Lao American Writers Summit

Hey everybody! I'm so excited! I hope you all come and join me for the first national Lao American Writers Summit I'm chairing this month on August 13th-15th at the world-famous Loft Literary Center.

We have Lao writers and artists coming from all over the country, meeting each other for the very first time to see how we can help each other take it to the next level! The last few months have been funky fresh and totally killer as we got help from some many wonderful people and organizations to make this event possible. We only have a few spaces left for the program but we want you to know we're totally committed to making this awesome. Even if you can't join us for the whole thing, come join us for the free public reading at 7PM at the Loft Literary Center at 1011 Washington Avenue South in Minneapolis on Saturday, August 14th! It's a Pioneer Press pick of the week! www.laowriters.org

Summit Committee: Bryan Thao Worra, Catzie Vilayphonh, and me.

Hip Hop Asians Take Over Bay Lake!

Kicking it with APA Youth at Bay Lake Camp

Sassy, intelligent, talented youth. Multiply this pyramid by 4 and you've got the illest next generation of leaders.

Q: What do you get when you put 42 joke-cracking teenagers, one of the most respected DJs in the game, and a Lao poet who rocks wrestling shoes in the same room with no AC?

A: A 3 hour workshop on culture, civic engagement, hip hop, and leadership followed by one crazy ass dance party, thats what.

So my DJ and I drove the 3 hours to Deerwood, MN from the Twin Cities. A couple of hours into our drive, we got into the small town of Garrison and realized that neither of us brought a digital camera. Too late to turn around and too broke to buy another one on the way.

Ilean called my cell, "Call me when you get here because then I can send out the ferry to pick you up. Oh by the way, we're on an island."

Here we are with thousands of dollars worth of equipment: turntables, mixer, computer, cables, microphones, and speakers (props to EMI in Mpls. for donating some equipment) about to go on a dinky ferry boat.

My partner turned to me and said, "If that ferry tips over, I'm saving the equipment. Just letting you know."

We got there and did what we went to do, son! To solve our 'no digital camera' problem, I told the kids to "tag me" on Facebook, and they did not disappoint. So to them, I'm thankful that I've got pictures.

Imperial DJ Science telling the future leaders of tomorrow:
"Its not about where you come from, its about where you're going in life."

Poking fun at Asiatic stereotypes.

These two were too cool to do the 'stanky leg', preferred dodging orbs.

Much love to Ilean Her and the Council of Asian Pacific Minnesotans for bringing my crew, Imperial DJ Science, out to Bay Lake Camp in northern MN earlier this month to perform and speak on the importance of using our talents and strengths to make moves in our communities. The Council's APA Youth Leadership Retreat is one of the illest out there because it promotes youth to be proactive rather than reactive. Participants are encouraged to be creative, to think analytically, and to find their own strengths and leadership style in order to create positive changes. How lucky was Imperial DJ Science to have been able to work with them?

We spent the night there. Bonded with the kids (can't possibly name them individually, there were 42 for crying out loud) after our workshop and dance party by telling ghost stories next to an open fire, a midnight hike on the island through the woods lead by "the DJ" (as the kids referred to him), late night mashed potatoes eating, followed by pranks involving campers faces, markers, and dental floss.

The next morning after everyone stuffed their faces with pancakes, sausages, and fresh fruits at breakfast, "the DJ" did a turntablism workshop. Participants tried their hands at beat mixing, counting beats, and learning about the equipment in general. Meanwhile, 200 yards away in another building, I performed pieces from No Regrets and gave a talk of creative writing, claiming identity, and being content in where I am in my life.

By the way, there was AC.

Why My Name Isn't My Name

An Essay on Identity and Growing Up Hood-rich Published in Lao Americans Magazine

A few weeks ago, my essay "My Name Really Isn't My Name" and a prose piece titled, "When Everything Was Everything," was published by Lao Americans Magazine. "LaoAmericans is an independent online magazine based in northern California. Our aim is to share personal stories and experiences from a uniquely Lao American perspective."

The magazine is the child of Siamphone Louankang who not only is the Editor but contributes dialogue provoking articles as well - she's a Yale alum for goodness' sake.

click to teleport to my essay and prose piece

artist photo by Joseph Forman

World Refugee Day & InkTank

Rain, Rain, Go Away. Refugees Are Gonna Play!

This year, Lao American writer Bryan Thao Worra invited me to share the Folktale stage with him during this year's Twin Cities World Refugee Day. It rained the entire time which brought up this question amongst my circle of friends who were standing under umbrellas:

"Whys it gotta rain? We, as refugees can't even get ONE day for ourselves without this bullsh*t rain."

However, there were also others in my cirlce who remained positive by saying:

"All the bright smiles I'm seeing before me is all the sunshine I need! We can will the clouds to part and the sun to shine, beautiful people."

Here I am trying to smile the rain away!

So, World Refugee Day...what is it about, you ask? According to their website, "under international law, a refugee is someone who is “unable or unwilling to return to and avail himself or herself of the protection of his or her home country or, if stateless, country of last habitual residence because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” Often, a refugee is someone who has been forced from their home country by war, civil conflict, political strife, or gross human rights abuses. Even survivors of natural disasters are not in the same position. However great their needs may be in terms of food, shelter and health care, their governments are usually sympathetic towards them. However, natural disasters occurring in conjunction with civil strife or persecution may exacerbate a refugee situation."

Notice that the ethnic Lao is NOT included in this data.
Oh wait, maybe we're under "Others"?

R-E-F-U-G-E-E,
find out what it means to me
R-E-F-U-G-E-E,
dancing! and po-et-treeee!
ahhhhh!

(to be sung in Aretha Franklin's song, "Respect")

With Linda Chanda and David Zander, a young Russian traditional dancer, a balloon artist, event congestion - not so much.

inkTANK Chapbook Release at The Loft Literary Center


After having spent a great chunk of the afternoon and earlier part of the evening at World Refugee Day, Linda - Bryan - and I decided that we were hungry as heck and that Applebee's was starting to look really good. Actually, Applebee's had looked more than good for the past hour. We were THAT hungry!

I had agreed to help out at The Loft for inkTank's chapbook release party. In case you don't know what inkTank is they're a "council of teenagers supported by the Loft Literary Council. We organize events and activities to facilitate and empower the Twin Cities teen literary community."


Their mission and program "is designed to encourage and empower high school students to use literary tools to express themselves. inkTank exists as a self-sufficient working group of teens who are supported and guided in workshops by Loft staff, writers and community artists."

Dustin, John, moOks, and Ardie: best party set-up team in the world.

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