Pieces of You is a work of fiction published by Daniel Armand Lee, also known as Tablo, leader of South Korean rap group Epik High. It was published in Korean in November 2008, and in English in February 2009.
Lee's Korean translation of the book was published prior to its English counterpart and sold more than 200,000 copies, consistently ranking as a bestseller in Korea. Due to high demand, he published the original English version, Pieces of You, three months after its Korean release, and it soon became a bestseller as well.
Overview
The book consists of ten short stories, all written during his college career from 1998 to 2001. Tablo says the factual setting of New York City doesn’t mean much, as he added some fictitious elements into his stories. New York City could potentially be a significant reason as to why he delved into hip-hop music, as the beginning was written when he worked as an assistant director of an independent movie. All of the stories were written for class assignments during his undergraduate years, thus his audience were his professor and classmates. Some stories are very controversial and self-reflective for those readers who are in their early twenties. He recalls the pieces of memory from his youth in the prologue, excerpted below.
"My heart was closed. Cold. I was self-conscious and cynical.
These are the pieces of my youth, The small secrets and not-so-great expectations that defined my coming of age.
But through this craft, through my love for writing, I discovered a world outside of the small windowless one I had built for myself. A world of soft-spoken beauty.
So here I am, Choosing to kick away the ladder So that I may remain at your side.
I understand your solitude
I see your shadow."
2009 Feb. Tablo
Both literary critics and fans conclude that the tone of this book can be summed up in the words “solitude” and “shadows,” which the author himself recalls from his youth. "Andante,” the first story, gains the most recognition. The ten stories, listed below, are arranged in the order in which they were written.