Dinner With APA Leaders

Asian Pacific American Heritage Dinner and Leadership Awards
The annual APA Heritage Dinner was held on May 15th at the Crowne Plaza in celebration of Asian American Heritage Month and to recognize leaders in the community. The Council On Asian Pacific Minnesotans 2010 Leadership Award Winners were: Malichansouk Kouanchao - Excellence in the Arts; Mao Heu Thao and Kaimay Yuen Terry - Community Service; and the late Dixie Lee Riley for a Lifetime Achievement award.

Dr. Franklin Odo gave a keynote speech. He was the founding director of the Asian Pacific American Program at the Smithsonian for 13 years and is an author, scholar, historian, and activist.

"With your help, we have been able to increase the representation of APIA perspectives at the Smithsonian and build networks of supporters across the country." -Dr. Odo

I sat with Mali's parents which meant I was on my best behavior. US Senator Amy Klobuchar came over to congratulate Mali's parents on having an exceptional daughter. The Senator then spent the next fifteen minutes meeting and taking photos with everyone. When I grow up, I want to be like her.

"You're going to regret it later, trust me," Senator Klobuchar, after removing my name tag before the picture was taken.

With my friend and award winner, Malichansouk Kouanchao. Mali is a visual artist who has inspired the direction of my work and those of others, no doubt. Get to know her and her work at djai.net/mali

Sneak attack on my dear friend Karen Lyu, who provided the musical entertainment for the night. Karen is jazz vocalist extraordinaire who flew all the way from Tennessee to be with us.


Fredina Latu, David Zander, and Saymoukda Vongsay. "It was a long day," said David after I made an outcry about his eyes being closed in the photo and wanted a re-do. Fredina, however, tolerates my diva behavior. =)

The Month That Was Good To Me

April is a good month for Saymoukda Vongsay! Not only did I get published by a journal, I also got great reviews and feedback about my latest short-short play, AND I'm preparing for the 2010 MN Fringe Festival! Too bad I didn't make any money this month...



A short piece I wrote called, "Letter To My Unborn Self," was published by the Journal of Southeast Asian American Education & Advancement in their Vol. 5 2010 issue. I wrote the piece awhile back after I had returned from a family gathering. An uncle had reminded me, during a conversation comparing resettlement issues in France to America, I got a flashback of things I lived through as an refugee/immigrant in America. So the piece that got published in the journal is a letter written by my adult self to my fetus self, assuring myself that the life I will be born into will be a difficult one but also a special one.



A Few Earthly Seconds
The staging of my latest short-short play, A Few Earthly Seconds, was received and praised with words like, powerful, imaginative, stark, and emotional during April's Madness at The Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis.

I was inspired by Russian author Ludmilla Petrushevskaya's style of writing, nekyia, where time becomes artificial - think Alice in Wonderland.

To make a long explanation short: a dead man's lesbian soul has crossed over to a parallel reality where she is confronted by another entity, her own fears, and the aftermath of what happens to souls due to suicide. I'm actually considering rewriting this one for the Fringe Festival, even though I initially wanted to do Yellowtail Sashimi.

The play was directed by Rachel Austin, and featured actors Heidi Berg, Dylan Fresco, and Suzie Cheng.





The Unit Collective is bringing Madness to the MN Fringe Festival this summer!
We're guaranteed a production spot in the 2010 MN Fringe Festival. According to our current plan, we're going to do what we do best to the Fringe - eight scenes from our core writers. The festival goes from August 5 - August 15.
One of our core writers, May Lee Yang will be doing her one woman show, "Ten Reasons Why I'd Be A Bad Porn Star." Earlier in the year, her show was a part of the Light Up series at Illusion Theater in downtown Minneapolis.
Another one of our collective members, Dylan Fresco, has a slot too! Dylan is a man of many talents - he's a talented and mutli-faceted theater actor, writer, and plays a strange string instrument really well.
The Unit is doing big things, so make sure to check out all three different productions if you can!

