Jeffrey Miller
No Way Out
DOSSIER: Your protagonist in NO WAY OUT is visiting South Korea, doesn’t speak the language, and is accused of a crime he has no memory of committing. You were once new to Korea, not proficient in the language, and experienced some of the nightlife in and around the town of Itaewon. This story isn’t autobiographical in some way, is it, Jeffrey? You can be honest. Nobody reads this.
MILLER: Jeff, that’s an excellent question coming right out of the gate. I think anyone who knows me or learns that I lived in Korea for over thirty years would be just as curious about whether the novel is autobiographical in some way. Of course, I drew upon my own experiences in Korea, especially the nightlife in the Itaewon area and teaching English at a private institute known as hakwons in Korea. For readers who are not familiar with Korea, Itaewon was at the time the novel takes place, the international enclave in Seoul. While it was known for its shopping and restaurants, it was also infamous for its red-light district. Back then, anyone new to Korea, whether military, expatriate, or traveler, eventually ended up in Itaewon. I did. A few days after I arrived in Korea, one of my colleagues took me to Itaewon. Fortunately, I did not end up like the protagonist. Now, having said that at the beginning of the novel, when the protagonist goes to Itaewon, there are several interactions and scenes that are a composite of my frequent visits—I just won’t tell you which ones.
DOSSIER: The music of the early 1990s plays a big part in NO WAY OUT, and you talk about how popular American music was when you lived in Korea during that time. Why did you decide to essentially put a soundtrack into your book? (Also, do you remember how the clubs in Itaewon used to play Hotel California as their last call song, or was that just up in Dongducheon)?
MILLER: Great question! Whenever I write a novel that takes place in modern times, I always have a soundtrack in mind. I guess it’s because growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, music was such an important part of my life, which often carries over in my fiction. For one thing, it helps to put me in the time frame for the novel—to immerse myself as it were in the time. I also believe it helps the reader get a feel for the time—like how George Lucas used music in American Graffiti (1973), Allan Moyle in Times Square (1980), and Cameron Crowe in Singles (1992). And, of course, being that Itaewon was mainly popular with US service members, music was a constant soundtrack in the background, with music blaring from the small clubs and bars. To this day, whenever I hear “Hotel California,” “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and “Ice, Ice Baby,” I am always transported back in time to December 1990.
DOSSIER: When and where do you write, and what kind of environment do you prefer? (Music/silence/on the subway?)
MILLER: I can pretty much write anywhere, but I prefer a quiet setting. As a parent with four kids, I got up early in the morning to write before all the kids got up. From 2014 onwards, when my family joined me in Korea, for the next five novels—from The Panama Affair to No Way Out, I wrote them out long-handed on a legal pad before the kids got up and after they went to bed. Then, throughout the day, when I had time between teaching, going to the gym, helping my kids with their homework, shopping, and doing stuff with the kids, I would type out all those pages. As for writing everything out long-handed, when I started writing in the 1960s, one of the things I loved was the feel of the pen in my hand and watching the letters become words and the words become sentences on paper. It’s very hard for me to compose anything on a computer. Oh, and what kind of pen do I prefer? Don’t laugh—the Sakura Gelly Roll, with a .06mm tip. One interesting note about my writing style, when I lived in Korea, I loved walking everywhere, and when I walked somewhere, I was always thinking about certain scenes in my mind, working them out as I walked, and then writing them out as soon as I got somewhere. In fact, most of my novels started out that way.
DOSSIER: Along with living in Korea for the past thirty years (where you started off teaching English), one thing you enjoy is reading books and writing reviews. How has that exercise helped you come up with writing your own novels? You’re closing in on nearly a dozen now, right?
MILLER: As I used to tell my students in the Honors English class I taught in Korea, if you want to improve your writing, you must read—and I mean read a lot. Anything you can get your hands on. Good and bad. I told them that to become a better writer they had to see how other writers used language. What kind of structures or styles did they use? What worked or didn’t work? That might seem too obvious, but it’s always worked for me. I’m a voracious reader and read several books at one time—the classics as well as fiction in the genres I write in. I was very impressed when I read Stephen King’s On Writing, and I saw his reading list at the end. Wow! That really inspired me, and yes, I count him as one of my “teachers,” as it were. As for reading and reviewing other author’s books—I want to help these authors. If I can help a fellow author by buying their book, reviewing it, and spreading the word—that makes me feel good.
I’ve written nine novels and two collections of short stories. On deck, I have three more novels and my memoirs. Hopefully, in the next coming months, I’ll find publishers for them or self-publish.
DOSSIER: Many readers will find NO WAY OUT engaging: people who watched the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, people who served in the military in Korea, and anyone who’s paid attention to how things have changed in Korea over the years. Please explain what is happening there now. You appreciate Korean history, but how would people find Korea today, especially if they have a personal history there?
MILLER: Korea has changed A LOT since I first arrived in 1990. Anyone with a personal history or ties with Korea would be amazed at how much the country has changed. Of course, thanks to movies like Parasite and Train to Busan, TV shows like The Squid Game, and K-pop sensations, BTS, Korea is definitely on people’s radar screens more than in the past. There’s no question that the 1988 Olympics were South Korea’s “coming out party,” and despite national calamities and tragedies, a financial crisis, and the ever-constant threat from North Korea, the country has been a whirlwind of dynamism and excitement. With its dynamic economy, K-pop cultural influence, and technological advancements, Korea today is a fusion of tradition and innovation, making it an exciting place to explore, whether you have a personal history there or are simply interested in its rich cultural heritage. In many ways, No Way Out is on the cusp of this dynamism and excitement, which should please any Korean old hand or Koreaphile.
One interesting side note, when I started writing this novel, I originally had it set in Cambodia and had the protagonist in a similar situation at the beginning of the novel. However, the storyline just didn’t seem believable enough, so I decided to move it to Korea. I’m glad I did.
Writing the novel was, in a way, for me to remember what Korea had been like when I first arrived—waxing nostalgic as it were—because I would be leaving soon (I left on August 17, 2023), and this was my way of remembering those early days in Korea and how much I loved being in the country.
Hopefully, my memoir, Waking Up in the Land of the Morning Calm, which I have recently completed, will fill in the gaps for readers who want an up close and personal look at Korea through the eyes of an English teacher, journalist, professor, and father.
Website: Jeffrey Miller
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