In the evolving landscape of contemporary poetry, few voices capture the fragile intersections of memory, identity, and survival quite like Jihyun Yun. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Yun is a Korean American poet whose debut collection Some Are Always Hungry dives deep into the complex legacy of displacement, trauma, and the enduring power of cultural memory. Her work blends vivid imagery, culinary metaphors, and raw emotional intensity to explore how personal and collective histories shape the self.
Some Are Always Hungry is more than a poetry collection; it is an intimate archive of survival that stretches across generations. Drawing from her family’s experiences during the Korean War, Yun writes with a clarity and compassion that reveal the often unseen wounds carried by those displaced by conflict and migration. The poems are layered with the sensory details of food and cooking — from the sharpness of a knife to the scent of sizzling meat — anchoring the reader in moments of tenderness and trauma alike. Through this lens, Yun connects the act of preparing a meal to the transmission of cultural identity, the preservation of memory, and the resilience of those who endure.
Yun’s journey as a writer is informed by her academic background and personal heritage. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Davis, and went on to complete an MFA in poetry at New York University. Her literary voice emerged strongly during this period, earning her the prestigious Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry, which brought Some Are Always Hungry to a wider audience. The collection’s publication by the University of Nebraska Press in 2020 marked a significant moment for Asian American literature, showcasing the power of poetry to narrate stories that often remain on the margins.
What distinguishes Yun’s poetry is its seamless weaving of the personal and political. She unflinchingly addresses the historical trauma of war and its ripple effects, while also acknowledging the quiet, everyday struggles of immigrant families trying to reconcile past and present. The tension between hunger and satiation becomes a recurring motif — hunger not only as physical need but as an enduring desire for belonging, understanding, and healing. In doing so, Yun challenges readers to reconsider what it means to be “fed” and what hunger persists even after survival.
Critics and readers alike have praised Yun for her ability to balance stark honesty with lyrical beauty. Poet Ocean Vuong described her work as “a visceral yet compassionate inquiry into what makes us alive,” while Ada Limón called it “a thundering revelation.” These accolades reflect Yun’s skill at transforming pain into poetry that resonates universally, transcending cultural boundaries while rooted firmly in her Korean American experience.
Beyond Some Are Always Hungry, Yun’s influence extends through her role as a Fulbright Research Fellow and her contributions to leading literary journals such as Best New Poets, Narrative Magazine, and Adroit Journal. Her work continues to push conversations around diasporic identity, historical memory, and the healing potential of art. Currently based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she remains an important voice in contemporary poetry, a chronicler of stories that matter deeply to communities both in the United States and abroad.
