View source for Mary H.K. Choi

{{Short description|American author and journalist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mary H.K. Choi
| image = Mary H K Choi 2018.jpg
| caption = Choi at the 2018 Texas Book Festival
| birth_date =
| birth_place = [[Seoul, South Korea]]
| occupation = Author, journalist
| citizenship =
| alma_mater         = [[University of Texas at Austin]]
| years_active       = 2002–present
| era                =
| employer           = [[Vice Media]]
| movement =
| spouse =
| partner =
| relatives =
| signature =
| website = {{URL|http://choitotheworld.com}}
| works = ''[[Emergency Contact (novel)|Emergency Contact]]'' (2018)<br>''[[Permanent Record (novel)|Permanent Record]]'' (2019)
}}
'''Mary H.K. Choi''' is an American author, editor, television and print journalist. She is the author of the [[Young adult fiction|young adult]] novels ''[[Emergency Contact (novel)|Emergency Contact]]'' (2018) and ''[[Permanent Record (novel)|Permanent Record]]'' (2019). She is the culture correspondent on ''[[Vice News Tonight]]'' on [[HBO]] and was previously a columnist at ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' and ''[[Allure (magazine)|Allure]]'' magazines as well as a freelance writer.
== Life ==
Mary Hyun Kyung Choi was born in [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]] and immigrated to Hong Kong before her first birthday.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/going-korean/|title=Going Korean|last=Choi|first=Mary H. K.|date=November 10, 2010|website=Opinionator|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> She lived there until moving to [[Texas]] just before she turned 14.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=http://aaww.org/ashok-mary-h-k-choi/|title=Ashok and Mary Talk Chapstick, Hipster Racism, and Korean Names|date=June 20, 2014|work=Asian American Writers' Workshop|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> Choi's parents owned and managed a Korean restaurant to support their family.<ref name=":5">{{Citation |title=Seriously Entertaining: Mary H.K. Choi on "From This Moment On" | date=June 22, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hycnvblQGtU |language=en |access-date=2023-02-16}}</ref> She attended a large public high school in a suburb of [[San Antonio]],<ref name=":4" /> then college at the [[University of Texas at Austin]], where she majored in Textile and Apparel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.refinery29.com/2018/03/194645/emergency-contact-mary-hk-choi-author-interview|title=If You've Ever Been in a Texting Relationship, This Novel Is For You|last=Nicolaou|first=Elena|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> After college, Choi lived in New York until moving to Los Angeles circa 2014,<ref name=":4" /> a decision she described in ''Oh, Never Mind''.<ref name=":2" /> In a 2021 talk at House of SpeakEasy's ''Seriously Entertaining'' program, Choi detailed her struggle with [[Bulimia nervosa|bulimia]] that lasted into adulthood.<ref name=":5" />
In a 2024 article in ''The Cut'', Choi wrote about being diagnosed with [[autism]] as an adult, at age 43.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Choi |first=Mary H. K. |date=2024-07-03 |title=I Was Diagnosed With Autism in My 40s. It Gave Me a Lot of Answers. |url=https://www.thecut.com/article/mary-hk-choi-adult-autism-diagnosis.html |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=The Cut |language=en}}</ref>
Her brother is [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and [[DC Comics|DC]] artist [[Michael Choi (comics)|Michael Choi]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mary H. K. Choi Goes Crazy With 'Lady Deadpool' [Interview]|url=http://comicsalliance.com/mary-h-k-choi-goes-crazy-with-lady-deadpool-interview/|access-date=April 7, 2018|website=ComicsAlliance|date=July 19, 2010 }}</ref> She speaks four languages.<ref name=":4" />
== Career ==
After graduating from college, Choi moved from Austin to New York City<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/all-the-young-girls/|title=All the Young Girls|last=Choi|first=Mary H. K.|date=November 17, 2010|website=Opinionator|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> in 2002.<ref name=":4" /> Her first job in 2002 was as an editorial intern at ''Mass Appeal'' magazine in [[Red Hook, Brooklyn]],<ref name=":1" /> where she eventually became an editor.<ref name=":4" /> She then worked at [[XXL (magazine)|''XXL'']] and ''Hip Hop Soul'' before becoming founding editor-in-chief of ''[[Missbehave]]'', a Brooklyn-based alternative magazine for young women.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2017/12/how-mary-hk-choi-built-missbehave-reinvented-deadpool-and-wrote-the-book-on-dj-khaled|title=How Mary H.K. Choi Built MissBehave, Reinvented Deadpool and Wrote the Book on DJ Khaled|website=Complex|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> Through her time at ''XXL'', she published as Mary Choi; since then, she has included her middle initials.<ref name=":4" />
