Harvard Law Professor Jeannie Suk Reveals Her Greatest Accomplishment

珍妮・苏克，18岁考入耶鲁，22岁获马歇尔奖学金赴牛津读博，26岁出版第一本著作，37岁当选为哈佛法学院终身教授，是亚洲唯一获此殊荣的女性。除此之外，她还是优秀的芭蕾舞者和钢琴演奏者。很多人都会好奇，如此光鲜的履历背后究竟隐藏着怎样的成功秘诀？但对苏克而言，成功并没有什么秘诀，她只是在尽力活出生命的所有可能。

For someone just entering the teaching limelight， it’s the last thing you’d want to happen： tripping1） and falling to the ground in a lecture hall packed with students.But for Jeannie Suk， the potentially embarrassing moment was a transformative moment.

During her first year teaching at Harvard Law School， the young professor recounts in a recent memoir how she tripped and fell face forwards while descending the steps to begin class， her heavy casebook， cardboard seating chart and hot drink flying out of her hands.

Mortified2）， the novice professor calmly stood up and walked to the lectern where， she describes， she went on to teach “the best class I had ever taught up to that point.”

“I realized afterward that it had actually been a relief to fall flat3） on my face. It became blatantly obvious and undeniable in one fell swoop4） that there was no perfection here，” Suk writes. “I believe it was a huge boon5） to my comfort as a teacher going forward. Everyone felt more comfortable. Everyone was human.”

Misstep is not a word one might associate with Suk. She has an all-star résumé， studded6） with schools like Yale and Harvard Law， attended Oxford University on a Marshall scholarship， did a U.S. Supreme Court clerkship， joined the Harvard Law faculty before turning 34， and in 2010， became the first-ever Asian American female to receive tenure at Harvard Law School.

Add to that glamour and the media’s high interest―The Boston Globe named her one of the “25 Most Stylish Bostonians of 2010.” She formerly was married to fellow Harvard Law School professor Noah Feldman， with whom she has a son， 7， and daughter， 6. There’s a Hollywood connection， too. Actor Alec Baldwin7） interviewed the family law expert for his book， A Promise to Ourselves： A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce. She， in turn， has invited him to speak at her Harvard class about his experiences with the legal system during his highly publicized custody battle with his ex-wife， actress Kim Basinger8）.

So enamored with Suk have Koreans abroad in particular been， she was approached by a South Korean publishing house in 2011 to write a memoir while she was just in her 30s， an idea she met with some skepticism.“At first I thought that was silly because I thought， ‘I’m 30-something years old， what could I possibly express in an autobiography， and why would anyone be interested？’” she told KoreAmJournal in a phone interview from Cambridge， Mass.， where she lives. “I had all of these fears before I started working on it， but when I wrote the first sentence， I really loved the process of doing it.”

A Light Inside： An Odyssey of Art， Life and Law， published earlier this year in both English and Korean， is a candid and intimate memoir rich in detail and reflective in tone， where the author writes about the recognition of her deep-seated9） ambition and drive for performance at a young age， and the sting of disappointment of having to abandon a serious pursuit of ballet in her high school years.

Suk， the oldest of three girls， moved with her family from South Korea at the age of 6. Setting off for America during Korea’s restless transition to a democratic society， her family arrived in New York， where Suk’s father began his medical residency10） in internal medicine at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital.

Suk describes those early years in Queens as intensely alienating， where she felt removed by the language barrier and an innate sense of introversion.“I have a lot of vivid memories of those feelings because I think the experience of immigration is so powerful，” Suk said. “It’s not something you can easily forget， coming to a different country and speaking a different language at the age of 6. I think， because it was so formative11） and it was a lens through which I saw so many things in my life， the feelings that I had around that very central experience really stayed fresh in my mind.”

Books offered Suk， a voracious reader， an escape， particularly authors like Jane Austen， the Bronte sisters and Henry James12）. So， too， did her talent and aptitude for the creative arts， particularly dance. Shortly before high school， she auditioned and was accepted into the rigorous School of American Ballet13）. Her love for the craft so deep， it produced in her “a sensation of the highest high imaginable.”

“My life since then took on the character of a quest for the holy grail14）―the wish to be able to feel that high once again，” she writes.

But Suk was forced to cut short her intensive study of ballet in the ninth grade， when grades began to matter at the magnet15） Hunter College High School， where she was enrolled. Her parents stressed academic excellence over the idea of fitting schoolwork around this singular pursuit.