Blasians and One World

Blasian Night chapbook launch with Julian Hines and Judie N. Keys
at WATT MUNISOTARAM (Cambodian Buddhist Temple)

Earlier this month, I was blessed enough to be a guest artist for the chapbook releases of two emerging writers: my mentee Julian Hines, and my friend Judie N. Keys. It was held at the Cambodian Temple in Hampton, Minnesota. The show started out with traditional Cambodian dancers and then a showcase by Julian, who dedicated his dance piece to his grandmother.

The guest artists that got the night started were: Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, Jimi Warnick, Esteban Isaola, Ellemaj Faulkner, Celeste Larson, & hosted by award-winning writer May Lee-Yang.

There were also some amazing prizes! Like free Subway sandwich vouchers, jewelry, a copy of my chapbook No Regrets, scented candles, Jamaican flags, Cambodian flags, and so many others that I wasn't able to take a peek at. Make sure to grab a copy of Julian's chapbook, "I Remember...Clearly" and Judie's chapbook, "The Good Life." Google them!

photography by Alex Nok Phasy

MADNESS at The Playwrights' Center
In late March, The Unit Collective held another Madness event. I was the producing playwright and had a hell of a time doing it too. Not only did I came up with the theme, "Against the Grain," I also had to do the casting of actors for each script, finding directors, promotion, and food! It was a dope ass night, packed house, with music selection made by DJ Kool Akiem (MF Doom, Micranots, Rhymesayers).

Our special guest was Sha Cage, the founder and artistic director for the Minnesota Spoken Word Association. I consider Sha to be one of my mentors, someone that really took me under their wings and inspired me to be the best spoken word poet that I could be. About four years ago, I volunteered with MNSWA, acting as a youth producer and mentor to young emerging spoken word poets. If Sha hadn't tapped me to be a part of her world, I wouldn't have learned as much about my craft, poetry, and speaking our truths no matter what the consequences may be.
"One World" was the title of my short play, about a one world government, nano bots, and the anti christ. Lets just say...it offended many people...for the wrong reasons. BUT...it also went well with a lot of people who shared my dystopian outlook.

Actors Julian Hines and Clarence Wethern

So Busy These Past Five Months and Here's The Proof!

Refugee and Immigrant Women for Change Coalition 2010
Last month, I was lucky enough to be a part of the RIWC's annual luncheon to honor women who commit themselves to protecting the rights of women. Our keynote speaker was Leymah Gbowee. Bryan Thao Worra also performed, much to my amusement. After Ms. Gbowee's speech, I had the opportunity to ask her what her thoughts were on art and public policy together. I was concerned because at the time, my governor, Governor Pawlenty wanted to cut funding from the arts and put that money into prisons. Ms. Gbowee's answer was not only insightful but powerful.

Sharing the table with staff from the Lao Assistance Center and intently listening to Linda's question to Ms. Gbowee. For lunch we had herb chicken slow cooked in parchment paper with a side of spanish rice and salad. It was so yummy!

Linda Chandavong and I met keynote speaker Leymah Gbowee.

Madness at The Playwrights' Center.
February 2010's Madness was produced by co founding member May Lee Yang. Our guest directors that month were Jess Finney, Harry Waters Jr, and Ki Seung Rhee.

Discussing the depiction of Hoodrat Girl, from May Lee Yang's play, "Secret Asian Man," with director Ki Seung Rhee during rehearsals.

Members of The Unit collective of emerging playwrights of color and theater artists taking a bow after February's Madness at The Playwrights' Center. The theme that month was "Doorways". My short play, "Sid Hearts Ya" - squished a compassionate groundskeeper (Sid), a tortured poet (Cyrano), a revolutionary (Marcus), an evil scientist (Fu Manchu), and a religious fanatic (Savano) into one apartment building.



