Minneapolis Reading Tuesday, October 26th

Check out Intermedia Arts new Beyond the Pure reading series on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at 7PM at Intermedia Arts. They're asking for a $5 suggested donation to support the series.

This reading will also feature Twin Cities writers including Sha Cage, e.g. Bailey, Beverly Cottman, Ibé, Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria, Bryan Thao Worra and May Lee Yang.

This will also be the last day you can see the Legacies of War exhibit, which will be having its closing reception from 3 to 5PM with guided tours and reflections from everyone who's been involved, and some great refreshments. I hope you'll join us!

As Minnesota's premier multidisciplinary, multicultural arts center, Intermedia Arts builds understanding among people by catalyzing and inspiring artists and audiences to make changes in their lives and communities. They are a nationally recognized leader in empowering artists and community leaders to use arts-based approaches to solve community issues. From graffiti art to digital technology to performance art to spoken word, they work from the community up to unearth and enliven new and emerging artists and art forms while challenging and exploring the role of art in our lives.  Intermedia Arts is a catalyst that builds understanding among people through art.

Mai Neng Moua reading October 30th in Minneapolis.

Franklin ArtWorks is presenting readings by Mai Neng Moua and Marlon James on Saturday, October 30, 2010, 2pm at Franklin ArtWorks, 1021 E Franklin Ave in Minneapolis. This event is free and open to the public, and I'd recommend it.

Mai Neng Moua's writings can be found in publications such as Bamboo Among the Oaks and Where One Voice Ends Another Begins: 150 Years of Minnesota Poetry. Her awards include the Bush Artist Fellowship, the Jerome Travel Grant, and the Loft Literary Center’s Mentor Series in Poetry & Creative Prose.

Marlon James was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1970. His first novel, John Crow’s Devil (Akashic Books, 2005) was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Commonwealth Writers Prize and was a New York Times Editors’ Choice. His most recent novel, The Book of Night Women (Riverhead, 2009), was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, The NAACP Image Award, and The Minnesota Book Award, and was New York Magazine’s third best book of the year.

10 Years of Yellow Rage!

Catzie Vilayphonh and Michelle Meyers celebrate 10 years of Yellow Rage on Fri, Nov 19 at 7:30pm at the Asian Arts Initiative.

That's during their Family Style open mic, except in November, there will be no open mic. Instead, they're putting together a showcase of amazing artists who will come to Philly and reminisce/celebrate with them.

In addition to being their 10 year anniversary show, Nov 19th will also be a fundraiser for the Fong Lee family. As some of you may know/remember, over the past year, organizers in Minneapolis/St. Paul have been working tirelessly to mobilize around the Lee family as they pursue justice. Fong was a Hmong youth who was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Jason Andersen. Andersen was later acquitted of his murder although the evidence appeared to indicate that some shady handling of the crime scene took place, that the incident was misrepresented in court testimony, and that discriminatory and prejudicial information was highlighted throughout the case.

Place | Value, a TalkingImageConnection Reading.

Join writers Barrie Jean Borich, Tim Nolan, Lynette Reini-Grandell, Christian Villarroel, Saymoukda Vongsay and Lori Young-Williams read poems and stories about diverse notions of place inspired by A Theory of Values, at the 2010 Soap Factory Biennial, curated by Scott Stulen and Kris Douglas. It's a great line-up of Minnesota writers. Be sure to check it out! 


The show begins at 8 PM.

Free Admission.  The Soap Factory is located at 514 2nd Street SE Minneapolis.

For more information contact 612-623-9176 or yackmor@talkimage.org

TalkingImageConnection is an organization that brings together writers, contemporary visual art and new audiences in art galleries around the Twin Cities.  

Refugee Nation Coming to Minneapolis!

REFUGEE NATION: Co-presented with Pangea World Theater
October 8-17, 2010, Based on the stories of Laotian Refugess in the U.S.
Written and Performed by LEILANI CHAN & OVA SAOPENG
Intermedia Arts

A mother lives alone in the darkness. A father struggles to forget a lost war. A son battles in the streets of urban America. A daughter searches for answers in her community. Refugee Nation is about a young generation struggling to understand their history and the silence of an elder generation still healing from the traumas war. What can we learn from the wounds of a war over 30 years ago in the hope to find healing?

Refugee Nation tells the stories of a community created by a U.S. led secret war in Laos. Intricately connected to the Vietnam War, Laotian refugees struggle to create a future as their American descendants struggle to understand their past.

Since 2005, collaborators Leilani Chan and Ova Saopeng have been collecting oral histories from family and community members across the country to create an interdisciplinary theater performance that explores a growing part of the Asian American Diaspora that is yet to be included as part of the American experience.

Through theater and movement they re-construct the stories of families trying to rebuild a community that has been spread like ashes across the U.S. and the world.

More than just a telling of Laotian American history, the two-person performance eloquently touches upon issues relating to the refugee experience, assimilation, generation gap, and mental health using drama, film, music, and audience interaction, and personalizes these issues through a genuine Laotian American perspective.

The result is a product that not only brings to light the hidden stories of Laotian Americans around the U.S., but one that is able to unite people from all types of backgrounds, ethnicities, and histories by relaying the ideas of change, loss, struggle, healing, and the unrelenting strength of the human spirit.

Saymoukda Vongsay does the East Coast

The September "Family Style" Open Mic hosted by Yellow Rage in Philadelphia will feature Minnesota writer Saymoukda Vongsay at Asian Arts Initiative at 1219 Vine Street, Chinatown. Coming together on September 17th from 7:30pm - 9:30pm, the evening is headlined by Vietnamese American poet Bao Phi of Minnesota, and the theme of the evening is "Surviving the Translation." For this performance, proceeds go towards humanitarian aid in Pakistan for the flood victims.