The arts， however， remained a major part of Suk’s early years： She attended Juilliard School16）’s Pre-College program for piano studies， which gave her an opportunity to perform a solo recital17） at Lincoln Center and later Carnegie Recital Hall as a high school senior.

Suk would go on to study literature， with a focus on French poetry， at Yale College， then applied and was awarded a Marshall scholarship to study French literature at Oxford. Her dissertation on postcolonial literature by French Caribbean writers of African descent led to her first book contract at age 26.

At Harvard Law School， Suk became a research assistant for Lani Guinier， a mentor and the first African American woman to receive tenure at the school. In her book， Suk describes how， as a law student， she “felt strangely at home.”

“When I have wondered why， I have surmised that it is because the law school classroom was so like a theater of performance， with its rituals， rigor， decorum18）， traditions and gravitas19），” she writes.

Following law school， Suk clerked for an appeals judge on the D.C. Circuit and later for then-U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter20）. She worked as a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office before being invited to join the faculty of her alma mater， where she currently teaches family and criminal law and has written the book， At Home in the Law： How the Domestic Violence Revolution Is Transforming Privacy.

When asked to look back on the myriad accomplishments in her life， Suk is candid about the role of nature versus nurture. “Being talented can be a help， but it’s not enough. It’s just one element，” Suk said. “I was blessed through a combination of upbringing， my culture， to somehow tap into that ability to take great pleasure in focused concentration on various forms of endeavors.”

It’s a belief she echoes in her book， writing， “there are no shortcuts when attempting to be excellent at something―it takes the investment of much time every day， week， month， year spent doing that thing.”

“Whether it is scholarship， science， art or parenting， the undeniable reality is that a staggering21） amount of time is required for men or women to do something at a very high level， so it had better be something you really like if this is your goal，” she writes.

It’s a lesson with which Suk is intimately familiar， having managed a demanding teaching career， motherhood and even the difficult experience of divorce， which Suk addresses publicly for the first time in her book.

To this day， Suk said her greatest accomplishment is bearing witness to the development and growth of her students in the classroom. From those early days of having stumbled on the steps of a Harvard Law auditorium， it’s clear Suk has found her release in this vocation： “Serving as a guide for young minds as they experience afresh the joy and fascination of thinking will never grow tired，” Suk writes in her memoir.

In her own experiences as a pupil， Suk said the teacher-student relationship was vital not only to her success， but the enjoyment of learning. “The importance of teaching and learning， the relationship between teacher and student， for me became very central，” she said. “At every stage， there was an important teacher who just had a moment with me that was seared22） into my memory.”

Through teaching， Suk even found a way to incorporate her beloved art from childhood： She created and has co-taught a course called “Performing Arts and Law” with famed dancer Damian Woetzel23）， whom she met while he was studying for a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard.

With her book， Suk said she was conscious there was some expectation for her to write a didactic kind of text for a Korean audience.

“In Korea， there is a really pronounced curiosity about formulas to success， or secrets of success， techniques or a list of favorite things， or methods. There’s definitely a how-to emphasis in Korean approaches to people they find interesting， and I found that to be difficult at first because I don’t naturally think that way，” Suk said.

“I think the challenge in the book was to convey the difficulty of saying， ‘There’s only one right way，’” she added. “In my story， I’m trying to demonstrate there’s not one right way.”

For someone just entering the teaching limelight， it’s the last thing you’d want to happen： tripping1） and falling to the ground in a lecture hall packed with students.But for Jeannie Suk， the potentially embarrassing moment was a transformative moment.

During her first year teaching at Harvard Law School， the young professor recounts in a recent memoir how she tripped and fell face forwards while descending the steps to begin class， her heavy casebook， cardboard seating chart and hot drink flying out of her hands.

Mortified2）， the novice professor calmly stood up and walked to the lectern where， she describes， she went on to teach “the best class I had ever taught up to that point.”

“I realized afterward that it had actually been a relief to fall flat3） on my face. It became blatantly obvious and undeniable in one fell swoop4） that there was no perfection here，” Suk writes. “I believe it was a huge boon5） to my comfort as a teacher going forward. Everyone felt more comfortable. Everyone was human.”

