Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

March 13, 2024

Abigail Arnold | Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Jinmin Lee earned her PhD in Politics from Brandeis in 2014. Since then, she has written several successful Korean books. Her most recent book, Philo and Sophie Leave the Cave, came out in 2023. The book is aimed at teaching children about famous philosophers and their ideas. Lee spoke to GSAS about her work as a writer and how what she learned in her PhD program has helped her.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Can you tell us a bit more about what the book is about? Perhaps give an example of how it treats one of the philosophers?

To put it briefly, this is a children's book on philosophy. I selected thirteen philosophers and made their arguments into soft, stimulating tales that young readers can easily pick up and enjoy.

For example, in order to introduce John Rawls’ “veil of ignorance,” I featured familiar fairytale characters in the story whose personalities and backgrounds we already know well, such as Old Scrooge, the Little Match Girl, Cinderella, and the Lion and the Mouse from Aesop's fables. When these characters put on this “magical veil” and figure out how to share some treasure, young readers can easily follow how the powerful lion, and even the Old Scrooge, would make surprising decisions that care for the less privileged.

In another story, naughty pig siblings appear to explain John Stuart Mill's “No Harm Principle” (at first they misunderstood it as the “No Ham Principle”). They explore the boundaries of freedom while causing lots of cute trouble. In the case of Michel Foucault, I adapted some original text from Discipline and Punish, such as the public execution of Robert-François Damiens in 1757 and the daily routine of juvenile delinquent boys imprisoned in reformatories in Paris in the 1800s. I removed the cruel parts and recreated them as gentle stories so that children could read them without nightmares.

It’s my fourth book, but it’s my first work for children. I really enjoyed writing this book, in which I introduced philosophic ideas while stretching my imagination. So far, all of my works have been published in South Korea, but I hope someday my books can go on an adventure beyond borders!

What gave you the idea for this book? What did you want to teach the children who read it? How did you work together with the illustrator?

I’ve always been interested in rewriting philosophy into everyday language so that non-academic audiences find it fun to read and easy to understand. I planned a philosophy book that children could easily read, while adults could also enjoy reading about philosophers. At the end of each chapter is a section with more in-depth content for adults, and I actually received lots of appreciation and positive reviews from parent readers.

However, I wrote this book with the hope that children would not think of it as a philosophy book, but rather just as a fun story book. We all know that every child is already a great philosopher. I just want them to stretch their thoughts, explore their curiosity, and have fun.

The most enjoyable moment while working on this book was when my favorite illustrator drew a picture that perfectly suited my story. Sae-byul Kim is a prolific picture book author, a mother of two (just like me), and a good friend of mine. Someone recommended her drawings to me about 3 years ago and I fell in love at first sight. I deeply love her warmth, passion and humor. She illustrated with amazing depth of understanding, and I believe that her Karl Marx may be the cutest Marx in the world.

What other books have you written or are you working on?

So far, I have written four books including Philo and Sophie Leave the Cave. The others are titled I am a Philosopher Mom (2020), A Friendly Philosopher’s Guide to Using an Art Museum (2021), and A Forest Called Child (2022). I am very grateful to be able to say that my books are getting a good response in Korea. I received several awards, and one book recently had its ninth printing.

Three more books are on the way. Two will be released this year: one is about art and feminism, and the other is about German words I would like to introduce to Korean society (currently I live in Germany). The next book to be published, in 2025, is aimed at teenage readers, based on the concept of a “Philosopher’s Counseling Center.”

How has what you learned in your PhD program informed your writing work?

Without what I learned from Brandeis, my books would never have come out like they did. To explain complex concepts in a way that children can easily understand is often a challenge, and this is something I have seen and learned from Brandeis professors who have put so much time and effort into teaching foreign students like me. In this respect, I am especially indebted to Professor Marion Smiley, Professor Bernard Yack, and Professor Jeffrey Abramson (who is now teaching at The University of Texas at Austin).

No matter what kind of audience I write a book for, I write with the mindset of a scholar as a proud Brandeis PhD. Even when writing a short story for children, I make it a rule to go back to original texts, review and check again and again to make sure there are no mistakes in my understanding, and then carefully start my argument -- like I did for my PhD thesis. And I have to say that my books actually contain several anecdotes from Brandeis!

Do you have any advice for current PhD students who might want to do something like writing for children or other non-academic audiences in their careers?

There is an old saying in Korea, “Go deep and come out shallow.” In other words, study hard and explain it easily. Whether writing for academic readers or non-academic readers, I guess the most basic thing is that you need to be well-prepared. When I look back, the time I spent on my PhD program was incredibly precious as it allowed me to focus solely on preparation and accumulation. Only when you fill up enough within yourself can it finally overflow and come out to the world. Therefore, please enjoy this opportunity and put a lot into yourself!

You can learn more about Lee’s books on her website or Instagram.