Choi has drawn notice for her reporting and essays on a wide range of topics, including teen use of social media,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.refinery29.com/2018/03/194645/emergency-contact-mary-hk-choi-author-interview|title=If You've Ever Been in a Texting Relationship, This Novel Is For You|last=Nicolaou|first=Elena|date=March 28, 2018|website=Refinery29|access-date=April 10, 2018}}</ref> her relationship with her mom,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thelily.com/emergency-contact-author-mary-hk-choi-wonders-are-we-having-the-right-conversations-about-race/|title='Emergency Contact' author Mary H.K. Choi wonders: Are we having the right conversations about race?|last=Shih|first=Carol|date=March 29, 2018|work=The Lily|access-date=April 10, 2018|publisher=The Washington Post}}</ref> music,<ref name=":4" /> life as an ex-pat,<ref name=":4" /> and fashion.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.autostraddle.com/215-of-the-best-longreads-of-2015-all-written-by-women-319679/|title=215 Of The Best Longreads Of 2015 – All Written By Women|date=December 29, 2015|work=Autostraddle|access-date=April 10, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/28/17052962/emergency-contact-mary-choi-interview-epistolary-romance-young-adult-iphone|title=Emergency Contact is a dreamy YA love story told through texts|last=Tiffany|first=Kaitlyn|date=February 28, 2018|work=The Verge|access-date=April 10, 2018|archive-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221053714/https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/28/17052962/emergency-contact-mary-choi-interview-epistolary-romance-young-adult-iphone|url-status=live}}</ref> She has been a columnist at ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'', editor-at-large for MTV Style and a contributing editor at ''[[Allure (magazine)|Allure]].''<ref name=":4" /> She has also written for ''[[GQ]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gq.com/contributor/mary-h-k-choi|title=Mary H.K. Choi – Bio, latest news and articles|website=GQ|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/author/mary-hk-choi/|title=Mary H.K. Choi – Opinionator – The New York Times|date=December 2, 2010 |access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nymag.com/author/Mary%20H.%20K.%20Choi/|title=NYC Guide to Restaurants, Fashion, Nightlife, Shopping, Politics, Movies|work=New York|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> ''[[The Atlantic]]'', ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' and ''[[The Fader]]''.
Choi is a culture correspondent at ''[[Vice News Tonight]]'' on [[HBO]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hbo.com/vice/cast-and-crew/mary-hk-choi|title=VICE – Mary H.K. Choi|website=HBO|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> She was the executive producer of ''House of Style: Music, Models and MTV'', a 2012 documentary.<ref>{{Citation|last=Darrach|first=Nicola|title=House of Style: Music, Models and MTV|date=August 7, 2012|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2326890/|others=Azealia Banks, Alisa Bellettini, Mickey Boardman|accessdate=April 7, 2018}}</ref> In 2013 she became the supervising producer, then head writer, of ''Take Part Live,'' a daily live news show for Participant Media.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/media/story/2014/09/the-60-second-interview-mary-hk-choi-head-writer-of-take-part-live-author-of-oh-never-mind-002819|title=The 60-second interview: Mary H.K. Choi, head writer of 'Take Part Live,' author of 'Oh, Never Mind'|date=September 8, 2014|work=Politico|access-date=April 10, 2018}}</ref>
Choi hosts a monthly podcast called ''Hey, Cool Job!'', in which she interviews her peers and friends about their jobs and the paths they took to arrive in their roles.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thebillfold.com/2016/10/heres-a-podcast-about-cool-jobs/|title=Here's A Podcast About Cool Jobs|last=Reynolds|first=Megan|date=October 20, 2016|work=The Billfold|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> Notable guests include journalist [[Jenna Wortham]], porn actress [[Asa Akira]], and comedian [[Joel Kim Booster]]. She also hosts a more casual, "stream of consciousness" style mini podcast called ''Hey, Cool Life!''. The minipod, spanning between 10-20 minutes in length, is a place where Choi focuses on the intersection of mental health and creativity. She mentions that she created the podcast after being inspired by her love of voice memos she would send to her friends.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Iversen|first=Kristin|title=Hey, Cool Life Is The Perfect Podcast For An Anxiety-Driven Age|url=https://www.nylon.com/hey-cool-life-podcast-review|access-date=2020-08-27|website=Nylon|date=January 17, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
=== Books ===
Choi was the writer of [[Marvel Comics]]' Lady Deadpool No. 1.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://marvel.com/comics/creators/11123/mary_hk_choi|title=Mary H.K. Choi|website=marvel.com|access-date=April 10, 2018}}</ref> She has also written Marvel's [[Shanna the She-Devil]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbr.com/women-of-marvel-2-2/|title=Women of Marvel #2|date=November 25, 2010|work=CBR|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref> and has contributed to the CMYK anthology and the Ghosts anthology for Vertigo Comics.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vertigocomics.com/talent/mary-hk-choi|title=Mary H.K. Choi|date=July 9, 2012|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref>