Misstep is not a word one might associate with Suk. She has an all-star résumé， studded6） with schools like Yale and Harvard Law， attended Oxford University on a Marshall scholarship， did a U.S. Supreme Court clerkship， joined the Harvard Law faculty before turning 34， and in 2010， became the first-ever Asian American female to receive tenure at Harvard Law School.

Add to that glamour and the media’s high interest―The Boston Globe named her one of the “25 Most Stylish Bostonians of 2010.” She formerly was married to fellow Harvard Law School professor Noah Feldman， with whom she has a son， 7， and daughter， 6. There’s a Hollywood connection， too. Actor Alec Baldwin7） interviewed the family law expert for his book， A Promise to Ourselves： A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce. She， in turn， has invited him to speak at her Harvard class about his experiences with the legal system during his highly publicized custody battle with his ex-wife， actress Kim Basinger8）.

So enamored with Suk have Koreans abroad in particular been， she was approached by a South Korean publishing house in 2011 to write a memoir while she was just in her 30s， an idea she met with some skepticism.“At first I thought that was silly because I thought， ‘I’m 30-something years old， what could I possibly express in an autobiography， and why would anyone be interested？’” she told KoreAmJournal in a phone interview from Cambridge， Mass.， where she lives. “I had all of these fears before I started working on it， but when I wrote the first sentence， I really loved the process of doing it.”

A Light Inside： An Odyssey of Art， Life and Law， published earlier this year in both English and Korean， is a candid and intimate memoir rich in detail and reflective in tone， where the author writes about the recognition of her deep-seated9） ambition and drive for performance at a young age， and the sting of disappointment of having to abandon a serious pursuit of ballet in her high school years.

Suk， the oldest of three girls， moved with her family from South Korea at the age of 6. Setting off for America during Korea’s restless transition to a democratic society， her family arrived in New York， where Suk’s father began his medical residency10） in internal medicine at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital.

Suk describes those early years in Queens as intensely alienating， where she felt removed by the language barrier and an innate sense of introversion.“I have a lot of vivid memories of those feelings because I think the experience of immigration is so powerful，” Suk said. “It’s not something you can easily forget， coming to a different country and speaking a different language at the age of 6. I think， because it was so formative11） and it was a lens through which I saw so many things in my life， the feelings that I had around that very central experience really stayed fresh in my mind.”

Books offered Suk， a voracious reader， an escape， particularly authors like Jane Austen， the Bronte sisters and Henry James12）. So， too， did her talent and aptitude for the creative arts， particularly dance. Shortly before high school， she auditioned and was accepted into the rigorous School of American Ballet13）. Her love for the craft so deep， it produced in her “a sensation of the highest high imaginable.”

“My life since then took on the character of a quest for the holy grail14）―the wish to be able to feel that high once again，” she writes.

But Suk was forced to cut short her intensive study of ballet in the ninth grade， when grades began to matter at the magnet15） Hunter College High School， where she was enrolled. Her parents stressed academic excellence over the idea of fitting schoolwork around this singular pursuit.

The arts， however， remained a major part of Suk’s early years： She attended Juilliard School16）’s Pre-College program for piano studies， which gave her an opportunity to perform a solo recital17） at Lincoln Center and later Carnegie Recital Hall as a high school senior.

Suk would go on to study literature， with a focus on French poetry， at Yale College， then applied and was awarded a Marshall scholarship to study French literature at Oxford. Her dissertation on postcolonial literature by French Caribbean writers of African descent led to her first book contract at age 26.

At Harvard Law School， Suk became a research assistant for Lani Guinier， a mentor and the first African American woman to receive tenure at the school. In her book， Suk describes how， as a law student， she “felt strangely at home.”

“When I have wondered why， I have surmised that it is because the law school classroom was so like a theater of performance， with its rituals， rigor， decorum18）， traditions and gravitas19），” she writes.

Following law school， Suk clerked for an appeals judge on the D.C. Circuit and later for then-U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter20）. She worked as a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office before being invited to join the faculty of her alma mater， where she currently teaches family and criminal law and has written the book， At Home in the Law： How the Domestic Violence Revolution Is Transforming Privacy.

When asked to look back on the myriad accomplishments in her life， Suk is candid about the role of nature versus nurture. “Being talented can be a help， but it’s not enough. It’s just one element，” Suk said. “I was blessed through a combination of upbringing， my culture， to somehow tap into that ability to take great pleasure in focused concentration on various forms of endeavors.”

