Off the Page Podcast

[Ep. 11] The Longest Night (긴긴밤)

This week, Michelle and Sewon talk about the 루리 (LULY)’s picture book 긴긴밤 (The Longest Night). In this episode, we talk about The Longest Night by LULY. This is a quiet yet deeply moving story about survival, grief, and the fragile connections that keep us going. Through the journey of unlikely companions crossing a long and lonely night together, the novel gently asks what it means to endure loss without losing tenderness. What makes this story linger is not dramatic hope, but the small, stubborn decision to keep walking beside someone else, even in the face of fear, exhaustion, and despair. Sparse yet emotionally resonant, The Longest Night reminds us that sometimes warmth survives in the smallest gestures. If you’d like to join us for a conversation about a hornless rhino, a penguin who has lost sight in one eye, and the unhatched egg they carry across a long and lonely journey, stay tuned. Coming Up Next: a collection of random chats, tangents, and assorted 잡담s 00:00 Intro: Michelle’s recent closet delivery nightmare 11:20 The backstory behind our last episode recording 15:45 Book of the week: 긴긴밤 (The Longest Night) 1:02:10 A poem that this book reminded Michelle of: 「모든 익사체는 떠오르려고 한다 - 에밀 시오랑에게」 (All Drowned Bodies Try to Float — To Emil Cioran) by 이현호 (Lee Hyun-ho), from 『라이터 좀 빌립시다』 (Can I Borrow a Lighter?) 1:08:00 Outro

Recorded in Korean | [Ep. 10] Project Hail Mary (프로젝트 헤일메리)

⚠️ Quick Note from Sewon This week’s episode is in Korean. I was simply too exhausted to record in English this time 😂 But no worries, we’ll be back in English starting next week! This week, Michelle and Sewon review Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary. As the sun begins to lose its energy and Earth faces an extinction-level crisis, an ordinary middle school science teacher named Ryland Grace wakes up alone aboard a spaceship. Soon, he realizes that he may be humanity’s only hope. In the middle of this overwhelming mission, Grace unexpectedly encounters an alien named Rocky, who has come to space for the very same reason. The two quickly become unlikely friends and work together to save their worlds. If you’ve been curious about the globally beloved sci-fi novel Project Hail Mary, stay tuned for this week’s episode! Coming Up Next: 긴긴밤 (The Longest Night) by 루리 (Luly) 00:00 Intro: Why are we suddenly speaking Korean? + last episode’s audio issue 04:35 Korea’s long holiday in early May & thoughts on the new app “Setlog” 21:05 Sewon’s visit to 해인사 (Haeinsa), and why 불국사 (Bulguksa) is Michelle’s favorite temple in Korea 26:40 Why almost EVERYWHERE is crowded in Korea: Gyeongju, and Pikmin Bloom 32:03 Book & movie of the week: Project Hail Mary 33:27 Ryan Gosling & Koreans’ recent obsession with the “middle part” of the face 39:50 Sandra Hüller and how her Stratt differs from the book version 51:50 Project Hail Mary: Book vs. Movie 1:21:28 Outro ⚠️ Quick Note from Sewon 냅다 한국어라 많이 놀라셨죠? 지난주 녹음 실수에 이어 이번 주에는 제 기력 이슈로 한국어로 녹음했습니다. “I am girl, you are boy”조차 생각이 안 나는 상태였어요 😂 다음 주부터는 다시 영어로 돌아오겠습니다! 안녕하세요! 이번 주에는 앤디 위어의 《프로젝트 헤일메리》를 리뷰합니다. 태양이 점점 빛을 잃어가며 지구가 종말의 위기에 놓인 어느 날, 평범한 중학교 과학교사 ‘라이랜드 그레이스’는 우주선 안에서 눈을 뜹니다. 그리고 자신이 인류를 구할 유일한 존재라는 사실을 깨닫게 되죠. 모든 것이 혼란스러운 상황 속에서 그는 같은 목적을 가지고 우주에 온 외계인 ‘로키’를 만나게 되고, 둘은 친구가 되어 운명을 건 미션을 함께 수행합니다. 과연 그들은 각자의 행성을 구할 수 있을까요? 전 세계적으로 사랑받은 SF 소설 《프로젝트 헤일메리》가 궁금하다면, 이번 에피소드를 함께해 주세요!