Vongsay, the recent recipient of the Carey Prize in Spoken Word, will also be performing at the last Sulu Series in New York City at the famed Bowery Poetry Club at 308 Bowery on September 19th. This event is also a benefit for the 2011 APIA Spoken Word and Poetry Summit in Minnesota in 2011.

Other amazing poets who will be performing on stage with her include Koba, Jen Kwok, Vin Hua, SNRG, Kelly Tsai, YaliniDream, John-Flor Sisante, Adriel Luis, Elijah Kuan Wong, Ruby Veridiana, Justin Woo and Sham-E-Ali Al Jamil. It's a virtual who's who among East Coast Asian American voices and the end to a unique and distinguished poetry series.

Over five years, the series has showcased hundreds of Asian American poets, comedians, musicians, theater artists and
filmmakers. They held benefits and raised awareness for and alongside dozens of organizations and causes. The shows have served thousands of audience members, and it helped to cultivate a canon of Asian American culture.

Lao American writers and artists present in Elgin

On Saturday, August 21st, nationally acclaimed Lao American artists were recognized during the national Lao Artists Festival in Elgin, Illinois in an an event organized by the Laotian Professionals of Illinois.  The mission of the festival was “To showcase and advocate our talents, preserve our culture, and provide leadership for our future through art education and awareness.”

Among artists recognized include visual artist Mali Kouanchao for her work as a painter and Bryan Thao Worra for his work with literacy. Other writers represented include playwright and poet Saymoukda Vongsay and Catzie Vilayphonh, as well as Ova Saopeng and Leilani Chan. It was an evening to remember for everyone. Congratulations to all!

Lao American Writers Summit a success!

On August 13-15th, we reached well over 120 people throughout the first national Lao American Writers Summit.

Over 14 award-winning Lao American writers and activists from across many disciplines worked with both Lao and non-Lao community members including Hmong, European American, African American, Thai and Tongans to discuss the importance of art, community and the approaches Lao American culture uses to remember our history and traditions.



Of course, support from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council was a significant part of helping us to obtain support from many other organizations and foundations, including the Jerome Foundation, the national Association for Asian American Studies, the national Asian Pacific American Librarian's Association, the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, the Center for Lao Studies, Asian American Press, and the Lao Student Association of the University of Minnesota.



We were able to energize and inspire our youth audience, who comprised a majority of the participants, as well as elders who'd never been to facilities such as the Loft Literary Center and the Open Book.


Many of our elders were excited at the opportunity to come forward and tell our stories and their journey, including one elder who'd lived in Minnesota for years, quietly working on a history of the Lao people and a dictionary. He hadn't realized there were so many writers and artists across the country and he was overjoyed that there was a young generation who wanted to continue the study of art and culture.




We learned many things from the process and have discovered many ways to improve our process. But most importantly, we had unfettered opportunities to speak our hearts and share our experience.

We're all looking forward to providing a full overview of the Summit, which was even selected as a literary event of the week by the Pioneer Press, and picked up by Asian American newspapers and bloggers in California, Tennessee, Georgia, Vermont, Philadelphia, Illinois, Washington D.C., New York and many others. But I feel the most important consequences of the Summit will bloom over the course of the next several decades within both our elders and the younger generation.

Thanks to everyone who came and I look forward to working with all of you again in the coming years ahead.

Mali Kouanchao attending Lao American Writers Summit

We are pleased to announce that Lao American visual artist Mali Kouanchao will be a part of the Lao American Writers Summit.

Mali Kounchao is a visual artist and interactive designer. Her multi-disciplinary works explore the relationship between art, transformation, and communal healing. She serves on the national steering committee for Legacies of War, a national project established to raise awareness of the Secret War in Laos, as well as to advocate for further U.S. support toward the removal of cluster bombs and increased aid for bomb survivors. Other current projects include: Displacement Series and contributor in a children’s book about herself called "Mali Under the Night Sky," by Youme Landowne - http://youme.landowne.org She is the recent recipient of a 2010 Bush Artist Fellowship and a 2010 Asian Pacific American Leadership Award from the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans.

We look forward to her participation!

Lao Heriage Foundation 6th Anniversary on Sept. 18th!

The Lao Heritage Foundation is celebrating its sixth anniversary by bringing together kids in dance and music. The annual fundraising program features performances by foundation children from the west and east coasts. Though thousands of miles apart, these children have been working together to preserve and promote Lao culture. On September 18, they will share the stage for the first time. The proceeds of this event will bring the Lao Heritage Foundation closer to securing a physical location to house the foundation cultural and educational events and programs. Please join them for an enchanting evening of authentic Lao cuisine, live cultural performances, and auction offerings. Lao international pop sensation, Ketsana Vilaylack, will be the host of the celebration.

Lao American Writers Summit Resource Fair Call for Materials

On August 13-15th, we will be convening the first national Lao American Writers Summit in Minneapolis, a program over 10 years in the making gathering award-winning writers and artists, including Oscar & Emmy nominees and many others.

The Lao American Writers Summit currently has over 100 registered guests expected throughout different parts of the event from across the country to participate.

One aspect of the summit is our resource fair, where community members will have an opportunity to meet national, regional and local arts, philanthropic and refugee service organizations, publishers and researchers who can answer questions and advise writers and artists on significant opportunities.

We are writing because even though you might not be able to send a representative to the Summit, we thought you might be interested in sending some flyers, postcards or other materials for our participants.

If you would like us to have some of your brochures and flyers available, please send them to us by Monday, August 9th, to:
Lao American Writers Summit
503 Irving Ave. No
Minneapolis, MN 55405

Those received early will be included directly in the conference folders.

