노자영
盧子泳, Noh Ja Young; also went by 노춘성 (盧春城) Noh Chun Seong
born 1898 in South Hwanghae Province, died 1940
entry on Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
A novelist, poet, journalist, and publisher, Noh was born 1898 in South Hwanghae Province(The exact location of his birth is heavily disputed.) and schooled in Pyeongyang after the loss of both his parents early in life, where upon his graduation he returned to his hometown to work as a teacher until 1919. Afterwards, he departed for Seoul where he worked for Hanseong Publishing Corporation (한성도서주식회사) as a journalist and reviewer for press magazines Seoul 『서울』and Student 『학생』. As a writer, his first major publication would be in 1919 in the newspaper Maeil Sinbo『매일신보』, after which he helped found literary magazines Jangmichon 『장미촌』and Baekjo, 『백조』, in 1921 and 1922 respectively. Despite his commercial success as a writer, Noh found himself heavily renounced by the literary community, who denounced his prose for being overly flowery and romantic for the standards of the era. Noh suspended his career in 1926 after it was revealed by 김억 (Kim Ok) that several of his publications were plagiarized from foreign poets, leading to his exclusion from major literary circles. While he aspired to study abroad in the U.S., he was unable to secure the funds to do so, and instead went to Japan to attend Nihon University and Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, where he studied English. Diagnosed with tuberculosis upon his return, he returned to the literary scene after five years of bed rest, founding and editing his own literary magazine Shinin Munhak 『신인문학』in 1934 to 1936, where he translated and introduced the work of various Black poets across several issues. After a brief return to journalism in 1935 under Joseon Ilbo 『조선일보』 where he served as editor for the magazines Jogwang『조광』 and Women 『여성』, he retired three years later and founded his own publishing company, Cheongjosa (청조사). He died two years later in 1940 from tuberculosis at the early age of 41. Although he is often overlooked as a figure in Korean literary history due to the early decline of his writing career, his influence as an editor and writer runs undeniably deep in the undercurrents of Korean modern literature.
Translations appeared in:
신인문학
조선일보
Translated Works:
Gwendolyn B. Bennett, To a Dark Girl as 스탄떠
Langston Hughes, Our Land as Our Land (신인문학) and 우리들의국토 (신인문학 2.2)(Noh himself seems to be unaware that these two are the same poem.)
Claude McKay, The Tropics in New York as 뉴육의 열대지방
Claude McKay, If We Must Die as 어차피 죽어야 할몸이든가
Langston Hughes, I, Too as 도전(Mistakenly attributed to a John(?) Schuyler. The title seems to be a misattribution as well.)
Countee Cullen, Harlem Wine as 하렘의 주
Langston Hughes, Our Land as 우리들의국토 (신인문학 2.4)
Countee Cullen, A Song of Praise as 카렌(Mistakenly attributed to Gwendolyn B. Bennett.)
as well as:
망향, attributed to Langston Hughes(Seems to contain fragments of Our Land, as well as other fragments which might not have been written by Hughes.)
녹도, attributed to Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
비닭기, attributed to 이마누엘 카누바리(Unidentified. Imanuel(?) Canterbury(?))
Sources:
Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
Donga Ilbo
Kyongduk Cho