Friday November 22, 2019 7-9:00pm
Arc Gallery & Studios
Curated by Michelle Lin and Kazumi Chin
Pre-sale $8 | Door $12 | Supporter $20 (includes reserved seats)
On Friday, November 22nd, KSW Presents “A History of Our Naming” featuring poets Michelle Peñaloza, author of Former Possessions of the Spanish Empire, and Đỗ Nguyên Mai, author of Battlefield Blooming. This reading is a celebration of their new collections of poetry. Their poems ask us to look at—and not away—from the histories, hauntings, and presences of colonialism, conquest, and imperialism. These poets find power in the work of gathering fragments and fractures, and in what emerges from this naming for their families, for their communities, and for themselves.
The title of this event is inspired by a line from Michelle Peñaloza’s titular poem “Former Possessions of the Spanish Empire."
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
We are opening up submissions for writers to be a part of this reading. We will only be able to accept up to five readers.
Eligibility: We welcome writers of all genres, and strive to spotlight those of the Asian Pacific diaspora and people of color. We are especially interested in showcasing emerging writers who have had little stage time or few publications.
At this time, KSW Presents cannot provide payment for writers who submit to be a part of this reading series, but we are actively pursuing funding for this program.
How to Submit: Submit work that explores this upcoming event's theme, that can be read or performed within 3 minutes or less.
Michelle Peñaloza
is the author of Former Possessions of the Spanish Empire, winner of the 2018 Hillary Gravendyk National Poetry Prize (Inlandia Books, 2019) and two chapbooks, landscape/heartbreak (Two Sylvias, 2015), and Last Night I Dreamt of Volcanoes (OW! Arts, 2015). The proud daughter of Filipino immigrants, Michelle was born in the suburbs of Detroit and raised in Nashville. She lives in rural Northern California.
Đỗ Nguyên Mai
is a Vietnamese American poet and researcher from Santa Clarita, California. Her debut poetry collection Ghosts Still Walking is available from Platypus Press and was a 2017 Elgin Award nominee, and her second poetry collection, Battlefield Blooming, is now available from Sahtu Press. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in political science at the University of California, Riverside.