After August 9th, they will be placed on the resource fair tables as space permits. Thank you!

MN State Arts Board's Artist Initiative Grants!

The next application deadline for the Minnesota State Arts Board's Artist Initiative grant program is Friday, August 27, 2010.

Artist Initiative grants support and assist artists at various stages in their careers. The program encourages artistic development, nurtures artistic creativity, and recognizes the contributions individual artists make to the creative environment of the state of Minnesota.

Several things about the program are different this year:
— Artists, working in any discipline, are eligible to apply
— The grant range expanded; artists may request from $2,000 to $10,000
— Projects will need to include a community component
— Applicants will need to apply online, using the Arts Board's Web based forms

Many things about the program are the same as they have been in previous years:
— Artists, at any stages in their careers, may apply
— Grants must be used to fund a specific project that will enhance the applicant's artistic or career development
— Artists will have a one-year period to expend the grant funds.

Visit the Arts Board's Web site to apply:
http://www.arts.state.mn.us/grants/artist_initiative.htm

A series of grant information sessions will be held in communities throughout the state, the schedule will be posted during the last week of July.

Saymoukda Vongsay receives Alfred C. Carey Award

On August 1st, Saymoukda Vongsay became the first writer to receive the Alfred C. Carey Prize in Spoken Word Poetry.

The award was established to honor Alfred Charles Carey, the grandfather of writer and community activist Brandon Lacy Campos. "Grandpa Carey was a tremendous human being," Lacy Campos remarked. "He was a working class mixed race man of Irish and Ojibwe descent. His mother, Suzanna, was born on La Courte Oreilles Reservation in Wisconsin, and my grandfather worked his whole life as a roofer. He was a scion of one of the original families of Duluth, MN, and he was the gentlest soul I have ever met. I love and honor my grandfather. He was, in many respects, the ideal male figure in my life, and I miss him dearly."

When the award was originally announced, Brandon Lacy Campos noted "Alfred C. Carey was a hard working man from Northern Minnesota. He worked in construction, specifically roofing, while raising a family of 8, including three children not biologically his own. He represented a series of beautiful and sometimes hard contradictions in race, class, and history. He also, without a vocabulary around race and sexuality, accepted all of his children and grandchildren for who they were without judgment."

The first Alfred C. Carey Prize in Spoken Word Poetry was awarded to Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay for her poem When Everything Was Everything. Vongsay will receive $150 with the award.

A Minnesota-based Lao American writer, essayist, playwright and spoken word poet, Vongsay has performed across the United States and in Italy and Japan. She is currently studying for her master’s degree in public policy.

Vongsay is also co-founder of The Unit Collective, and a member of Imperial DJ Science Crew. She is the author of “No Regrets”, a collection of poetry and haikus published by Baby Rabbit Publishing. Her work has been published by Altra Magazine, the Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement and Bakka Literary Journal.

Vongsay is chair of the first Lao American Writers Summit in Minnesota this August in Minneapolis. She has worked actively to support the work of Lao women writers and artists across the country to celebrate heritage, diversity and community development.

Nor Sanavongsay to attend Lao American Writers Summit!

The Lao American Writers Summit will welcome artist Nor Sanavongsay as one of our guest participants.


Nor Sanavongsay is an artist from Illinois. He is trained in both design and programming of interactive media. He's created award winning projects for retail giants such as Sears, Motorola, and many others. He is currently working on two children's book which he plans on publishing within the year. During his rare off-hours, he donates his time to design posters and flyers for many community services across the US. www.nawDsign.com


We look forward to seeing him at the Summit!

July 27th declared Mali Kouanchao Day!

July 27th, 2010 will be declared Mali Kouanchao Day by the City of Minneapolis in a resolution to be introduced by city councilwoman Diane Hofstede during the August 6th meeting of the Minneapolis City Council. The day will be in recognition of the outstanding contributions of Lao American artist Mali Kouanchao to the community and cultural life of the city of Minneapolis, where Kouanchao resides.
July 27th is also Mali Kouanchao's birthday.

In the nomination letters requesting the resolution, Mali Kouanchao was cited for bringing national attention to Minneapolis as a leading Laotian American visual artist in the United States today. She is a resident of City Councilwoman Diane Hofstede's ward in Northeast Minneapolis.

Kouanchao was recently declared an Archbald Bush Artist's Fellow for her artwork highlighting the journey of Southeast Asian American refugees who, in 2010, mark 35 years since the end of the wars in Vietnam, Cambodia and her former homeland of Laos.

The fellowship is the largest artist grant in the Upper Midwest and one of only three open-application artist fellowships of this size in the United States. The Bush Artist Fellowships are designed to strengthen the work of regional artists, to foster their artistic careers and to explore work that stimulates community dialogue. The fellowships are awarded to artists who exhibit strong vision, creative energy, commitment to excellence and community engagement.

The State Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans also recognized her this year with a Leadership Award for Excellence in the Arts. In letters of nomination sent to the city council, it was noted that Mali Kouanchao has been a pioneer for the Lao refugee community, especially among the 25,000 Lao who make Minnesota their home today.

This summer, a children's book by the author Youme Landowne will be released about her life by the award-winning Cinco Punto Press. Mali Kouanchao's art has appeared around Minnesota, and she has been a positive influence on artists from all cultures and communities. She has received support from the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Jerome Foundation, the Headwaters Fund and many others.