It’s a belief she echoes in her book， writing， “there are no shortcuts when attempting to be excellent at something―it takes the investment of much time every day， week， month， year spent doing that thing.”

“Whether it is scholarship， science， art or parenting， the undeniable reality is that a staggering21） amount of time is required for men or women to do something at a very high level， so it had better be something you really like if this is your goal，” she writes.

It’s a lesson with which Suk is intimately familiar， having managed a demanding teaching career， motherhood and even the difficult experience of divorce， which Suk addresses publicly for the first time in her book.

To this day， Suk said her greatest accomplishment is bearing witness to the development and growth of her students in the classroom. From those early days of having stumbled on the steps of a Harvard Law auditorium， it’s clear Suk has found her release in this vocation： “Serving as a guide for young minds as they experience afresh the joy and fascination of thinking will never grow tired，” Suk writes in her memoir.

In her own experiences as a pupil， Suk said the teacher-student relationship was vital not only to her success， but the enjoyment of learning. “The importance of teaching and learning， the relationship between teacher and student， for me became very central，” she said. “At every stage， there was an important teacher who just had a moment with me that was seared22） into my memory.”

Through teaching， Suk even found a way to incorporate her beloved art from childhood： She created and has co-taught a course called “Performing Arts and Law” with famed dancer Damian Woetzel23）， whom she met while he was studying for a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard.

With her book， Suk said she was conscious there was some expectation for her to write a didactic kind of text for a Korean audience.

“In Korea， there is a really pronounced curiosity about formulas to success， or secrets of success， techniques or a list of favorite things， or methods. There’s definitely a how-to emphasis in Korean approaches to people they find interesting， and I found that to be difficult at first because I don’t naturally think that way，” Suk said.

“I think the challenge in the book was to convey the difficulty of saying， ‘There’s only one right way，’” she added. “In my story， I’m trying to demonstrate there’s not one right way.”

对于一个刚刚走上教师岗位，成为课堂上众人瞩目的焦点的人来说，最不希望发生的就是在坐满学生的阶梯教室里绊倒在地。但对珍妮・苏克而言，这个原本可能很尴尬的瞬间却是使人生得以改变的时刻。

这位年轻的教授在其最近（编注：英文原文发表于2013年5月）出版的回忆录里讲述道，在哈佛法学院任教的第一年，有一次，当她走下台阶准备开始讲课时，她绊了一跤，脸朝下摔在了地上，厚厚的案例讲义、用硬纸板做的座次表和热饮全都从手中飞了出去。

尴尬之中，这位新晋教授镇定地站起身，走向讲台，用她的话说，继续讲授那堂“到那时为止我讲得最精彩的一课”。

“后来我意识到，那次脸朝下摔倒其实是一种解脱。完美并不存在―这一点一下子变得极为明确，无可争辩，”苏克写道，“我相信，对于我以后自如地当一名教师，这是个巨大的帮助。每个人都感到更加轻松。人无完人。”

没有人会把“失足”这个词跟苏克联系起来。她的履历星光闪耀：就读于耶鲁和哈佛法学院这样的名校，拿着马歇尔奖学金前往牛津深造，在美国最高法院当过书记员，不满34岁就成为哈佛法学院的教师，2010年成为有史以来第一位获得哈佛法学院终身教职的美国亚裔女性。

除了这个魅力以及媒体的高度关注，《波士顿环球报》还将她评为“2010年波士顿25位风度人物”之一。她的前夫是其在哈佛法学院的同事诺亚・费尔德曼教授，两人育有一个七岁的儿子和一个六岁的女儿。她和好莱坞也有关系。演员亚历克・鲍德温曾经就他写的《自我许诺：父爱与离婚》一书咨询过这位家庭法专家。她则转而邀请他来到哈佛课堂，讲述他在与同是演员的前妻金・贝辛格进行那场备受瞩目的监护权争夺战期间同司法系统打交道的经历。

海外的韩国侨民尤其崇拜苏克，所以在2011年，一家韩国出版社同她接洽，邀她写一本回忆录。当时她才三十出头，对这个提议持怀疑态度。“起初我觉得这个主意挺荒唐的，因为我心想：‘我才三十几岁，能在自传里写什么呢？别人干吗会对我感兴趣？’”苏克在她居住的马萨诸塞州剑桥市接受《韩美杂志》的电话采访时这样表示，“在动笔之前，我有各种各样的顾虑，但是当我写下第一句话时，我真的感到乐在其中。”

