By Angelina Tang
On November 9th, 2023, the Just Buffalo Literary Center’s BABEL series welcomed Michelle Zauner to the Kleinhans stage for a discussion about her best-selling memoir Crying in H Mart. Throughout the evening, Zauner read an excerpt of her work, discussed the process of writing the memoir, and answered questions regarding her writing, music, and life. It was an unforgettable conversation as the audience got to touch fingers with Zauner as she opened up and talked about intimate subjects like grief, love, and family.
BABEL is a lecture series that brings four acclaimed authors to Buffalo every year for an in-depth discussion on their work, their life experiences, and their book. Prior to each author’s visit and night at Kleinhans, events like book readings, documentary viewings, and special Q&As or workshops for high-school students are held. For Zauner, a book reading group facilitated by Kerry Reynolds met throughout October to discuss Crying in H Mart, and a youth workshop titled “Crying in H Mart: Cooked with Love” was hosted at the writing center on November 2nd by Youth Ambassador Angelina Tang for local students.
The night of November 9th, a VIP Reception was held at 7 p.m. where catered food and drinks were served–including some little dumplings, Korean noodles, and Korean chicken wings–and Zauner offered a book signing where each person had an opportunity to exchange a few words with her. The official lecture began at 8 p.m., which Zauner began with a reading of chapter 1 from Crying in H Mart. Afterwards, JBLC director Barbara Cole sat down with Zauner to discuss her work and the process behind it, followed by a Q&A with audience members’ questions.
Notable points of discussion included Zauner’s process of writing her memoir and producing music. The first chapter of the memoir was originally an essay, which she later expanded into a novel after it won The New Yorker’s essay contest and she was offered a meeting with a literary agent. The original manuscript of the memoir also excluded the last chapter, which was added in order to end the story with resolution and a positive note. Zauner’s musical career is a testament to self-made dedication, as her first two albums, Psychopomp and Soft Sounds from Another Planet, were works inspired by her grief and intimate emotions. Her Grammy-nominated third album Jubilee took on a much more cheerful tone, but she said that she’s ready to take on the “sad girl” role again and write with a more subdued tone for her next album, which is currently in the works. Zauner also said that her next literary work will be a journal-like account, of sorts, of her moving to Korea. It’s another sort of testament to her mother, who’d once told her that she’d be fluent in Korean if she lived there for a year–a vision of sorts that Zauner is bringing to life.
Michelle Zauner’s art is truly magnificent, and Buffalo was honored to have her for one evening, a memory that will linger in BABEL’s legacy and the minds of the captive audience for decades to come.
