Coleen Baik is an artist and designer. She writes about work in progress in her newsletter, The Line Between. Coleen was part of the early design team at Twitter, an advisor at Medium, and most recently, principal designer at Sequoia Capital. She has worked as a communications director for a peace mission in North Korea, and as a farmhand in rural Italy. Her latest animated short is “Tuscany.”
Which three books would you recommend?
Absalom, Absalom! William Faulkner
When I first read this novel many years ago it drove me crazy; it felt as if it had been written in an unknowable language. After flailing around for many pages I found I was able to finally understand what was being said, like suddenly realizing I could breathe underwater. When I came to the scene between Henry and Charles Bon at the end, I cried and cried. I’ve never forgotten the closing of that gap. I’d recommend this book to any lover of literature who loves challenge, and great reward.
Un Roi Sans Divertissement, or A King Alone Jean Giono
This is a mystery set in mid 1800s Southern France. It reminds me of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness except it’s funnier, more dry. I fell in love with its haunting imagery and charismatic characters, and decided to translate the first part into English from the original French for my senior thesis. I learned so much about language, the impossible task that is translation, and the thrill of what I call trouvailles, those rare gem moments where the line between one language and another feels true. There’s a published translation called A King Alone which I purchased recently but haven’t yet reviewed. In any case, it’s a page turner that would go perfectly with a glass of something hot on a late winter’s evening.
The Ocean at the End of the LaneNeil Gaiman
I love young adult fantasy and suspense—I grew up with John Bellairs, Roald Dahl, Madeleine L’Engle, Meredith Ann Pierce. They go down easy but there’s something magical and classic about them, strangely hopeful, too. In this book, Gaiman effortlessly, almost casually, ties together the familiar world and the mysterious, eerie one he hints at through tiny openings, mentions of the old country, and blunt, chilling phrases like the box moved. This story reminds me of the long history of things and my own smallness. Also, there are lots of cozy passages about clotted cream, homemade blackberry jam, and perfect porridge. When I’m depleted, this is a good place to be.
What is your favourite bookstore or library?
Three Lives & Company, New York. It’s a tiny old bookstore that calls itself an anachronism and still writes up receipts by hand. It’s been lauded as “the perfect New York bookstore” and I cannot disagree—it's an extraordinary place. Every book there has a palpable gravitational pull. I always seem to walk out with many more books than I came for!