《我想看到的世界：艺术、人生和法律的漫漫征途》于今年早些时候以英、韩两种语言出版（编注：该书中文版已于2014年11月出版）。这是一本坦诚、私密的回忆录，细节丰富，笔调深沉。作者在书中写道，她自幼就意识到了深植于内心的抱负和对表演的渴望，当高中时代被迫放弃将芭蕾作为严肃的职业追求时，她体会到了失望带来的痛楚。

苏克是家里三个女儿中的老大，六岁时和家人一起从韩国移民到美国。在韩国向民主社会转型的动荡岁月中，苏克一家启程赴美，来到纽约，她的父亲开始在布鲁克林犹太医院内科担任高级住院实习医师。

苏克称她早年在皇后区生活时与周围的世界极为格格不入，那时的她因为语言障碍和天生内向的性格，与别人非常疏远。“我对当时的感受有许多清晰的记忆，因为我觉得移民经历对我的影响非常大，”苏克说，“六岁时来到另一个国家，说着另一种语言，这不是你能轻易忘掉的事。我想，因为它对我的成长影响很大，而且它就像一个透镜，我透过它看到了生活中的许多事情，所以我对围绕这段重要经历产生的种种感受真的是记忆犹新。”

对于酷爱阅读的苏克来说，书籍，特别是简・奥斯汀、勃朗特姐妹和亨利・詹姆斯等作家的作品，为她提供了逃避现实的栖身之所。她在创造性艺术，特别是舞蹈方面的天赋和才华也起到了同样的作用。升入高中前不久，她通过面试进入了要求严苛的美国芭蕾舞学校学习。她对这门艺术爱得如此之深，从中感受到了“所能想象得到的最强烈的亢奋”。

“自那时起，我的人生就带上了寻找‘圣杯’的色彩―希望能再次体会到那种亢奋。”她写道。

但是读九年级时，在苏克就读的“磁石学校”亨特学院高中，学习成绩开始变得重要起来，她被迫中断了密集的芭蕾舞课程。她的父母强调优异的学习成绩更重要，不能围绕着（芭蕾）这个单一的追求安排学业。

不过，艺术在苏克的早年岁月中仍然是一个重要的组成部分：她参加了朱利亚德学院钢琴专业的预科课程，这让她有机会在读高中的最后一年得以在林肯中心――后来在卡耐基演奏厅――表演钢琴独奏。

接下来，苏克进入耶鲁学院学习文学，主攻法语诗歌，后来她申请并获得了马歇尔奖学金，前往牛津大学学习法国文学。她的博士论文研究的是法属加勒比地区非洲裔作家创作的后殖民时期文学，这让她在26岁时拿到了第一份图书出版合约。

在哈佛法学院就读时，苏克到该院第一位获得终身教职的非裔美国女性拉尼・格威尼尔导师的门下做研究助理。苏克在书中写道，作为法学院学生，她“感到出乎意料地如鱼得水”。

“我也曾经想知道这是为什么，我猜是因为法学院的教室太像一个演出的剧场了，有自己的程式、威严、礼节、传统和庄重。”她写道。

从法学院毕业后，苏克先后做过华盛顿特区上诉法院一位上诉法官和时任美国联邦最高法院大法官戴维・苏特尔的书记员。她还在曼哈顿地区检察官办公室担任过检察官。后来，她受邀回母校任教，目前教授家庭法和刑法。她还刚写了一本名为《用法律解读家庭：家暴革命如何改变隐私》的书。

当被要求回顾她人生中的诸多成就时，苏克坦率地谈到了先天禀赋和后天培养各自起到的作用。“拥有天赋是个有利条件，但这还不够，它只是一个因素，”苏克说，“我很幸运，在家庭教育和文化背景的共同作用下，我拥有做各种各样的尝试都全神贯注并乐在其中的能力。”

她在自传中表达了同样的看法。她写道：“如果想在某件事上表现出色，没有捷径可走―每天都要为它投入大量的时间，周复一周、月复一月、年复一年地做这件事。”

“无论是做学问，从事科学、艺术，还是养育子女，不可否认的现实是，如果想在某方面达到很高的造诣，无论男女都必须付出大量的时间。因此，如果你的目标是成为某方面的高手，那这件事最好是你真正喜欢做的。”她写道。

