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Min Jin Lee

In this episode, Dua Lipa hosts acclaimed author Min Jin Lee, whose novel *Pachinko* has captivated readers worldwide. They delve into the personal and societal forces that shape Lee's storytelling, from her immigrant experience to her health battles, and discuss the power of literature to challenge perspectives.
The conversation begins with Dua Lipa sharing a message of solidarity with women in Iran before introducing Min Jin Lee. They bond over their shared experiences with ethnic heritage and immigrant identity, with Lee recounting her disillusionment upon arriving in America and how her family's financial struggles inform her work. Lee reveals her teenage diagnosis as a chronic hepatitis B carrier, which instilled a fierce urgency to achieve, and her later battle with liver cirrhosis, emphasizing the importance of speaking openly about health. She compares her meticulous research process—attending Harvard Business School and the Fashion Institute of Technology to understand her characters—to hosting a dinner party, where deep study builds confidence. The discussion turns to the US culture war over banned books, with Lee asserting that books are dangerous because they change minds. She stresses using her platform to address personal topics like family planning, linking them to immigrant and women's rights, and highlights the surge in anti-Asian hate and the invisibility of Asian poverty and violence against Asian women.
00:01
00:01
Women in Iran need our solidarity.
09:16
09:16
I expected a fairy tale, but it was like Seoul.
12:15
12:15
I felt a great urgency to achieve.
25:31
25:31
Books are dangerous because they change minds.
34:28
34:28
Asian poverty and violence are invisible due to ignorance and fear.