"In The Tao of K-drama: Wise Narratives for a Troubled World, social psychiatrist Mindy Thompson Fullilove, MD, brings her deep understanding of environmental meaning-making in city landscapes, seen in Root Shock, Urban Alchemy, and Main Street, to her COVID-19-initiated binge-watching of K-dramas. Her sage vision creates a page-turner as addictive as the melodramas, and as deeply transformative, collectively and individually. To all who care about trauma and healing, this genre-defying, poetic, and scholarly tour de force sings wisdom!" -- Carmen Acevedo Butcher, Dean, Center for Action and Contemplation; poet, and award-winning translator of Brother Lawrence's Practice of the Presence and Anonymous' The Cloud of Unknowing"Mindy Fullilove's The Tao of K-Drama: Wise Narratives for a Troubled World maps out how we might move beyond the solitary hero's journey favored by the West to the delicately negotiated 'stories of us' that are played out with imagination, boldness and wit in K-drama. Reading Fullilove's generous, revelatory, and brilliant work in these dangerous times, we discover a human path forward." -- Vivian Heller, author of Analysis and Exile: Boyhood, Loss, and the Lessons of Anna Freud"From entertainment to healing, The Tao of K-Drama by Dr. Mindy Thompson Fullilove explores Korean television as more than just storytelling but a pathway for navigating trauma and finding wholeness. This fascinating book bridges unlikely areas of research, connecting popular culture with themes of medicine, emotional healing, and human connectedness. Through the lens of K-Dramas, Fullilove unwraps how storytelling provides comfort, meaning, and even restoration in the midst of life's struggles.
A compelling and insightful read for all K-Drama lovers and for all interested in the power of story to heal and transform." -- Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Professor of Theology, Earlham School of Religion; author of When God Became White and Invisible"Mindy Fullilove shows how the human art of enduring and transcending trauma is illustrated by K-drama's global reception and advanced by the aesthetic, moral and practical works of watching and responding to stories that possess both individual and collective resonance. A crucial lesson for global mental health and for ordinary quests for the wisdom to heal." -- Arthur Kleinman, author of The Soul of Care; Professor, Harvard University"If you're unfamiliar with the global phenomenon of K-Drama, or if you (like me) have become an intrigued fan, The Tao of K-Drama can be an excellent introduction for beginners or a guide to deeper understanding for devotees. Fullilove leads you into the deep themes, personal and social, that make K-Dramas resonate with people around the world. Her analysis is at once psychological, sociological, philosophical, and deeply personal. We can hope that more people will discover this rich storytelling genre that emphasizes the restoration of peace in a time of disruption and trauma." -- Brian D.
McLaren, author of Life After Doom; faculty, Center for Action and Contemplation.