Godowon Healing Center offers something to enjoy for all ages. The center opened in 2010 with funds donated by Go Do-won’s readers. The property, located in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, gives visitors an opportunity to have a quiet time to learn more about themselves, away from their daily lives.The center’s program is very diverse. There is a program for soon-to-be mothers, newly married couples, young adults, and those who suffer from painful disorders. There is also a walking program,

“Gangster Squad” may be loosely based on truth ― the takedown of notorious Los Angeles crime lord Mickey Cohen 60 years ago ― but it feels about as real as a mob-themed costume party. At least there’s a certain sport in counting how many neo-noir cliches director Ruben Fleischer (“Zombieland,” “30 Minutes or Less”) can get his all-star cast to engage in over the course of nearly two hours.Sean Penn, trapped underneath a layer of unconvincing makeup that makes him look more like a Batman or Dick

1356By Bernard Cornwell(HarperCollins, NY)All in all, the Middle Ages in Europe was lousy living for most people.How can you tell? Just pick up “1356” by prolific author Bernard Cornwall and you’ll see. Like the period it is written about, it needs a strong stomach to finish.The pragmatic hero, Thomas of Hookton, is ordered to find the fictional lost sword of Saint Peter, “la Malice,” which is reputed to bring victory to the armies that wield it. Of course, others are also hunting the weapon.The

Curse of the Thirteenth Fey: The True Tale of Sleeping BeautyBy Jane Yolen(Philomel)We love fairy tales. Every culture offers them up: Scandinavians, Nigerians, Indonesians. Their commonality ― and the constant on-passing from parent to child ― attests to their endurance. It’s as though they are somehow encoded in our DNA.Theories abound about their importance in our social evolution: Tales of abandonment, death and monstrous behavior allow children to deal with their fears in an age-appropriate

The Constitution of the U.S. and the Presidential GovernmentBy Lee Sang-donSojin Publishing Co.America’s constitutionalism and the principle of checks and balances have offered crucial guidance for many nascent democracies around the world, including South Korea decades ago.In his new book, “The Constitution of the U.S. and the Presidential Government,” Lee Sang-don, law professor at Chung-Ang University, delineates how the U.S. legal and political systems have taken root and evolved, and affect

French classic novel’s sales soar after the release of its film adaptation, musical DVDs and soundtrack CDs

HONG KONG (AFP) ― A debut novel and a work by a Nobel laureate were among five books shortlisted for Asia’s most prestigious literary prize on Wednesday, with entries across the region from Turkey to Japan.The shortlist for the $30,000 Man Asian Literary Prize was drawn from a longlist of 15 published works, after 108 entries were submitted to a panel of judges led by literary critic and journalist Maya Jaggi.Professor David Parker, executive director of the Asian Literary Prize, the organising

The Twelve Tribes of HattieBy Ayana Mathis(Knopf)In “The Twelve Tribes of Hattie,” first-time author Ayana Mathis walks upon some of the richest thematic terrain America’s history can offer a novelist.Her protagonist, Hattie Shepherd, arrives in Philadelphia from Georgia in the mid-1920s, one of a legion of travelers in the great migration, that movement of African-Americans from the Jim Crow South to the promise and relative freedom of the North.The great migration gave us the Harlem Renaissanc

Researcher examines letters written by American ambassador’s wife and her sister in late 1800s

Shall We Play That One Together? The Life and Art of Jazz Piano Legend Marian McPartlandBy Paul de Barros(St. Martin’s Press)Paradise may be a great place to live, but the implicit lack of conflict makes it a lousy home for a dramatist. In similar fashion, it’s challenging for any biographer to take on the life of an exemplary human being and fashion a compelling story out of it.Consider the case of Marian McPartland, pianist, composer and longtime host of NPR’s peerless “Piano Jazz” series. For

When it comes to events like school shooting in Newtown, Conn., there are knowns, unknowns and, already, mis-knowns. A photograph of Ryan Lanza circulated asserting he was the shooter, when in fact it was his brother, Adam Lanza. Their mother, Nancy Lanza, whom Adam killed, was reported to have been a teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary, where the other shootings took place ― but she was not. The story of what happened Friday when 20 children and seven adults were killed has been written and rewrit

Exhibition features Penguin book design and its connection to history

Desert AirBy George Steinmetz(Abrams, New York)‘Tis the time of year for coffee table books and, for the adventuresome, there is nothing better than “Desert Air.”World-class photographer George Steinmetz who worked for National Geographic and GEO Magazine has published a number of his finest photographs in a book that is only just big enough to hold their subjects.He was fascinated with the hyper-arid regions ― “areas that get less than four inches of annual precipitation.” Seated in a motorized