这是苏克出自切身体会的经验之谈。她既努力完成了繁重的教学工作，还承担了做母亲的职责，甚至还经历了离婚的艰难过程―苏克在书中第一次公开谈到自己离婚的事。

迄今为止，苏克说她最大的成就是在课堂上见证了学生们的成长和进步。从她当年在哈佛法学院大讲堂的台阶上绊倒的那个时候起，苏克显然已经在这个职业中找到了舒解的途径：“在年轻人重新体会思考的喜悦和迷人魅力时为他们提供指导―这件事是永远不会令人感到厌倦的。”苏克在回忆录里写道。

苏克说，在她自己做学生时，师生关系不仅对她取得成功而且对她享受学习的乐趣来说都至关重要。“教和学的重要性以及师生之间的关系对我而言非常重要，”她说，“在我人生每个阶段，都有一位重要的老师，他/她与我相处的某个重要时刻在我的记忆中留下深深的烙印。”

通过教学实践，苏克甚至找到了一种把她自幼热爱的艺术与授课相结合的方法：她开设了一门名为“表演艺术与法律”的课程，与她共同授课的是著名舞蹈家达米恩・沃策尔，两人是在沃策尔攻读哈佛大学公共政策专业硕士学位时认识的。

关于她的自传，苏克说，她知道不少人都期待她能为韩国读者写一本类似于成功学教材那样的书。

“在韩国，人们对于成功的公式、秘诀、技巧、方法以及成功人士最喜欢什么都抱有非常强烈的好奇心。韩国人在与他们认为有趣的人接触时，特别重视‘怎么做’这个问题。起初这让我很为难，因为我不会自然而然地从这个角度想问题。”苏克表示。

“我认为写这本书的挑战在于，要传达出这样一种观点，即很难说‘只有一条正确的道路’，”她补充道，“我努力用自己的故事证明，成功的路不止一条。”

对于一个刚刚走上教师岗位，成为课堂上众人瞩目的焦点的人来说，最不希望发生的就是在坐满学生的阶梯教室里绊倒在地。但对珍妮・苏克而言，这个原本可能很尴尬的瞬间却是使人生得以改变的时刻。

这位年轻的教授在其最近（编注：英文原文发表于2013年5月）出版的回忆录里讲述道，在哈佛法学院任教的第一年，有一次，当她走下台阶准备开始讲课时，她绊了一跤，脸朝下摔在了地上，厚厚的案例讲义、用硬纸板做的座次表和热饮全都从手中飞了出去。

尴尬之中，这位新晋教授镇定地站起身，走向讲台，用她的话说，继续讲授那堂“到那时为止我讲得最精彩的一课”。

“后来我意识到，那次脸朝下摔倒其实是一种解脱。完美并不存在―这一点一下子变得极为明确，无可争辩，”苏克写道，“我相信，对于我以后自如地当一名教师，这是个巨大的帮助。每个人都感到更加轻松。人无完人。”

没有人会把“失足”这个词跟苏克联系起来。她的履历星光闪耀：就读于耶鲁和哈佛法学院这样的名校，拿着马歇尔奖学金前往牛津深造，在美国最高法院当过书记员，不满34岁就成为哈佛法学院的教师，2010年成为有史以来第一位获得哈佛法学院终身教职的美国亚裔女性。

除了这个魅力以及媒体的高度关注，《波士顿环球报》还将她评为“2010年波士顿25位风度人物”之一。她的前夫是其在哈佛法学院的同事诺亚・费尔德曼教授，两人育有一个七岁的儿子和一个六岁的女儿。她和好莱坞也有关系。演员亚历克・鲍德温曾经就他写的《自我许诺：父爱与离婚》一书咨询过这位家庭法专家。她则转而邀请他来到哈佛课堂，讲述他在与同是演员的前妻金・贝辛格进行那场备受瞩目的监护权争夺战期间同司法系统打交道的经历。

海外的韩国侨民尤其崇拜苏克，所以在2011年，一家韩国出版社同她接洽，邀她写一本回忆录。当时她才三十出头，对这个提议持怀疑态度。“起初我觉得这个主意挺荒唐的，因为我心想：‘我才三十几岁，能在自传里写什么呢？别人干吗会对我感兴趣？’”苏克在她居住的马萨诸塞州剑桥市接受《韩美杂志》的电话采访时这样表示，“在动笔之前，我有各种各样的顾虑，但是当我写下第一句话时，我真的感到乐在其中。”

