The Ann Arbor District Library is a remarkable place. They published my first book, Technical Solace, under their Fifth Avenue Press imprint. They have now partnered with multimedia artist and archivist Chien-An Yuan to produce the Coolidge-Wagner Anthology of Recorded Poetry. Read about the anthology and check out some of the poets who’ve recorded their work in their own voices.
I’m Volume 9, available here through the library, or through any podcast outlet. My experience recording for Chien-An’s project was full of sensory calm, from the first firm handshake and smile to the cushioned silence of the recording studio, finishing with the reassurance of the audio engineer’s praise for my work. I chose to read six poems (the number and length of poems was up to me), some from my book and some more recent. I did my best to give a representative sample of what I write about: music, family, ethnicity, life in a female body.
Having my work preserved in podcast form is gratifying, of course. It makes it accessible to a wider audience. Just as exciting is getting to join some Coolidge-Wagner poets whom I have long admired, like Zilka Joseph and Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, along with some whose work I’ve recently come to know, like Bryan Thao Worra and Kyunghee Kim. We each now have a record of our poems in our own voices, which is analogous to a composer recording their own piano pieces. There will be other interpretations, but our own renditions are permanently documented.
The recorded anthology is a continuously ongoing project. Chien-An Yuan, the originator and mastermind, puts together a live, in-person reading each time four more poets have added their work to his archive. On Erev Rosh Hashanah, September 22, a group of us read to a small, supportive audience at the downtown library branch. Watch the video here; my portion begins at 15:20. My fellow poets are now folks I consider friends for life, and I have to give them each a small plug:
Bryan Thao Worra is the Lao Poet Laureate of the state of Minnesota. He’s a multi-genre writer known for historical consciousness and a beautiful way of conveying Asian immigrant experiences. He’s the one reading in a giant tiger head!
Frances Kai-Hwa Wang does everything. She’s a journalist, teacher, parent, artistic collaborator, and of course a powerful poet. She also writes a lot about Asian American life for first- and second-generation folks. Frances has a great sense of humor.
Owolabi Aboyade is a Detroit-based poet and musician whose work powerfully depicts generational trauma and healing, freedom and joy. His style is distinctly musical and informed by spoken word.
If you feel so inclined, consider leaving a review of the reading or the podcast. I feel folded into the cultural life of our city and state, and more broadly, the community of poets writing about urgent issues. We’re writing and reading for ourselves and our ancestors. We’re making sure we hear and remember one another.
Doggerel 