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Like it or not, our family history shapes who we are. What if lost portions of your history are holding you back? What lengths would you go to recover this history, understand it, and then turn your discoveries into a memoir? Join me and author of the memoir Starry Field, Margaret Juhae Lee, as we explore the impacts of intergenerational trauma on our identity, the challenges of writing a researched memoir, staying motivated over the long haul, and the problem of getting an agent too soon.

Margaret’s Bio: Margaret Juhae Lee is an Oakland-based writer and a former literary editor of The Nation magazine. She has been the recipient of a Bunting Fellowship from Harvard University and a Korean Studies Fellowship from the Korean Foundation. She is also a Tin House alum and has been awarded residencies at the Mesa Refuge, Anderson Center, and Mineral School. In 2020, she was named “Person of the Year” by the Sangcheol Cultural Welfare Foundation in Kongju, South Korea, for her work in honoring her grandfather, Patriot Lee Chul Ha. Her articles, reviews, and interviews have been published in The Nation, Newsday, Elle, ARTnews, The Advocate, The Rumpus and Writer's Digest.

In this episode: 

• How to navigate the challenges of writing a memoir that spans multiple generations and historical events.
• The importance of structure in memoir writing and how to achieve it.
• The emotional impact of sharing family stories and intergenerational trauma.
• Practical advice for balancing journalism and narrative memoir writing.

Resources Mentioned During This Episode:

• Starry Field with Margaret Juhae Lee and Grace M. Cho Interview for the Korea Society

Episode Highlights

4:00 Why Explore the Past?

7:00 The Impact of Intergenerational Trauma

9:00 The Role of Stories in Identity Formation

15:00 Maintaining Your Momentum Over the Long Haul

20:00 Getting an Agent Too Soon

22:00 Structuring a Researched Memoir

26:00 The Miracle of the Memoir Process

29:00 Turning Yourself into a Character

35:00 Understanding Situation versus Story

Connect with Margaret: 

Website: www.margaretjuhaelee.com

Instagram: @mjuhae

Twitter: @margaretjuhae

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-juhae-lee-2b95905/

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Produced by Espresso Podcast Production