PHAYVANH LUEKHAMHAN

To all the single women out there

A true warrior is always armed with three things:
a refreshing beer (we like it),
1000 year old bones (to be problematic),
and the patchouli smell—there’s no such thing as perfection.

He has endorphins coursing through his system,
is a foot and a half long crack in a field of lavender…

Whether you like it or not, we are interested in talking
louder than the scent of wild roses,
riding bikes on up to Rock Ridge,
looking for amnesty.

If I must, I will spend my whole life fighting.
Because every year blooms
from a battered stump that looks as though
it must be dead. Humans are just that: humans.
Move when you touch them.

People who have been hanging out with my monkey
will find out my new favorite feeling in the world:
embracing the sacredness of someone on the radio laughing.

let me touch your skin…
to forget what it was…
I’m starting to lose

…now that I’m f-f-fifty.

* a found poem of recent updates of my Facebook friends. Thanks everyone.

From – Wising Up Press wisingup@universaltable.org

Hello:

Wising Up Press is issuing a call for manuscripts for three anthologies of memoir, essay, fiction, and poetry related to the immigrant experience, in particular the experience of naturalized citizenship. We hope that you will distribute the attached announcement widely through your network, post it around your offices, and perhaps submit yourself.

Wising Up Press is a division of Universal Table, an organization dedicated to promoting an appreciation of diversity in its many forms. These three anthologies are a central part of a broader Universal Table project focused on citizenship and constructive acculturation. Our special focus is the social and psychological dynamics of naturalized citizenship, especially for women. The three anthologies concern:
• Refugee and Immigrant Women who have chosen to become citizens as adolescents or adults
• U.S-raised Illegal Immigrants who feel fully naturalized by language, education, culture, and values but have at present no legal avenues to citizenship
• Adopted Chinese Daughters who became citizens in U.S. families through the adoption process

It is our hope that this manuscript call will reach a broad cross-section of immigrant communities so that the resulting anthologies will provide a rich representation of the wide diversity of experiences and viewpoints found among immigrants in the United States. We appreciate greatly any support you can provide to this effort. We are interested in interviewing people with interesting stories who may not be comfortable writing them themselves.

For additional information on Wising Up Press/Universal Table we encourage you to visit us at: www.universaltable.org.

Thank you for your consideration. We hope to hear from you about your own important work on immigration and acculturation.

Charles Brockett, Ph. D.
Heather Tosteson, Ph. D.
Publishers, Wising Up Press
P.O. Box 2122
Decatur, GA 30031

Not Many Things Are This Grand

I dreamt I watched an elephant give birth to 7 babies,
eating a Cobb salad and working on a pantoum.
What makes some of us survive trauma while others
keep drowning? Poetry is nothing
but the half-life fade, a merciful end.
When you lift your 80 pound dog into the tub,
the owl of Minerva spreads its wings,
half-awake, half-asleep and drowning.

Everybody is three years old, is breaking boundaries.
You know you’ll never leave
my adrenaline-fueled screaming, extended middle finger.
You blamed me with the falling of the dusk—a very eloquent thank you
where the “shoulds” and the “wants” (or something worse)
have met the enemy in a swimming hole, drowning in it.

I yelled out my window what I wanted
was a new bunch of poets, a journal of prayer. A brief thing.
My questions were not about the “cloak of invisibility”.

I apologize. More fun to say, “I wrote to a shipwreck”.
The truth is often a river and seldom a rock,
a strange, twilight zone, one half
doesn’t like the other half.

While this is sad & tragic,
a 9-year old girl wishes she was Amish
and in the future will be more careful.
She can’t have Dr. Pepper with dinner,
even on a holiday.

Earlier than we’d anticipated, the two separate again.

* A found poem of recent Facebook status updates of my friends. Thanks everyone!

Happy Birthday America.  I love you.