[Ep. 9] Love and Flaws (사랑과 결함) Pt. 2

This week, Michelle and Sewon talk about the second half of Ye Soyeon (예소연)’s short story collection "Love and Flaws" (사랑과 결함). We dive into the latter five stories, where the idea of family—its structure and boundaries. While individuals are inevitably influenced by the societies they belong to, within the intimate space of family, they often reveal positions that differ from their own beliefs. Interestingly, throughout these stories, the narrators repeatedly admit that they don’t fully understand the people around them—yet continue to act out of love. Softer, lighter, and perhaps more tender than the first half, if you're curious about the quieter, more affectionate side of these stories, stay tuned! - ⚠️ Quick note This episode may have lower audio quality compared to previous ones due to a technical issue during recording. Thanks for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode 🤍 - Coming Up Next: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - 00:00 Disclaimer 02:27 Intro: Sewon’s fangirl moment at work 07:30 Michelle moves into a new place + Go Kia Tigers+ Kim Do-yeong (feat. 도니살) 12:26 Guest appearance: Imja, the handsome cat 16:47 Book of the week: 사랑과 결함 (Love and Flaws), Part 2 17:40 팜 (Farm) + Characteristics of building names in Korea 38:50 그 개와 혁명 (That Dog and Revolution) 🌟🌟🌟 56:53 분재 (Bonsai) + How to build a relationship with healthy distance 1:11:08 도블 (Dobble) + Sewon is fully aligned with Swings’ (스윙스) level of fatigue these days 1:17:40 내가 머물던 자리 (Where I Once Stayed) + Confirmed: Sewon has zero nunchi when it comes to romance 1:37:08 Outro

[Ep. 8] Love and Flaws (사랑과 결함) Pt. 1 (feat. Go, Samsung Lions!)

This week, Michelle and Sewon talk about Ye Soyeon (예소연)'s short story collection "Love and Flaws" (사랑과 결함). The characters in this collection hurt one another in the name of love. Rather than offering something sweet or comforting, these stories confront us with the side of love we'd often rather avoid. They explore the "flaws" that inevitably surface when we love someone, the parts of ourselves we'd prefer to hide, yet end up exposing anyway. In love, we reveal our vulnerabilities, insecurities, and the less flattering sides of who we are. Sometimes, in an effort to protect ourselves, we end up hurting the very person we care about, and even ourselves. Perhaps that, too, is a natural part of loving someone. If true love means showing up without a mask, then loving someone is, at its core, an act of courage. If you're curious about what it looks like to love without turning away from the imperfect, fragile parts within us - stay tuned. (*Excerpted in part from the book description on Aladin) - Coming Up Next: Love and Flaws (사랑과 결함) Pt. 2 - 00:00 Intro: Go Samsung Lions! (feat. 2026 KBO Korean Series) 10:00 Do you watch the Olympics? Koreans love heroes with a compelling backstory! 22:07 Michelle goes on a picnic + her clever strategy to win the judges’ hearts at a drawing contest 28:00 Sewon loved Project Hail Mary + Michelle hates science, Sewon is 300% a 문과 person 35:06 Book of this week: 사랑과 결함 (Love and Flaws) 42:20 우리 철봉 하자 (Let’s do pull-ups) 1:09:00 Change of plans: We’ll cover the rest of the book next week 1:10:25 The Heejo and Meejung trilogy: 아주 사소한 시절(A Trivial Season), 우리는 계절마다(With Every Season), 그 얼굴을 마주하고(Facing That Face) 1:40:35 사랑과 결함 (Love and Flaws) + Why this story has to be the title piece 1:54:53 Outro

[Ep. 7] The Pillowman (필로우맨)

A young writer with a remarkable talent is suddenly arrested without explanation. Soon after, his brother, who struggles with cognitive impairment, is also brought in for interrogation. Why? A series of child murders has been carried out in ways disturbingly similar to the stories the writer has written.Who is responsible for these killings? And why did the writer feel compelled to create such dark and violent tales? If you're curious about this gripping and unsettling play, stay tuned!Coming Up Next: Love and Flaws by Ye Soyeon00:00 Intro: Sewon's offsite training experience at the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원)16:25 Yay! Michelle won the prize from Kyobo! (feat. World Poetry Day)30:10 The Pillowman1:07:22 Translation Quality (+ a tangent: same Korean, different vibes? Seoul vs. Daegu)1:19:25 Outro + next week’s book(+) Poetry books & poems mentioned in this episodeMichelle1)『언니의 나라에선 누구도 시들지 않기 때문, (Because No One Withers in Sister's Country,)』 by 김희준 (Kim Hee-jun)2)『당근밭 걷기 (Walking Through a Carrot Field)』by 안희연 (Ahn Heeyun)3)『여름 언덕에서 배운 것 (What I Learned on a Summer Hill』 by 안희연 (Ahn Heeyun)4)『이걸 내 마음이라고 하자 (I'll Call This My Heart)』 by 황인찬 (Hwang Inchan)Sewon1)「청혼 (Proposal)」 by 진은영(Jin Eun-young) from 『나는 오래된 거리처럼 너를 사랑하고 (Like an Old Street I Love You)』2)「생각날 때마다 울었다 (I Cried Whenever It Came to Mind)」by 박형준 (Park Hyeong-joon) * title poem from 『생각날 때마다 울었다 (I Cried Whenever It Came to Mind)』3)「눈물은 왜 짠가 (Why Are Tears Salty)」by 함민복 (Hahm Min-bok) * title poem from 『눈물은 왜 짠가 (Why Are Tears Salty)』