Min Jin Lee Reads a Chapter From the Bible Every Day Before She Writes

I first encountered Min Jin Lee’s work in the spring of 2017. I was in the midst of my first writing residency and a writer I was having breakfast with couldn’t stop raving about Lee’s recently published novel, Pachinko. Because I was on a tight budget, I decided to wait until returning home to purchase the book and read it. But over the next two months, the chorus of praise grew, making it nearly impossible to ignore. By the time my residency was over, I raced back home and then, almost immediately, to Strand Books. I dived headfirst into that novel, and it did not disappoint. 

I fell madly in love with Lee’s writing and characters. Though I realized I would likely have to wait some years before Lee’s next novel, I knew the wait would be worth it. 

Ahead of the release of her latest, American Hagwon, a mesmerizing contemporary novel, I had the privilege of chatting with her and getting to know the author behind the epic...