You can visit her website at http://www.djai.net/mali

Lao American Writers Profile: Bounheng Inversin

Bounheng Inversin was born in Savannakhet, Laos. She moved to Vientiane at the age of 9 when her father was appointed to the Supreme Court. She graduated from the Lycee the Vientiane with a Baccalaureate in French Literature and Philosophy. Bounheng Inversin married in 1974 and moved to the US with her American-born Swiss husband. 
 
While raising her two sons in the US, she worked as substitute teacher and attended the University of Maryland at College Park where she graduated with B.S. in Community and Family Studies, B.A. in Spanish Literature, and a Certificate in Women Studies. Later on she attended graduate school and received her Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Maryland at Baltimore with a concentration in Social Action. With her background in community activism, she is very engaged in empowering women and younger generation in her work with the Lao American Women Association (LAWA) of Washington D.C. where she took Lao American women's visibility to the mainstream as LAWA co-sponsored International Women's Conference and others. 
 
She edited (with Danield Duffy) and translated "Mother's Beloved: Stories from Laos (1999) by UWPress. She is a contributor on Lao Rites of Passage for the upcoming publication "Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife" by Jonathan Lee and Kathleen Nadeau (2010) by Greenwood Pub. She was a guest lecturer on "Women and Culture" at the George Washington University in Washington DC and University of Maryland, has taught at the International Management Institute (IMI) of the American University in Washington, D.C. She also taught Lao Language and Culture at the South East Asia Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI) at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. 
 
With her fluency and ease in languages, she finds flexibility as an independent consultant on languages for numerous semi-private establishments and various federal agencies (she has had the honor to fly to Phuket, Thailand to interpret for US Secretary Hilary Clinton on her attending the ASEAN Summit last year and this year upon her meeting with the Lao Deputy PM when he recently visited the US). 
 
She resides in MD with her husband who is a retired engineer and an avid organic gardener. This year they'll celebrate their 36th anniversary in October. She travels extensively, for learning is a lifelong endeavor. In her stationary times, she volunteers at the Library of Congress-Asian Division, at the Smithsonian Institution-Sackler Library, and her local Buddhist temple where she recently set up school of Engaged Buddhist with lessons on Buddhism for young generation. She is fluent in Lao, English, French, Spanish, and some American Sign Language (ASL) which she studied at the Gallaudet University. About a year ago, she began learning to play Ranat Ek, Kim (Dulcimer), and So U (two-string bass Lao folk fiddle)


We look forward to her joining us during the Lao American Writers Summit!

Thanks to the Lao American Writers Summit Sponsors

We wish to thank the following individuals, families and sponsors for their generous support of our efforts through financial donations and material contributions:

Contributor: $1 to $99
Asian Arts Initiative
Barnes and Noble (Door prize donations)
Lao American Outreach
Lao Women's Association
Leanna Lappine
Legacies of War
Half Price Books (Door prize donations)
Maekalah Kajsiab Ratsabout
Zakarin Lee Ratsabout
The Silosoth Family
Swan Scythe Press
The Worra Family

Sponsor:$100 to $199
University of Minnesota Asian American Studies Program

Patron: $200 to $1,000
Asian American Press
Asian Media Access
Association for Asian American Studies
Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans
ELao Productions
Ketmani Kouanchao and Family
Mali Kouanchao and Mike Davis
Lao Artists Festival of Elgin, Illinois
Laotian Community Center of Rhode Island
Reflections Within, LLC
Refugee Nation and Theater TeAda
KP Actors Gym
The Phaengdara Family
Catzie Vilayphonh and Family
Saymoukda Vongsay

Major Sponsor: $1000 to $5,000+
The Bounchareunsouk Family
The Jerome Foundation
Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota
Loft Literary Center
Metropolitan Regional Arts Council
Minneapolis Foundation Santa Anonymous Fund

Adisack Nhouyvanisvong to present at Lao American Writers Summit

We are pleased to confirm the attendance of Lao American community activist and writer Adisack Nhouyvansivong at the Lao American Writers Summit.

As a graduate student in 1995, Adisack Nhouyvanisvong co-founded the SatJaDham Lao Literary Project, a grass-roots organization established to promote the Lao literary arts. From 1996 to 2002, SatJaDham hosted six national conferences. Today, Adisack no longer writes literature; instead he writes research papers as he makes his day job as a senior director of psychometric services at an educational testing company. He lives in Minnesota with his wife and two lovely daughters.

We are excited to have his presence at the Lao American Writers Summit and look forward to seeing where his current efforts are taking him.

Updated speakers coming to the Lao American Writers Summit

Confirmed writers who will be attending include:

LEILANI CHAN
Leilani Chan is a nationally known performance artist and Founding Artistic Director of TeAda Productions. For over ten years, TeAda Productions cross-disciplinary performances have addressed health, education, and social justice issues of communities of color. Ms. Chan received the 2009 Los Angeles Women’s Theater Festival Rainbow Award. She is a founding member of the National Coalition of Asian American Theaters & Artists and Legacies of War. Leilani co-creator of "Refugee Nation," a play about Laotian refugees in the U.S. Her work, including two solo shows "E Nana I Ke Kumu" and "Tita on the Run," has been presented across the country. Leilani has participated in UCLA's World Arts and Culture HOTHOUSE and TCG/Center Theater Group's Solo Performance Workshop led by Roger G. Smith. Her performance installation "Life as a Dashboard Hula Dancer" has been presented as part of Guillermo Gomez-Peña's La Pocha Nostra at LACMA and FITLA. Born and raised in Hawai’i, Leilani attended Hampshire College and obtained her M.F.A. from U.C. Irvine.

BOUNHENG INVERSIN
Boungheng Inversin is a prominent Asian American activist and community member who has played a prominent role in Laotian refugee resettlement through her involvement with the Lao American Women's Association in Washington D.C. and many other causes. With Daniel Duffy, she edited the 1999 short story collection of Outhine Bounyavong, Mother's Beloved:Stories from Laos,, presented by the University of Washington Press.

