco’s coffin, laden with white roses, was carried to the imposing 15th century citadel and laid in state in a courtyard, under a presidential guard.　Musicians played Arcangelo Corelli's Baroque sonata “La Fo

Colombian writer Andres Felipe Solano, currently teaching at the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, received a prestigious Colombian literary award, the LTIK announced Tuesday. 　Solano won the “Premio Biblioteca de Narrativa Colombiana,” or Library Award of Colombian Narrative, which carries a cash prize of 40 million Colombian peso ($12 million), for his 2015 work based on his experience living in Korea.  Cover of “Corea: Apuntes Desde la Cuerda Floja” by Andres Feilpe Solano (Literatur