《我想看到的世界：艺术、人生和法律的漫漫征途》于今年早些时候以英、韩两种语言出版（编注：该书中文版已于2014年11月出版）。这是一本坦诚、私密的回忆录，细节丰富，笔调深沉。作者在书中写道，她自幼就意识到了深植于内心的抱负和对表演的渴望，当高中时代被迫放弃将芭蕾作为严肃的职业追求时，她体会到了失望带来的痛楚。

苏克是家里三个女儿中的老大，六岁时和家人一起从韩国移民到美国。在韩国向民主社会转型的动荡岁月中，苏克一家启程赴美，来到纽约，她的父亲开始在布鲁克林犹太医院内科担任高级住院实习医师。

苏克称她早年在皇后区生活时与周围的世界极为格格不入，那时的她因为语言障碍和天生内向的性格，与别人非常疏远。“我对当时的感受有许多清晰的记忆，因为我觉得移民经历对我的影响非常大，”苏克说，“六岁时来到另一个国家，说着另一种语言，这不是你能轻易忘掉的事。我想，因为它对我的成长影响很大，而且它就像一个透镜，我透过它看到了生活中的许多事情，所以我对围绕这段重要经历产生的种种感受真的是记忆犹新。”

对于酷爱阅读的苏克来说，书籍，特别是简・奥斯汀、勃朗特姐妹和亨利・詹姆斯等作家的作品，为她提供了逃避现实的栖身之所。她在创造性艺术，特别是舞蹈方面的天赋和才华也起到了同样的作用。升入高中前不久，她通过面试进入了要求严苛的美国芭蕾舞学校学习。她对这门艺术爱得如此之深，从中感受到了“所能想象得到的最强烈的亢奋”。

“自那时起，我的人生就带上了寻找‘圣杯’的色彩―希望能再次体会到那种亢奋。”她写道。

但是读九年级时，在苏克就读的“磁石学校”亨特学院高中，学习成绩开始变得重要起来，她被迫中断了密集的芭蕾舞课程。她的父母强调优异的学习成绩更重要，不能围绕着（芭蕾）这个单一的追求安排学业。

不过，艺术在苏克的早年岁月中仍然是一个重要的组成部分：她参加了朱利亚德学院钢琴专业的预科课程，这让她有机会在读高中的最后一年得以在林肯中心――后来在卡耐基演奏厅――表演钢琴独奏。

接下来，苏克进入耶鲁学院学习文学，主攻法语诗歌，后来她申请并获得了马歇尔奖学金，前往牛津大学学习法国文学。她的博士论文研究的是法属加勒比地区非洲裔作家创作的后殖民时期文学，这让她在26岁时拿到了第一份图书出版合约。

在哈佛法学院就读时，苏克到该院第一位获得终身教职的非裔美国女性拉尼・格威尼尔导师的门下做研究助理。苏克在书中写道，作为法学院学生，她“感到出乎意料地如鱼得水”。

“我也曾经想知道这是为什么，我猜是因为法学院的教室太像一个演出的剧场了，有自己的程式、威严、礼节、传统和庄重。”她写道。

从法学院毕业后，苏克先后做过华盛顿特区上诉法院一位上诉法官和时任美国联邦最高法院大法官戴维・苏特尔的书记员。她还在曼哈顿地区检察官办公室担任过检察官。后来，她受邀回母校任教，目前教授家庭法和刑法。她还刚写了一本名为《用法律解读家庭：家暴革命如何改变隐私》的书。

当被要求回顾她人生中的诸多成就时，苏克坦率地谈到了先天禀赋和后天培养各自起到的作用。“拥有天赋是个有利条件，但这还不够，它只是一个因素，”苏克说，“我很幸运，在家庭教育和文化背景的共同作用下，我拥有做各种各样的尝试都全神贯注并乐在其中的能力。”

她在自传中表达了同样的看法。她写道：“如果想在某件事上表现出色，没有捷径可走―每天都要为它投入大量的时间，周复一周、月复一月、年复一年地做这件事。”