PHAYVANH LUEKHAMHAN
Phayvanh Luekhamhan was born in Champasak, Laos in 1975. She is a Juried Artist with the Vermont Arts Council. She has written poetry for performances and exhibits throughout New England for over ten years. Her work has appeared in Bakka Magazine, Chrysalis Education; Vermont Folklife Center Archives, and The Commons. She has held artist residency fellowships at The Vermont Studio Center (2004) and the Kundiman Foundation's Emerging Asian American Poets' Retreat (2005 & 2006). You can visit her at www.phayvanh.com

KP PHAGNASAY
Khetphet Phagnasay was born in Laos. His family escaped in 1979 from the communist government to find a better future in America. KP earned his B.A in Theatre Arts from California State University, Fresno, then pursued his MFA in Acting from the University of Hawaii, Manoa, where he studied Asian Theatre forms. KP is an Actor, Director, Playwright, and Acting coach for over 15 years. As an acting coach, he has taught at various studios in California and Hawaii.

He has worked and trained in many of the theater organizations, and talent agencies, and has helped cast talents, and translators for many projects like Lost (Thai- Laotian actors) , Finding Hope Now (Asian cast), California Babies First (South-East Asian mothers) , San Jose Juvenile Center (Vietnamese voice over/translator) various other commercials , and voice overs for non specific roles. KP has been featured in commercials, film/television such as Lost,Hawaii, Northshore, independent films and local theatre. KP worked on the feature film Finding Hope Now and is well known with non-profit organizations as a consultant or committee member to groups including FIRM, Stone Soup, and Asian Fest, Better Healthy Community Initiative, California Arts Endowment, and South-East Asian Writers/Artists, and LA’s East-West Players Asian Theater Company.

MALI PHONPADITH
Mali Phonpadith is a Lao American writer/poet. She is the co-founder of Reflections Within, LLC and she has been writing poetry, short essays, and short stories for over 20 years internationally. She has over 400 pieces of written work and was nominated as “Best Poet of the Year” by the International Society of Poets in 2007. Mali has been a tireless activist within the community, and often volunteers many hours and resources to the causes she loves, including the Young Professional Leadership Group, the International Society of Poets, the National Association for Women Business Owners, the Lao Heritage Foundation, Arts of Falls Church and is an active volunteer with Teatro de la Luna. www.reflectionswithin.com

THAVISOUK PHRASAVATH
2009 Academy Award (Oscar) and Film Independent Spirit Award nominated Thavisouk Phrasavath is an accepted member of WGAW (Writer Guild of America West). Also a creative consultant for film, television and other media, Thavi has directed documentaries, dramatic short and music video for independent record label and artists, published poetry and won awards for paintings and illustrations. Author of the upcoming book “Step Out of the Womb” (Memoir of the Journey to Land Where the Sun Fall) and “Old seed on The Soil” (Planting Generation) and a new screenplay for his upcoming feature “Lover Beloved”. His background in community work includes assisting Gang Prevention for Youth and Family Crisis Intervention and working with the police as a liaison and consultant for the Lao community. Thavi has consulted for the New York City Board of Education. The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) was the film that he was both subject and a filmmaker.

OVA SAOPENG
Ova Saopeng is an actor and writer from Los Angeles, he was born in Savannakhet, Laos and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is a TeAda Productions Company Artist and co-creator of "Refugee Nation" a play about the Lao-American experience, based on the stories Lao communities across the U.S. (www.refugeenation.com). He received his B.A. in Theater from the University of Southern California and since then has performed nationally with theater companies including the Children's Theater Company in Minneapolis, Mark Taper Forum/P.L.A.Y., East West Players, and hereandnow. He is a member of We Tell Stories and Water's Edge Theater children's theater companies.


CATZIE VILAYPHONH
Catzie Vilayphonh is a Lao American writer and performer. A child of refugees, she was born prematurely on the way to America, and considers herself part of the ".5 Generation". A member of the spoken word duo Yellow Rage, Catzie appeared on Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam in 2001 and performs at various venues across the country. She has performed with Ursula Rucker, Sarah Jones, Danny Hoch, Beau Sia and I Was Born with Two Tongues. Vilayphonh was the Fashion Director for two.one.five magazine in Philadelphia, where she also wrote her weekly column Catz Out The Bag interviewing everyone from designers to directors and artists to actors. She was also the Transmit Editor for Theme Magazine, a contemporary Asian American culture publication based out of New York. Visit her at www.yellowrage.com

SAYMOUKDA VONGSAY
Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay is the Lao American author of No Regrets, a collection of poetry and haikus published by Baby Rabbit Publishing. Her work has been published by Altra Magazine, the Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, and Bakka Literary Journal, to name a few.

A Minnesota-based spoken word poet, she has performed and taught creative writing workshops nationally across the United States and internationally in Italy and Japan. She has worked with the Anchorage Urban League of Young Professionals lecturing and performing at the university-level and local high schools to urge voter registration and civic engagement and also served as liaison between local government and the Southeast Asian community regarding public policy.

Vongsay is a co-founding member of The Unit, a collective of emerging playwrights of color. Her short plays are staged at The Minnesota Playwrights’ Center. Her piece, Yellowtail Sashimi, will be part of the 2010 MN Fringe Festival's line-up this summer. She is a co-chair of the first Lao American Writers Summit in Minnesota and has worked actively to support the work of Lao women writers and artists across the country to celebrate heritage, diversity and community development.

