Maija Rhee Devine is a Korean-born writer whose work explores memory, identity, family, and the lasting impact of war. Writing across fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, her work has appeared in The Kenyon Review, North American Review, Boulevard, and Michigan Quarterly Review, among other publications. She earned a B.A. in English from Sogang University in Seoul and an M.A. in English from St. Louis University.
A recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant, Devine has also been recognized as a finalist in the William Faulkner Creative Writing Competition and the James Jones First Novel Fellowship. Her acclaimed novel The Voices of Heaven, inspired in part by her experiences growing up in postwar Korea, examines family, culture, and survival amid a rapidly changing society. She is also the author of the poetry chapbook Long Walks on Short Days.
In her poem "Comfort Women of WWII," Devine gives voice to survivors of the Japanese military's wartime sexual slavery system. Through fragmented imagery, repetition, and stark contrasts between youth and old age, the poem conveys both the enduring trauma carried by the women and their determination to reclaim dignity and freedom. Her work reflects a broader commitment to preserving historical memory and illuminating the human consequences of war.