“无论是做学问，从事科学、艺术，还是养育子女，不可否认的现实是，如果想在某方面达到很高的造诣，无论男女都必须付出大量的时间。因此，如果你的目标是成为某方面的高手，那这件事最好是你真正喜欢做的。”她写道。

这是苏克出自切身体会的经验之谈。她既努力完成了繁重的教学工作，还承担了做母亲的职责，甚至还经历了离婚的艰难过程―苏克在书中第一次公开谈到自己离婚的事。

迄今为止，苏克说她最大的成就是在课堂上见证了学生们的成长和进步。从她当年在哈佛法学院大讲堂的台阶上绊倒的那个时候起，苏克显然已经在这个职业中找到了舒解的途径：“在年轻人重新体会思考的喜悦和迷人魅力时为他们提供指导―这件事是永远不会令人感到厌倦的。”苏克在回忆录里写道。

苏克说，在她自己做学生时，师生关系不仅对她取得成功而且对她享受学习的乐趣来说都至关重要。“教和学的重要性以及师生之间的关系对我而言非常重要，”她说，“在我人生每个阶段，都有一位重要的老师，他/她与我相处的某个重要时刻在我的记忆中留下深深的烙印。”

通过教学实践，苏克甚至找到了一种把她自幼热爱的艺术与授课相结合的方法：她开设了一门名为“表演艺术与法律”的课程，与她共同授课的是著名舞蹈家达米恩・沃策尔，两人是在沃策尔攻读哈佛大学公共政策专业硕士学位时认识的。

关于她的自传，苏克说，她知道不少人都期待她能为韩国读者写一本类似于成功学教材那样的书。

“在韩国，人们对于成功的公式、秘诀、技巧、方法以及成功人士最喜欢什么都抱有非常强烈的好奇心。韩国人在与他们认为有趣的人接触时，特别重视‘怎么做’这个问题。起初这让我很为难，因为我不会自然而然地从这个角度想问题。”苏克表示。

“我认为写这本书的挑战在于，要传达出这样一种观点，即很难说‘只有一条正确的道路’，”她补充道，“我努力用自己的故事证明，成功的路不止一条。”

1. trip [tr?p] vi. 绊倒

2. mortified [?m??（r）t?fa?d] adj. 窘迫的；尴尬的

3. fall flat：摔倒；跌倒

4. in one fell swoop：一下子

5. boon [bu?n] n. 给生活带来方便的事物；恩惠

6. stud [st?d] vt. 使密布

7. Alec Baldwin：亚历克.鲍德温（1958～），美国演员，代表作为《我为喜剧狂》（30 Rock），曾当选美国《人物》（People）杂志全球最美的50位人物之一。

8. Kim Basinger：金.贝辛格（1953～），美国演员、模特，代表作为《爱你九周半》（Nine 1/2 Weeks），曾获得第70届奥斯卡金像奖最佳女配角奖。

9. deep-seated：根深蒂固的

10. residency [?rez?d（?）nsi] n.〈美〉（实习医师一般住院实习期满后的）高级专科住院实习（期）

11. formative [?f??（r）m?t?v] adj. （时期或经历）决定性格的；影响发展（或成长）的

12. Henry James：亨利・詹姆斯（1843～1916），美国小说家，代表作包括《一位女士的画像》（The Portrait of a Lady）、《黛西・米勒》（Daisy Miller）等。

13. School of American Ballet：美国芭蕾舞学校（简称为SAB），世界最著名的芭蕾舞学校之一，始建于1934年，甄选标准极为严格。

14. holy grail：圣杯（传说耶稣基督在最后的晚餐中使用的杯子）；极难找到（获得）之物

15. 此处指美国的“磁石学校”（magnet school），即以自身独特的设施和专门化课程吸引学生的学校。

16. Juilliard School：朱利亚德学院，世界著名的表演艺术学校之一，位于美国纽约市的林肯中心。

17. solo recital：独奏表演

18. decorum [d??k??r?m] n. 有礼；得体；庄重

19. gravitas [?r?v?t?s] n. 庄严；严肃

20. David Souter：戴维・苏特尔（1939～），美国联邦最高法院前任大法官

21. staggering [?st??r??] adj. 令人震惊的；大得惊人的

22. sear [s??（r）] vt. 深深地烙下

23. Damian Woetzel：达米恩.沃策尔，美国舞蹈家、艺术领袖、社会活动家、舞蹈音乐剧导演和制作人