BRYAN THAO WORRA
Bryan Thao Worra is a 2009 NEA Fellow in Literature, Laotian American writer and the literary editor for Tripmaster Monkey Magazine and Bakka Magazine. His work is featured in over 70 international publications and his work is taught in schools around the world. He is the author of 5 collections of poetry including On The Other Side Of The Eye, Touching Detonations, The Tuk-Tuk Diaries: My Dinner With Cluster Bombs, Winter Ink and Barrow. Currently residing in North Minneapolis, he is a Many Voices Fellow of the MN Playwrights Center, and has received support from the MN State Arts Board and the Loft Literary Center Career Initiative Grant. He received a 2009 Asian Pacific Leadership Award for the Arts from state Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans. You can visit him at http://thaoworra.blogspot.com


Additional writers will be added as final confirmations are  received!

Saymoukda Vongsay brings OPERATION GYNOCRACY 7/28.

Lao American writer Saymoukda Vongsay is organizing OPERATION GYNOCRACY: A 1 Night Stand With 12 Women on July 28th, Wednesday, from 7:00pm - 10:00pm at the famous Black Dog Cafe on 308 Prince St. #100, Saint Paul, MN.

Curated with May Lee-Yang and featuring DJ Kool Akiem on the 1s and 2s, "Nothing is sacred, politically correct, or too sensitive to touch as twelve women will let the kitty out of the bag through poetry, prose, song, and laughter." They're also offering *** FREE GOODIE BAGS TO THE FIRST 15 WOMEN!! ***

Featured talents so far include a who's who of amazing Twin Cities artists including: Mysnikol Miller, Kelly Fallows, Linda Chanda, Alison Morse, Andrea Jenkins, Lori Young-Williams, Tene Morgan, Rachel Austin Bernstein, Pachee Moua, Heidi Berg, Carrie Stark, and Eva Song Margolis!

Happy Hour 7pm – 9pm and the event is open to ALL ages. They are requesting donations $5 or any amount. This is a benefit show for the Lao Writer Development Fund and to promote May Lee-Yang's Fringe show, "Confessions of a Lazy Hmong Woman." All proceeds will go towards the Lao American Writer Development Fund.

Lao American Writers Summit Free for 50 Lao Youth

Thanks to generous support from the Santa Anonymous fund and the Lao Assistance Center, there are 50 free slots available for Lao teenagers in Minnesota who wish to explore the arts, writing and culture during the Lao American Writers Summit on Augut 13-15th! A limited number of free registrations are available for college students and individuals of limited means. For more details, write: info@laowriters.org. Please register by August 1st to ensure your space at the Summit.

Nearkhoon nominated for an Emmy!

The film, Nerakhoon, has been nominated for an Emmy! We look forward to seeing  co-director and subject Thavisouk Phrasavath in MN next month!

The news was announced on POV - Blog . Emmy Nominations for Patti Smith and Nerakhoon! | PBS that two POV films have received nominations for a primetime Emmy award in the Exceptional Merit In Nonfiction Filmmaking category.

Leilani Chan to attend Lao American Writers Summit!

Leilani Chan is a nationally known performance artist and Founding Artistic Director of TeAda Productions. For over ten years, TeAda Productions' cross-disciplinary performances have addressed health, education, and social justice issues of communities of color.

Ms. Chan received the 2009 Los Angeles Women’s Theater Festival Rainbow Award. She is a founding member of the National Coalition of Asian American Theaters & Artists and Legacies of War. Leilani is co-creator of "Refugee Nation," a play about Laotian refugees in the U.S. Her work, including two solo shows "E Nana I Ke Kumu" and "Tita on the Run," has been presented across the country.

Leilani has participated in UCLA's World Arts and Culture HOTHOUSE and TCG/Center Theater Group's Solo Performance Workshop led by Roger G. Smith. Her performance installation "Life as a Dashboard Hula Dancer" has been presented as part of Guillermo Gomez-Peña's La Pocha Nostra at LACMA and FITLA.

Born and raised in Hawai’i, Leilani attended Hampshire College and obtained her M.F.A. from U.C. Irvine. She is married to Lao American actor and writer Ova Saopeng. We look forward to having her join us!

KP Phagnasay to attend Lao American Writers Summit!

One of the writers who will be speaking and presenting at the Lao American Writers Summit is KP Phagnasay from Fresno, California.

Khetphet Phagnasay was born in Laos. His family escaped in 1979 from the communist government to find a better future in America. KP earned his B.A in Theatre Arts from California State University, Fresno, then pursued his MFA in Acting from the University of Hawaii, Manoa, where he studied Asian Theatre forms. KP is an Actor, Director, Playwright, and Acting coach for over 15 years. As an acting coach, he has taught at various studios in California and Hawaii.

He has worked and trained in many of the theater organizations, and talent agencies, and has helped cast talents, and translators for many projects like Lost (Thai- Laotian actors) , Finding Hope Now (Asian cast), California Babies First (South-East Asian mothers) , San Jose Juvenile Center (Vietnamese voice over/ translator) various other commercials , and voice overs for non-specific roles.

As an actor, KPs has been featured in commercials, film/television such as Lost,Hawaii,Northshore, independent films , local theatre, etc. KP worked on the feature film Finding Hope Now as both the Acting Coach and as an actor. KP is well known with various non-profit organizations often sitting as consultant, or committee member to groups such as FIRM, Stone Soup, and Asian Fest, Better Healthy Community Initiative, California Arts Endowment, and South-East Asian Writers/Artists, LA’s East-West Players Asian Theater Company, working with, training and developing acting workshops, and performance pieces that most relate to the Asian community and Culture.