In 2014, Choi published a collection of essays as a [[Kindle single]] called, ''Oh, Never Mind'', which describes, among other topics, her decision to leave New York.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theawl.com/2014/09/escape-artist-tells-all/|title=Escape Artist Tells All|last=Balk|first=Alex|date=September 3, 2014|work=The Awl|access-date=April 10, 2018}}</ref> She had met with a number of editors and grew frustrated by the pessimism she encountered about the sales prospects for an essay collection; instead she accepted an offer from [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] to write the short collection of essays as a Kindle Single for a $5000 payment plus 70% of profits, the right to set the price of the collection, and retention of full ownership of the copyright.<ref name=":3" />
Choi also co-wrote the [[DJ Khaled]] book, ''The Keys'', developed from Khaled's [[Snapchat]] videos in which he offers fans advice on how to achieve the lifestyle he has. In a review for ''[[The New Yorker]]'', [[Hua Hsu]] said that while the book contained some standard [[self-help]] fare, "there's ultimately something goofy and uplifting about it all, a warm generosity that makes Khaled someone whose success you can't begrudge."<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-goofy-charm-of-dj-khaleds-the-keys|title=The Goofy Charm of DJ Khaled's 'The Keys'|last=Hsu|first=Hua|date=December 15, 2016|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=April 7, 2018|issn=0028-792X}}</ref>
Choi's first novel, ''[[Emergency Contact (novel)|Emergency Contact]]'', is a [[Young adult fiction|young adult]] novel published in 2018 by [[Simon & Schuster]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/03/style/mary-hk-choi-wanted-to-write-a-book-in-which-high-key-nothing-happens.html|title=Mary H.K. Choi Wanted to Write a Book in Which 'High-Key Nothing Happens'|last1=Ma|first1=Tracy|date=April 3, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 10, 2018|last2=Nikas|first2=Joanna|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=April 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408224057/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/03/style/mary-hk-choi-wanted-to-write-a-book-in-which-high-key-nothing-happens.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Choi has described the book as partly inspired by [[Judy Blume]]'s novel ''[[Forever... (novel)|Forever...]]'', because Blume had "said she just wanted to write a story about ‘two people who have sex but then nothing terrible happens'...I love that," Choi told ''The New York Times''.<ref name=":0" /> Choi's novel is a love story conducted primarily by text message, with Penny (a Korean-American freshman at the University of Texas-Austin)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mary-hk-choi/emergency-contact/|title=EMERGENCY CONTACT by Mary H.K. Choi|date=January 22, 2018|work=Kirkus Reviews|access-date=April 10, 2018|archive-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221053718/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mary-hk-choi/emergency-contact/|url-status=live}}</ref> giving Sam her number after she happens to be passing by as Sam has his first panic attack.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/03/how-to-fall-in-love-over-text-emergency-contact-mary-h-k-choi/556517/|title=How to Fall in Love Over Text|last=Beck|first=Julie|date=March 27, 2018|work=The Atlantic|access-date=April 10, 2018|archive-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221053714/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/03/how-to-fall-in-love-over-text-emergency-contact-mary-h-k-choi/556517/|url-status=live}}</ref> Writing for ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', David Canfield said in ''Emergency Contact'', Choi "vividly realizes Korean-American culture and explores microaggressions on a sharply recognizable level...weav[ing] these experiences into a narrative rife with witty banter and steamy romantic chemistry; the YA frame doesn't push the more challenging material to the margins, but rather renders it naturalistically potent."<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/books/2018/04/09/east-asian-authors-young-adult/|title=Why the new wave of East Asian authors is targeting YA|last=Canfield|first=David|date=April 9, 2018|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=April 10, 2018|archive-date=December 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221064206/https://ew.com/books/2018/04/09/east-asian-authors-young-adult/|url-status=live}}</ref>
== Works and publications ==
* Choi, Mary H.K., ''Lady Deadpool #1''. Marvel Comics, 2010; UPC: 5960607113-00111
* Choi, Mary H.K., ''Ghosts''. Vertigo Comics (DC Comics), 2012.
* Choi, Mary H.K., ''Oh Never Mind''. Kindle Single, 2014; ASIN: B00N93UVC2
* Choi, Mary H.K., ''CMYK (black)''. Vertigo Comics (DC Comics), 2015; {{ISBN|978-1401253363}}
* Choi, Mary H.K., ''[[Emergency Contact (novel)|Emergency Contact]]''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2018; {{ISBN|978-1-5344-0896-8}}
* Choi, Mary H.K., ''[[Permanent Record (novel)|Permanent Record]]''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2019; {{ISBN|978-1-5344-4597-0}}
* Choi, Mary H.K., ''[[Yolk (novel)|Yolk]]''. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2021; {{ISBN|978-1534446007}}
== References ==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{wikiquote inline}}
* [http://www.choitotheworld.com/ Homepage]
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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Writers from Seoul]]
[[Category:South Korean emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences alumni]]
[[Category:American women journalists]]
[[Category:American writers of Korean descent]]