Q&A with the Playwright and Author of THE NAME JAR
In 2001, Yangsook Choi wrote and illustrated The Name Jar, which follows a young girl named Unhei who has moved from Korea to America and is wondering if she should change her name to fit in more. This timeless story is still at the top of many Asian American children's booklists, but now it is making the leap to the stage thanks to playwright Susan H. Pak and a collaboration by Stages Theatre Company and Theater Mu. The show runs from Mar 22-Apr 14, and tickets are on sale now.
Audiences will have a chance to meet both Choi and Pak during the closing performance of The Name Jar on Apr 14: Choi is doing a pre-show book signing, and both will be participating in a post-show talkback. Before then, get some insights into the childhood memories they had with their own Korean names, what it was like expanding the story from a 40-page book into an hourlong play, and more.
Yangsook, what originally inspired you to create The Name Jar?
Yangsook Choi: Well, I have to tell you a little bit about a childhood experience I had growing up in Korea. My name, Yangsook, means gentle and pure. It’s good to have a name that you can live up to. Unfortunately, “Yangsook” sounds halfway similar to the Korean word for a bucket, like a bucket that holds water and sometimes smelly things. So sometimes people called me “bucket,” especially when it rained. People would call out to me, “Hey, Bucket, come over! The ceiling is leaking.” I was Yangsook the Bucket. It would have been nice if they actually gave me some nickels!
Years later, I moved to New York, went to an art school, and started my children's book illustration career. One day, my editor took me out to lunch and asked me to write a story. She said, “Yangsook, write, not just draw. How about writing a story about a child who moved from a different country and started a new school?” I had no background in writing, but it was hard to say no to someone who picked up the bill at a nice restaurant. So I began writing a story and realized that I had to come up with a problem for the main character because, in every story, the character faces a problem. And I remembered my childhood experience of being made fun of because of my name. So the story became about a girl who gets made fun of because of her name.
Susan, what stood out to you when you read The Name Jar?
Susan H. Pak: It's so funny that Yangsook and I have kind of a similar story. I grew up in the States, not too far from Chicago in a suburb, and my whole entire life I don't think I ever corrected anyone about the pronunciation of my name. My last name is Pak. And so if you spelled it, it might be like P-A-H-K, but my parents just spelled it P-A-K. And so everybody just pronounced it the way that it reads in English, right, which is “pack.” And then, you know, I'm calling myself "Sue Pack,” and so everybody calls me Sue Pack, and you just kind of grow up without realizing that you're trying to make people comfortable. You don't want to correct people, especially if you're 5 and everybody is pronouncing your name wrong. …
One of the things that really resonated with me about this book was I wonder[ed] what it would be like if I had read this book when I was in kindergarten or first grade. It's so brave to be able, as a 5-year-old, to tell everybody, “By the way, this is how you pronounce my name.” It's an incredible act of bravery.
In the story, the wooden block with Unhei's name felt so special. Yangsook, could you tell us about it?
YC: The name stamps have been used in Korea since the second century BC and are still used today. I would say that most Koreans—probably every Korean—own a personal name stamp, and they're usually often gifted by an older family member. People use it for signing legal documents as an official seal. With the unique design of each stamp, it is considered to be more secure than a signature because it is difficult to forge or copy. But apart from all the functional use, a name stamp is considered a tangible representation of your identity and authority. So in Korea, the name stamp really holds a special place in the hearts of Koreans. You don't have to be a king or queen to have an official seal and be proud of who you are.
Susan, what was it like expanding The Name Jar for the stage adaptation?
SP: Yangsook, you were talking about “the problem,” right? So in drama, we're always looking for the dramatic conflict and it's just so crystal clear [in the book]. What does she want? She wants to change her name. And what are all the obstacles to that “want”? It's not really what she wants, but what she needs is to be accepted, to be loved, to be respected, all of those things. And it's just so beautifully rendered in the book. Then there's all these illustrations to kind of help you out, and they're beautifully rendered.
One of the things I wanted to expand and develop upon was, in particular, as immigrants or children of immigrants in America, the notion of ritual in childhood and how so many things are presumed. I remember as a little kid in primary school, one of the first things we learned was a song called "The Name Game"—Anna-Banana-Bo-Bana. And I thought, what would it be like to be Unhei and not be able to participate full heartedly with your whole chest in that song? And it's not the children, it's not the adults, it's not people making fun of you. It's literally just baked into the environment. … I thought, you know, all these children and the teacher, they're so kind to her. But that's not the issue, right? …
There's this crux right after the midpoint of the story where our hero wants to change her name. … And then in the book, she gets a letter from Grandma, from Halmoni, that reminds her [of the importance of her name], just like that dojang, the name stamp. …
And so one thing I wanted to do is develop the character of Halmoni and actually turn her into a person that we could see and experience because everybody has a halmoni and everybody loves their halmoni. She is an infinitely likable and relatable character, and through their interaction, we can see and remember, “Oh yeah, this is why I want to keep my name.” The loss of a name is something that you want to raise the stakes of. Because like I said, when I was growing up, I thought, "No big deal." It's only decades later that I realize maybe I should have … made people know this is how you pronounce my name. But you're not thinking like that as a 5-year-old.
What makes this story so timeless? And do you think society has changed since you created this story?
YC: The story isn't just about what happens. The story is about seeing who a person really is and calling him or her out to be that person. When we are given our names, we are given an identity, and identity is not just who we are, but also who we are called to be. Keeping your identity is so important, and we need to be happy with who we are no matter what time period you live in, you know, 20 years ago or 200 years later.
When I first moved to the States—that was more than 20 years ago—there weren't many books that featured diverse characters who go by their birth names. Not everyone is born in this country, as you know. There weren't many stories of those who began the journey of adapting to a new culture. But now it is more acceptable to use birth names. And it’s just so wonderful to see more and more children's books coming out that feature a mix of children who look and sound different from one another. I believe that those stories can really give the readers an emotional connection with themselves and with other children. Those stories can make us grow together and become better together.
SP: Yeah, I completely agree. I mean, like I said, if I had a book like this growing up, even if I wasn't as brave as Unhei, even if I couldn't teach people my new name, I think just knowing that this book existed would have been an extraordinary comfort to me. I think that's why … The Name Jar and books like it are so important. It’s just so that young people can feel seen and feel like they're not alone. Because it's when you feel alone that you feel like, “Oh my god, I know I can't do this thing,” or you try to solve these problems yourself. And I think [that as] a really young person, that's difficult to navigate, you know? So, yeah, it's a beautiful book. I'm so grateful for this book.