Dear Editor:

Joel Stein’s “article” (“My Own Private India”) disturbs me and other people of color that I know not simply because his remarks are blatantly racist and not worthy of print, but because his rant is an example of the small-minded thinking that dots and clusters the forgotten parts of America, not just those big urban places we often hear from in the news.

Stein is implying that he is proud and unashamed to have committed crimes against his fellow neighbors (however small he might think them to be) and to have had racist friends and probably even participated in their exclusionary activities–I’m guessing he probably didn’t stop them.

What he fails to realize is that immigration, like productive communication, is not a one-sided activity. Yes, immigrants must, and often do, assimilate into their host countries, adapting to new cultures and so forth. But host communities need also to receive these new residents with respect and courtesy, and if possible, provide tools and services to ease their resettlement. This is what most Americans miss in discussing immigration law. Instead of a “they’re taking over” mentality (due in part to non-participation, ignorance, and short-sightedness), we need a “we’re all Americans” global approach, in which everyone is taken as an individual contributor in the strengthening fabric of our history.

Obviously the Indian residents in his former hometown have done well for themselves, despite Joel Stein’s staunch disapproval. What might feel “charmless”, “inappropriate”, and “unfamiliar” to Stein, might be the “beautiful”, “fitting”, and “homey” to someone else. But he might have figured that out had he the gall to talk to one of these new Americans.

Sincerely,

Phayvanh Luekhamhan

To read more:

http://www.feministing.com/archives/021690.html#more

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/06/29/indians-unamused-by-times-edison/

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/06/post-17.html

http://blog.angryasianman.com/2010/06/joel-stein-vs-indians-and-indians-are.html

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/06/29/indians-unamused-by-times-edison/

Addition: Kal Penn’s reponse:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kal-penn/the-hilarious-xenophobia_b_634264.html

by Rolf Parker-Houghton and Phayvanh Luekhamhan

published in Poets Ink, October 2008

Lantern Review has finally published their first issue!  Check it! It’s a beautiful website, and I hope the editors remain enthusiastic about their project, as I would love see how the Asian American poetry movement gets documented by them over time.

They’ve chosen to publish “Sunken Garden Exit Ghazal”, which was written by 5 of us Kundiman fellows while on retreat at Soul Mountain in 2008. I’m honored, of course.  Also intrigued that LR intends to feature at least one new collaborative piece in each issue. I’d be interested to see what else others are writing and what their processes are.

The poem is co-authored by: Matthew Olzmann, Tamiko Beyer, Bushra Rehman, and Soham Patel.

I am a fan of writing collaboratively. Two pieces that I wrote with Rolf Parker-Houghton were previously published online at Poet’s Ink (October 2008), which I’ll post here later (they are no longer available at the PI site).

Today at the shop, I wished many people a “Happy Mothers Day”, in the same way that I grind out “Have a nice afternoon” or “Hi, how are you?”—without much thought or feeling. It’s what happens after so many years of retail.  Those stock phrases come in handy, the crutches of conversation.

A few times today, a customer would ask if I had called my mother (I hadn’t) and/or if I was being celebrated (I was not). To both questions I answered no.  And each time I was in conflict with the truth.

Sure, my mother is in San Diego right now, paying karmic tribute to my grandparents (her parents). She wishes I were there with her, praying alongside her and learning the necessary rituals, but we are strangers to one another. She no longer mothers me.

And how do you tell a stranger that you ARE a mother—in that you gave birth—but that you no longer Mother. I imagine women who have given up their children or had them taken away from them.  I imagine women like myself who have lost their children, or those like my mother, who have lost meaningful contact with theirs. What does Mothers Day mean to them?

While we can superficially celebrate the importance of Mothering, which I believe Mothers Day is all about, that leaves us non-mothers, former-mothers, and if-only-mothers out of the equation.  I do not know of Hallmark cards that honor the grief a woman must endure through the long and trying stages of terminal disease, that speak to the great gulf of generations that divide parents and their offspring, or that acknowledge societal conveniences like an annual Mothers Day.

