Dear Horst Waldemar Janson: You have haunted me throughout my life, from the first moment when as a young child in a summer art program in San Diego, a boy my age told me quite confidently that women could not be artists. The first edition of your tome, “History of Art,” had already come out. [Continue Reading...]
“Alpana” was one of the last poems I wrote for my first collection, Dhaka Dust, and took shape in response to discussions I’d been having with my father about the rise of the garment industry in Bangladesh, the international “race to the bottom” to find the world’s cheapest labor, and the plight of garment workers [Continue Reading...]
“No Question” was written when I thought of a random incident from my childhood. My dad had taken me to an Asian grocery in Saint Paul, and while he shopped I went to the front where there was a video game arcade cabinet. A young white boy was playing the game, and his older sister [Continue Reading...]
On Homeland Security | Tyrone Nagai On November 14, 2005, Black Oak Books sponsored a debate in Berkeley, California, between Peter Irons and John Yoo on the subject of the Constitution and presidential war powers. (Watch the debate here). If the name Peter Irons sounds familiar, it’s probably because he led the legal team that [Continue Reading...]
The Writer’s Word | Cathy Song Each month AALR asks one of its contributors to reflect on a work from a recent issue. MayÃs writer is Cathy Song, author of five books of poetry: Picture Bride; Frameless Windows, Squares of Light; School Figures; The Land of Bliss; and Cloud Moving Hands. Picture Bride was the [Continue Reading...]