Madness at Playwrights' Center
January's Madness was curated by co founding member Eric "Pogi" Sumangil. The theme he decided to go with was "Comfort Food". Interestingly enough, two out of the 10 core writers wrote a script that dealt with death row and an inmate's last meal. I wrote a piece about asianphilia called , "Yellowtail Sashimi," about twin sisters with very different views on Lao American identity and the sexualization of their kind by 'asianphiles' - men and women who have shallow appreciation for yellow skins.


Madness at The Playwrights' Center
October 2009 - my debut as a playwright and co founding member of The Unit. The producing playwright for this month was Reggie Edmund with the theme, "New Beginnings." I decided to write about a set of friends who decided to remain in a neighborhood bought out by the city and the types of issues that pop up when the projects later become co-ops and hipster lofts.


Asian Pacific American Leadership Summit
Back in October of 2009, I attended a meeting of company CEOs, activists, community leaders, and local politicians to discuss what "leadership" meant to us, our roles in our communities, and how to think analytically in order to solve problems.

Participating in the Asian Pacific Minnesota Leadership Summit. Fall 2009 at the Lao Assistance Center in Minneapolis.

The Accidental Writer in Altra Magazine

Bryan Thao Worra the Accidental Writer

Late September, I had the opportunity to sit down with author and poet, Bryan Thao Worra to talk about his latest book, Barrow, published by Sam's Dot Publishing.
To read the entire interview, published by ALTRA MAGAZINE, visit the link:
http://www.altrazine.com/current.php

Madness at The Playwright's Center and Barrow

United in Madness, Playwrights at The Playwright's Center!
Bryan + El Guante + Ibe + moOks = BARROW


THE UNIT is an INDEPENDENT COLLECTIVE of emerging playwrights of color and theater artists devoted to pushing the development of new work beyond the conventional parameters of play development.

Tuesday's show couldn't have been more perfect and better organized. I am so proud and excited to be a part of such a group of talented playwrights and theater actors! Current members of the collective are: Indira Addington, Lorena Duarte, Jessica Huang, Saymoukda D. Vongsay, Joe Luis Cedillo, Reginald Edmund, Anton Jones, May Lee Yang, Kristoffer Diaz, Juma Essie, and Eric Pogi Sumangil

We dedicated that night's performance to the memory of May Lee Yang's mother.





The long-awaited premiere of Bryan Thao Worra's follow-up to On The Other Side Of The Eye, BARROW is an all-new collection of Laotian American speculative poetry by the North Minneapolis resident. It dropped earlier this month to wide reception. Spoken word poets, El Guante and IBe Kaba, as well as myself (host), got the party started.



El Guante was recently chosen by the Twin Cities City Pages as the best slam poet of 2009.

From Guinea, West Africa, poet IBé Kaba is the author of “Bridge Across Atlantic.”

Barrow's publisher, Tyree Campbell, from Sam's Dot Publishing traveled all the way in from Iowa for the occasion, and we really appreciated it!

Brown Bag Luncheon with Southern MN Poets Society

Brown Bagged by Southern Minnesota Poets Society - Big XOXO to Sherry Quan Lee

The Southern MN Poets Society has invited me as a featured artist for this month's Brown Bag Luncheon Series and I am honored!

"No Regrets: Sharing Our Stories Without Fearing the Consequences," will focus on my experiences as a spoken word poet who oftentimes perform pieces which are proscribed by society as indecent or improper. As a writer, I don't want to feel as though I have to walk on egg shells, so I stomp the grounds and speak my intrinsic truths, regardless of how my stories will be received. Yaheard!? (i know, my grammar is pretty bad, aint it?)


I have Sherry Quan Lee to thank because initially, she was scheduled to give her workshop, "Writing That Saves Lives," but due to circumstances she encouraged me to take her place. Sherry is a writer, teacher, mentor, and the author of the books, Chinese Blackbird, and How To Write A Suicide Note: Serial Essays That Saved A Woman's Life. One of her poems inspired me to write an entire collection of poetry. Thats how amazing she is!

Her work is available on Amazon.com