Thankfully I had been offline for most of the day, pouring coffee for those tireless women who needed (and finally got) a break from the daily grind of holding it all together.  Until now, I had been spared the syrupy thanks that many people offer once a year to those that have brought them to being.  But now, after logging into Facebook and reading every other status update celebrating Mothers Day, I am in a whirlwind of emotions.

We are all so lucky to be alive. I am so lucky to be witness to a May snowstorm, to bite into pure chocolate and taste its dense, nuanced layers. I am so lucky. I’ve survived a life-threatening childbirth, as well as a Communist takeover of my home country. I am lucky enough to be happily employed, well-loved and self-aware. We are all so lucky for what we have.

One of my coworkers in California (ages ago) told me he didn’t believe in luck.  He was a devout Christian and told me that luck and God’s Divine Plan could not co-exist. I can believe him, “Luck” being defined as an accidental effect of random causes.

But I’d call him lucky, “Lucky” being a condition of advantageous circumstances. He was married to a beautiful wife who loved him, and he was intelligent and immensely kind. I was lucky to have known him.

I am lucky to have been born—I tell you this from my first-world room edged with trimmed lilacs and yellow traffic lines.  I am lucky to be living a life in the age of intelligence and technology. As much as I sometimes pine for the simpler ways of times gone by, I am in fact, grateful that I am not living those daily hardships.  That there is medicine, liberty and libation. That I can call my mother over long, cloud-filled distances and declare myself her stern, distant imprint.  I am grateful that I can choose not to.

Mothers Day has long been a day of sadness and longing. It has been a time to reflect on the complexities of my enate relationships. A day of self-assessment. Of re-admitting the truth.

Downtown Montpelier will be abuzz with art patrons and poetry lovers on Friday, April 23^rd as they stroll through the streets from venue to venue viewing the current exhibits, and enjoying the POETRY Alive! installation. Join us from 4 to 8 p.m. on April 23^rd for poetry readings and artist receptions. A guide to the 25 participating venues are available at various downtown retailers. For more information, go to: www.montpelieralive.org.

See you downtown!

EVENTS LISTINGS:

A. The Vermont College of Fine Arts,

Reading / Book Signing / Reception featuring Wyn Cooper, Greg Delanty, Kerrin McCadden, Paige Ackerson-Kiely, Izabel Nielsen and Sophia Manley. 4:30 to 6: 30. FREE.

B. Lost Nation Theater

Presenting David Budbill’s new play, “Song for My Father”. Runs through May 9. Show starts at 8 p.m.

24. The Shoe Horn

Randolph poet Linda Corelia reads from her work. 7 p.m. FREE.

13. Bear Pond Books

PostPoetry: Everyone invited to hang up their own written works. Until 9 p.m. FREE.

ARTS LISTINGS:

1. The Kellogg-Hubbard Library

Two Exhibits, Jerome Lipani’s mixed media show, “Political Deconstruction/Phase 2″, 1st floor. Anne Sarcka opens her show “River Visions: Winter into Spring” 2nd floor. Open until 5:30 on Art Walk.

2. Birchgrove Baking

279 Elm St. 223-0200

Spring is Sprung! Come during regular hours and see Jen artfully decorated cakes on display, Amanda’s hung fabric flowers and read Phayvanh’s poem. Closed during Art Walk.

3. The Cheshire Cat

Howard Nelson Riley of Colchester presents bright, colorful paintings using recycled materials to make the heart happy. He’s inspired by Vermont’s beauty and resources. Reception until 8 p.m.

4. Vermont Historical Society Museum

Freedom and Unity explores Vermont history and To Life! celebrates Vermont Jewish women. Adults, $5; children, seniors, and students, $3; children under 5, free. Open until 8 p.m. on Art Walk.

5. Vermont Supreme Court

A Very Hungry Rabbit Should be Fed, whimsical watercolors, oils and prints by Cecily Herzig. Open until 7 p.m.

6. The Governor’s Office

Paul Gruhler: New Works , an exuberant exploration of harmony and tension within color, line and form by one of Vermont’s most accomplished painters. Open until 7 p.m.