He has toured with PASSAGES (stories of Refugee experiences) production- (honored by the State of California) in Japan and various cities, and sang lead in a Chinese Opera Group in China and Hawaii. He also tours with his one man show focusing on growing up in Laos through the eyes of a 5 year old child.

Staying loyal to his heritage and to all south-east Asian refugee generations and other Asian communities, KP keeps his focus on bringing out the talents of those communities for many issues and offerings. KP constantly works to bridge the gap to bring all talents into the mix.

We look forward to seeing his work and presentations at the summit!

Loft Literary Center Blog highlights the Lao American Writers Summit!

The Lao American Writers Summit was mentioned on the blog of the Loft Literary Center:
http://www.loft.org/writersblock/2010/06/30/lao-american-writers-summit/

Incorporated in 1975, The Loft Literary Center is the nation’s largest independent literary center. The Loft supports the artistic development of writers, fosters a writing community, and builds an audience for literature. Thousands of students register for Loft creative writing courses each year; thousands more participate in Loft readings and other events. Loft competitions, grants, and honoraria help authors pursue the writing life. Loft publications and its website bring the writing life home to literature lovers everywhere. The list of acclaimed authors who have appeared at the Loft over the years reads like a Who’s Who of American letters.

Thanks to our new interns!

Bop Phothisane, Manysavanh Phothisane, and Alex Nok Phasy have all graciously agreed to serve as volunteers for the Lao American Writers Summit in August. We look forward to working with them in the future!

Follow the Lao American Writers Summit on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/laowriters, is the official twitter feed of the Lao American Writers Summit, updated daily with news and additional opportunities for writers and artists.

New sponsors: Association for Asian American Studies

The Lao American Writers Summit is pleased to add the Association for Asian American Studies as a 2010 sponsor.

The Association for Asian American Studies was founded in 1979 for the purpose of advancing the highest professional standard of excellence in teaching and research in the field of Asian American Studies; promoting better understanding and closer ties between and among various sub-components within Asian American Studies: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Hawai'ian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander, and other groups. AAAS sponsors professional activities to facilitate increased communication and scholarly exchange among teachers, researchers, and students in the field of Asian American Studies. The organization advocates and represents the interests and welfare of Asian American Studies and Asian Americans. AAAS is also founded for the purpose of educating American society about the history and aspirations of Asian American ethnic minorities.

We express our sincere thanks for their support! It means a great deal to us!

Updated biography for Thavisouk Phrasavath

2009 Academy Award (Oscar) and Film Independent Spirit Award nominated Thavisouk Phrasavath is an accepted member of WGAW (Writer Guild of America West). Also a creative consultant for Film and Television and other media. Thavi has directed documentaries, dramatic short and music video for independent record label and artists, published poetry and won awards for paintings and illustrations. Author of the upcoming book “Step Out of the Womb” (Memoir of the journey to land where the sun fall) and “Old seed on The Soil” (Planting Generation) and a new screenplay for his upcoming feature “Lover Beloved”. His background in community work includes assisting Gang Prevention for Youth and Family Crisis Intervention and working with the police as a liaison and consultant for the Lao community. Thavi has consulted for the New York City Board of Education. The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) was the film that he was both subject and a filmmaker.

Lao writers participating in the summit

Some of the great writers scheduled to appear at the Lao American Writers Summit this August. More will be added soon!

Phayvanh Luekhamhan was born in Champasak, Laos in 1975. She is a Juried Artist with the Vermont Arts Council. She has written poetry for performances and exhibits in New England for over ten years. Her work appears nationally and she has studied at The Vermont Studio Center (2004) and the Kundiman Foundation's Emerging Asian American Poets' Retreat (2005 & 2006). You can visit her online at http://www.myspace.com/phayvanh

Thavisouk Phrasavath: 2009 Oscar-nominated Thavisouk Phrasavath is a creative consultant for developing Lao TV and other media.  Thavi has directed music videos for independent artists, published poetry and won awards for his paintings and illustrations. His background in community work includes assisting Gang Prevention for Youth and Family Crisis Intervention and working with the police as a liaison and interpreter for the Lao community. Thavi has consulted for the New York City Board of Education. Nerakhoon: The Betrayalwas his first film as both subject and filmmaker. www.nerakhoon.com

Ova Saopeng is a Lao American actor and writer who has been a pirate in the Pirates of the Carribean films and both the Monkey King AND the Dragon King in the Minnesota production of Laurence Yep's Dragonwings. He also performs in Refugee Nation and his one-man play, LSL: Lao As A Second Language and many others. A key member of Theater TeAda, he has lived in Hawaii and currently Los Angeles. www.refugeenation.com

Mali Phonpadith: A Lao American writer/poet, she is the co-founder of Reflections Within, LLC.  She has been writing poetry, short essays, and short stories for over 20 years and is internationally published.  She has over 400 pieces of written work and was nominated as “Best Poet of the Year” by the International Society of Poets in 2007. She is actively involved with community service including  the Young Professional Leadership Group, the International Society of Poets, the National Association for Women Business Owners, the Lao Heritage Foundation, Arts of Falls Church and an active volunteer with Teatro de la Luna. www.reflectionswithin.com

Catzie Vilayphonh is a Philadelphia-based Lao American writer and performer. A member of the spoken word duo Yellow Rage, Catzie appeared on Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam in 2001 and performs at various venues across the country. She has performed with Sarah Jones, Beau Sia and I Was Born with Two Tongues. Vilayphonh was Fashion Director for two.one.five magazine in Philadelphia, and  the Transmit Editor for Theme Magazine, based out of New York. www.yellowrage.com

Saymoukda Vongsay is the author of the Lao American chapbook No Regrets and a first generation Laotian American spoken word artist, writer, and activist. She performs at universities, clubs, theaters, museums, and festivals around the country and internationally. A Minnesota resident, Vongsay performs with artists such as Laura Piece Kelly, Danny Solis, David Mura, and Ed Bok Lee. Her projects include a chapbook, novella and advice column for Focus Magazine. http://refugenius.blogspot.com

Minnesotan Laotian artists honored!

