--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd always wanted to write something…" description: "\"I'd always wanted to write something about the Korean War because of my heritage. My father lost his brother during the war, and I fictionalized that e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e69/chang-rae-lee-3318_brother_i-d-always-wanted-to-write-something-abo_2563294.png" --- # I'd always wanted to write something about the Korean War… ![“I'd always wanted to write something about the Korean War because of my heritage. My father lost his brother during the war, and I fictionalized that episode, which was told to me very briefly without much detail.” quote by Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e69/chang-rae-lee-3318_brother_i-d-always-wanted-to-write-something-abo_2563294.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e69/chang-rae-lee-3318_brother_i-d-always-wanted-to-write-something-abo_2563294.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e69/chang-rae-lee-3318_brother_i-d-always-wanted-to-write-something-abo_2563294.png) > “I'd always wanted to write something about the Korean War because of my heritage. My father lost his brother during the war, and I fictionalized that episode, which was told to me very briefly without much detail.” [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author draws on personal family loss to create a fictional account of the Korean War, blending memory and imagination. **In simple terms:** Personal history inspires fictional storytelling about war. Key Takeaway Use heritage to deepen narrative depth. Themes heritage war memory fiction Mood reflective somber Type literary personal When to use this quote - family storytelling - writing workshops - cultural education - memorial projects Key Concepts personal narrative historical fiction Questions to Reflect On - How does personal loss shape your creative voice? - What responsibilities arise when fictionalizing real events? A Different Perspective May blur factual accuracy with artistic license. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Heritage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heritage/) [Korean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korean/) [Korean war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korean-war/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I wanted to write about the Korean War, but I had no entry into it that made the kind of sense it needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/i-wanted-to-write-about-the-korean-war-but-i-had-no-entry-into-it/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [ I had a visceral connection to the period \[of Korean War\]. By visceral I suppose I mean emotional. But every fiction requires so much… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/i-had-a-visceral-connection-to-the-period-of-korean-war-by-visceral-i/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [With a book called 'Keeping Score,' I really did want to write a book about the Korean War, because I felt that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sue-park/with-a-book-called-keeping-score-i-really-did-want-to-write-a-book/) [Linda Sue Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sue-park/) > [It is not widely known that, ever since the end of the Korean War, the United States has spent essentially the same amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/it-is-not-widely-known-that-ever-since-the-end-of-the-korean-war-the/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [When I went to Harvard Law School I became interested in the connection between legal standards for safety and automobile engineering design. At that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/when-i-went-to-harvard-law-school-i-became-interested-in-the/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [When I grew up, in Taiwan, the Korean War was seen as a good war, where America protected Asia. It was sort of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/when-i-grew-up-in-taiwan-the-korean-war-was-seen-as-a-good-war-where/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [From now on, we're home schooling you. Whatever we don't know, you don't know. When did the Korean War start? 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President Eisenhower was eager to put an end to hostilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/in-1953-after-the-armistice-ending-the-korean-war-south-korea-lay-in/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [I'm sure the most favorite airplane in my career would still be the Sabre F86 cleft wing , which allowed me to be credited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-m-sure-the-most-favorite-airplane-in-my-career-would-still-be-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) ## More by Chang-Rae Lee > [The truth, finally, is who can tell it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/the-truth-finally-is-who-can-tell-it/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [I think my parents recognised that I'd always wanted to be a writer, and so they didn't think that this was some idle, faddish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/i-think-my-parents-recognised-that-i-d-always-wanted-to-be-a-writer/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [Some writers are writing one great, big book and just taking all these different avenues towards it. 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I wouldn't want to suggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/the-past-as-you-suggest-is-absolutely-present-at-all-times-and-the/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [Most people don't think about race as much as I do. They don't have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/most-people-don-t-think-about-race-as-much-as-i-do-they-don-t-have-to/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [Not to any really influential effect, but certainly there have been comments that have surprised me. 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I hoped that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/after-college-i-was-living-in-new-york-and-wrote-furiously-a-huge/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [Usually, when you're talking about work with other writers it's because something seriously bad is going on with your work and you've absolutely thrown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/usually-when-you-re-talking-about-work-with-other-writers-it-s/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [ I had a visceral connection to the period \[of Korean War\]. By visceral I suppose I mean emotional. But every fiction requires so much… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/i-had-a-visceral-connection-to-the-period-of-korean-war-by-visceral-i/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) [Explore all 133 Chang-Rae Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) ## More Brother quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. 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An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [There's no publicist, no advertisements, and no one's pushing us. If people are buying our records, it's because big brothers and sisters or friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-moody/there-s-no-publicist-no-advertisements-and-no-one-s-pushing-us-if/) Spencer Moody > [The only way to make sure that the Hand didn't get to you would have been to kill your brother. I could've done it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/the-only-way-to-make-sure-that-the-hand-didn-t-get-to-you-would-have/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“Your favorite son and brother, Shade. Like”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-aveyard/your-favorite-son-and-brother-shade-like/) [Victoria Aveyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-aveyard/) > [Sister + brother = a lovely family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sister-brother-a-lovely-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. 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