Confessions of a Korean-American Man in New York City

I recently met Joseph Kanon whom I found simply intriguing. What fascinated me about Mr. Kanon was how he develops a story because his 3 books are centered around important historical moments and I was curious to know if history influenced the plot or if the plot was conceived and placed in a moment of history. He's on tour promoting his book, "The Good German" which has been made into a major motion picture starring People magazine's sexiest man alive, George Clooney, Tobey Maguire and Cate Blanchett. I learned from him that the canals of Venice, one of my most favorite places in the world (twice visited), is only a few feet deep. I learned that the word "ghetto" originated in Venice. In high school I was a history buff and hearing him talk reminded me of my passion for history, but unfortunately such passion has now waned. I rarely read fiction unless it's recommended to me, but "The Good German" will be next once I finally finish Murakami's "The Elephant Vanishes."