Congratulations to Mali Kouanchao for receiving the prestigious Archibald Bush Fellowship for Visual Art, and to Bounxou Chanthraphone for the Bush Foundation's Enduring Vision award: $100,000 in recognition of her life's work as a Lao weaver to preserve our heritage. They both received their awards on Monday, June 15th at the Minneapolis Public Library.

The Star Tribune ran an article on Bounxou Chanthraphone:
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/art/96334279.html

Minnesota Public Radio also had an article about her:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/state-of-the-arts/archive/2010/06/bush-foundation-announces-enduring-vision-awards.shtml

Some additional pictures up at flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thaoworra/sets/72157624281004984/?photo_deleted=4702818899

Since 1976, the Bush Artist Fellowship has supported more than 400 different artists to enable them to further their work and their contributions to their communities. Each year, up to 15 artists receive unrestricted grants of $48,000 to deepen and advance their work, to foster their artistic careers and to contribute to community dialogue through their work.

The goal of the Enduring Vision Awards is to support artists at a time in their careers when they're often neglected by funders. The money is intended to carry them through what could be the most productive part of their lives, when they're in their 50's, 60's and beyond.

Lao American Writers Summit coming to Minnesota!

Lao American writers and artists from around the nation will gather for the first Lao American Writers Summit August 13-15, 2010 at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. The event includes panel discussions, workshops and author readings. 

The Lao American Writers Summit examines ways Lao American writers create work to transform their lives and their world. Many writers will meet face to face for the very first time. It is organized as a grass-roots effort with the assistance of many local and national arts and community groups.

Lao culture traces its artistic roots to the 14th century. Modern Laos, a nation the size of Great Britain, is home to over 140 ethnicities. Approximately 200,000 Lao  refugees resettled in America during the 2oth century. Minnesota has the 3rd largest Lao refugee population in the US.

Confirmed summit participants include award-winning film-makers, writers and performers such as Catzie Vilayphonh of the spoken word duo Yellow Rage, Saymoukda Vongsay, playwright and author of the chapbook “No Regrets,” and the acclaimed poet Phayvanh Leukhamhan.

This year’s Summit received funding and support from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, the Lao Assistance Center, the Loft Literary Center and many others. For more information email:info@laowriters.org or visit the conference website at www.laowriters.org.

A big thanks to our sponsors so far!

The Lao American Writers Summit is pleased to include the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, Asian American Press, the University of Minnesota Asian American Studies Program, Swan Scythe Press, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, the Lao Assistance Center and the Loft Literary Center among our sponsors. We look forward to seeing everyone in August!

National Lao American Writers Summit: August 13-15th

The National Lao American Writer’s Summit will mentor and support emerging Lao American writers. Held in Minneapolis at the acclaimed Loft Literary Center, during the Summit, nationally renowned Laotian American writers will conduct workshops with participants.

Readings, writing and informal social gatherings are scheduled and encouraged. Through this Summit, the organizers will provide a safe and instructive environment exploring the unique challenges and opportunities of emerging Laotian American writers.

This 3-day Summit is from Friday to Sunday, August 13-15th. Workshops will be from Friday to Saturday. A free public reading is on Saturday night..

Writing Workshops
Under the present plan, a nationally recognized Laotian American writer will facilitate each writing workshop using the open space approach. Workshops will consist of meaningful writing exercises and group discussions and opportunities for extended critique.

Community Panels
For emerging writers and non-artist participants, panels will highlight the current state of Lao American arts, opportunities and experiences of individual artists to examine the positive potential arts have on individual and community growth.

Resource Fair
Community members will have an opportunity to meet national, regional and local arts, philanthropic and refugee service organizations, publishers and researchers who can answer questions and advise writers and artists on significant opportunities.

Based on preliminary community discussions, we anticipate an audience of 100 to 200 people representing a wide range of states, particularly from the Minnesota, Texas, Washington, California, Illinois, Wisconsin and New York.

Lao Writers Summit: Background

There are approximately 200,000 ethnic Lao refugees in the US in the aftermath of the bloody war for the control of Laos (1954-1975). This war killed and displaced over half a million people.

35 years later, while many have successfully rebuilt their lives, nearly a third still live at or near the federal poverty level. Many are women who are widows, the elderly and single mothers with limited education and English fluency. Nearly 50% of Lao refugees are under 18, and less than 7% have bachelor's degrees. Many continue to live in linguistically isolated households. Less than 1 out of 100 have an advanced degree, particularly among Lao women. There are few Lao American books, journals, papers, films, TV shows or art exhibits after nearly 4 decades, causing a significant impact on internal and external community advocacy and awareness of key issues for social change.

There is a strong correlation between the arts and academic, professional and civic success among Southeast Asian refugees.

Minnesota has the third largest Laotian population. At least half of the Lao community resides in Hennepin County. The city of Minneapolis has the largest Lao population, followed by Brooklyn Park and other surrounding Twin Cities suburbs. There are several other areas with sizeable Lao populations: Olmsted County, Nobles County, Roseau County and Stearns County, as well as Mountain Lake, Warroad and St. Cloud.

Minnesota is home to several Lao artists, writers, educators and musicians, most notably award-winning, nationally recognized women artists like Malichansouk Kouanchao, Phouninh Vixayvong, Bounxou Chanthraphone and Saymoukda Vongsay among others.