7. Vermont Arts Council

136 State St. 828-5423

Watercolors & Etchings by Putney printmaker Brian D. Cohen in the Spotlight Gallery. Themes of loss, futility, and unexpected, redemptive beauty. Exhibit closes April 30^th. Open until 7 p.m. on Art Walk.

8. Capitol Grounds

27 State St. 223-7800

East and West: Landscapes and Relics, photographs by Peter Drescher at The Green Bean Art Gallery (Capitol Grounds) through April.  Artist reception 5-7 p.m. Open until 7 p.m.

9. Restaurant Phoebe

Focal Point, Northfield artist/teacher Phyllis Gosling Greenway’s pastel and watercolor studies. Preview of her Vermont Open Studio tour for Memorial Day weekend. Viewing until 6 p.m. on Art Walk.

10. The Book Garden

Fine Art Illustrations, Rick Powell’s colorful, dynamic colored pencil works.  Rockwell-like scenes and portraits for corporate clients, and a new series in vintage pin-up style.

11. Salaam Boutique

Live action and fashion photography by local photographer Aaron Codling. Photographs displayed during Art Walk and for the entire month of April. Reception until 8 p.m.

12. The Men’s Store

Works in Metal by sculptor Kat Clear. A graduate of UVM, Ms. Clear currently works with many local community-arts groups, most notably, Rosie’s Girls. Music & reception until 8 p.m.

13. Bear Pond Books

PostPoetry by our community’s poets. Original poems collected during April will be hung on clotheslines throughout the store. Come hang up yours during Art Walk! Open until 9 p.m. on Friday.

14. City Hall (1^st floor hall)

The Capital Area Neighborhoods! (CAN!) Community Picture Project, Day in the Life: 1.10.2010 paints a collective picture of the city, while celebrating Montpelier’s unique neighborhoods.

15. The Drawing Board

Seasons – Judy Greenwald , a plein aire pastelist, uses vibrant colors and light in Impressionist style while compellingly capturing the beauty and mystery of nature. Reception until 8 p.m.

16. Rhapsody Natural Foods Cafe

Emma and the Witch, a story by Sonja Seawright, original illustrations by Montpelier-based artist Glen Coburn Hutcheson. Reception with Mr. Hutcheson during Art Walk. April 15-30: M-Sat 11:30-8:00.

17. Capitol Copy

CCV Montpelier Students: Work from Intro to Sculpture, 2-D Design & Visual Cultures of the Modern World classes. Offering perspectives on narrative, portraiture, and more!

18. Aubuchon Hardware

Vermont’s Green Up celebrates 40 years of service with a retrospective of past Green Up posters in the windows.  Green Up is May 1st, 2010.

19. Splash Naturals (upstairs)

CCV Montpelier Students: Work from Intro to Sculpture, 2-D Design & Visual Cultures of the Modern world classes. Offering perspectives on narrative, portraiture, and more! Reception until 8 p.m.

20. Artisan’s Hand Craft Gallery

“Accessible Art”: Handmade books of tastefully chosen papers by Elissa Campbell of Blue Roof Designs, meant to be transformed by each owner. Perfect for poetry.  Demonstration 5-7 p.m.

21. City Center

Multimedia artist Linda Anderson presents her photography in the halls of City Center. Curated by the Art Resource Association of Central Vt.

22. The Skinny Pancake

89 Main St. 262-CAKE

She Falls to Pieces: Northfield Artist Christa Mans introduces her dreamy, haunting collage work alongside mixed media paintings and black and white photos.

23. The Times Argus

WWII Veteran Photos – a group show by Argus photographers. The faces of area vets, as chronicled in our Sunday Magazine series of veteran profile stories. Open during Art Walk only.

24. The Shoe Horn

8 Langdon St. 223-5454

“A Passion for Oranges: Recent Work” Paintings and drawings by Anne Sarcka. Big, bold statements, abstract and representational.