Born: 1980s (circa), South Korea
Died: NA
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
The following is republished from the National Endowment for the Arts. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
S. Isabel Choi was born in Seoul, grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the Bay Area. Formerly a litigator, she is finishing a memoir on the legacy of loss and illness, inspired by the story of her grandfather, the Chief Justice of South Korea’s Supreme Court from 1981 to 1986. He crossed one river in North Korea to escape a death march during the Korean War and, decades later, leapt into another river in Seoul to take his own life. An excerpt from this project was longlisted for the 2020 First Pages Prize. Her work has been recognized as a Best American Essays Notable Mention and nominated for Pushcart Prizes and The Best of the Net. A Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference alum, Choi has a BA from Dartmouth College, JD from Santa Clara University, and an MFA from the University of San Francisco.