, which premieres on the streaming platform April 1, continues in that same vein. Adapted fromcreator Jenji Kohan—who was featured in“Jenji read her story at a book event I had at MoMA, and people loved it,” Spivack recalls. “There were a lot of conversations during the Q&A portion, with people sharing their stories afterwards. I think that she saw the richness of the stories and also their relatability.
Take Queens, New York resident Mrs. Park, who appears in the first episode. She describes moving to the United States from her home in South Korea, feeling lost and stressed by the unfamiliar environment. But during a visit to a Buddhist temple, a monk gifted her a yellow sweater. It became her most beloved, prized possession. “I like the yellow color because it represents a warm heart,” Mrs. Park says.
Spivack began scouting out people on Craigslist, gathering their stories. In 2009, she did a clothing and storytelling workshop at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. “A woman came into the workshop, a total stranger,” Spivack says. “It was winter time. She unzipped her coat and she was wearing a jade green ball gown underneath. And she's like, I've been waiting to tell the story of this ball gown. And I was like, okay, I think I'm onto something here.