[1] Hwang In-suk was born December 21, 1958, in Seoul, South Korea.
[2] As the title of her debut poem suggests, Hwang is deeply interest in society's "alley cats", the lonely, isolated existences of the city, both human and feline.
In fact, Hwang admits that she still sets out water and food for the stray cats in her neighborhood.
She says that although she never sees the cats she feeds, she enjoys the feeling of returning and finding the dishes empty.
The four "have-nots" are home, money, husband, and children; the four "haves" are poetry, friends, a non-possessive spirit and a giving heart.