<div dir="ltr">FYI,<br><br>Ching-In<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Ky-Phong Paul Tran</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:thewind@gmail.com">thewind@gmail.com</a>></span><br>
<br><br><br><div dir="ltr"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">Dear AAPW staff and friends,<br> Here is an email announcing Fall writing classes in Los Angeles as well as new articles on the site. Please please please help me circulate them to anyone who might be interested or who could further send it. This is a total DIY project :)<br>
<br>Ky-Phong<br><br>
<p><b><span style="font-size: 22pt;">Asian American Poetry and Writing Update</span></b></p>
<p><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b></p>
<p><b>Contact:
<a href="mailto:info@aapw-la.org" target="_blank">info@aapw-la.org</a></b></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1. <span> </span>CREATIVE WRITING CLASSES in Los Angeles</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 37.05pt;">For the first time in a long
time, community-based APA creative writing classes are being offered in the Los Angeles area.<span> </span>Classes are taught by an award-winning
faculty--including novelists Naomi Hirahara and Noel Alumit, poet Neil Aitken,
and screenwriter Koji Steven Sakai--and held at the state of the art Japanese American Museum.<span> </span>Classes begin October 6, 2008. For more info
or to enroll, please go to <a href="http://goog_1219735550235" target="_blank">http://www.aapw-la.org/workshop.php</a><span><a href="http://www.aapw-la.org/workshop.php" target="_blank"> </a> </span>. (Full class descriptions below)</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2.<span> </span>New Articles on the AAPW website</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;">--A conversation between
poets:<span> </span>Ching-In Chen interviews Kawita
Kandpal, author of <i>Folding a River</i></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;">--Vanessa Hua profiles Kaya Press,
one of the few publishers that focuses on Asian American diasporic literature <br></p><p style="margin-left: 0.5in;">--both articles can be found at our
homepage: <a href="http://www.aapw-la.org" target="_blank">www.aapw-la.org</a></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">3. <span> </span>Please Help AAPW by:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span> </span></span>--forwarding this email to your friends and familes</p>
<p><span> </span>--blasting
it to your listserves, blogs, APA community contacts in Los Angeles, </p>
<p><span> </span><span> </span><span>
</span>California,
and across the country</p>
<p><span> </span>--signing
up for our mailing list and/or <a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=25617724672" target="_blank">facebook group page</a></p>
<p> <br>We are a small group of dedicated people trying to do some
good and bring people together in cyberspace and in Los Angeles, a city that can sometimes suffer
from its own size.<span> </span>Anything you can do
to help us is greatly appreciated.<span> </span></p>
<div style="border-style: solid none none; border-color: windowtext -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color; border-width: 1pt medium medium; padding: 1pt 0in 0in;">
<p style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in;"><b>FULL CLASS DESCRIPTIONS</b></p>
</div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"> An exciting collaboration in
the heart of Los Angeles.<span> </span>Award-winning writers.<span> </span>A world class museum.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span>This Fall 2008 <b>Asian American Poetry and Writing (AAPW)</b> and the <b>Japanese
American National (JANM) </b>are proud and excited to offer community-based
creative writing workshops for aspiring and emerging writers.<span> </span>Our goal is to create affordable and
culturally sensitive classes that allows writers the space to explore craft and
theme in their work.</span></p>
<table style="width: 100%;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding: 0in;" valign="top">
<p><b>When:</b> </p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in;" valign="top">
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">October 4, 2008 - November 8,
2008 <br>
(Saturday mornings and afternoons)</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in;" valign="top">
<p><b>Where:</b></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in;" valign="top">
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">The Japanese
American National
Museum<br>
Little Tokyo, near downtown Los
Angeles</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in;" valign="top">
<p><b>Cost:</b></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in;" valign="top">
<p>$150 for six sessions. $125 for JANM members<br>
(Minimum 5 participants, maximum 12)</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><br>
<b>Courses:</b><br>
<br>
<b>1. <i>Stories Make us Real </i>(1-3pm)<span></span></b></p>
<p><b>Introduction to Fiction with Noel Alumit</b><br>
In this introductory class, we will read stories and then write our own. What
are the elements of narrative? How do we utilize character, point of view,
dialogue, plot, setting and tone? Through close reading and discussion, we will
examine how others have created powerful fiction. We'll also workshop our own
writing, helping each other to dig deeper and unearth the core of our stories
and in the process--ourselves.<br>
<br>
<b><i>Noel
Alumit's</i></b><i> first novel "Letters to Montgomery Clift," has
received many awards including the Stonewall Book Award (American Library
Association), Violet Quill Award (Insight Out Books), the Global Filipino
Literary Award (Our Own Voice), and the Gold Seal (ForeWord Magazine). He has
also been nominated for the PEN Center USA West Literary award, the Lambda
Literary Award, and the Asian American Literary Award. His second novel
"Talking o the Moon" was published in 2007 and went on to become a Los Angeles Times
Bestseller.<span> </span>He also teaches for UCLA
Extension.<span> </span>He blogs at <a href="http://www.thelastnoel.blogspot.com" target="_blank">www.thelastnoel.blogspot.com</a><br></i><br><br>
<b>2. <i>The World is a Poem </i><span>(11am
– 1pm)</span></b></p>
<p><b>Introduction to Poetry with Neil Aitken</b></p>
<p> There are moments in our lives that transform us
or change the way we view the world around us. Something we see or
feel moves us beyond where we've been. Often it's love or loss, the
stories of how we got here or where we are going, or maybe just the
way that something we've always taken as ordinary reveals itself
as extraordinary or beautiful. What makes a poem a poem? How do we
set down our thoughts and emotions in a more powerful way? This course will
cover essential poetcraft including: imagery and figurative
language, rhythm and sound, line and form, and lyric and narrative
styles. Some discussion of poetry journals and publishing will also be
provided.</p>
<p> <b><i>Neil Aitken</i></b><i> is the author
of </i><i><span style="font-style: normal;">The Lost
Country of Sight</span></i><i> which won
the 2007 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry and is due out from Anhinga Press in
November 2008. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UC Riverside and
is currently pursuing a PhD in Literature & Creative Writing at
USC. More information about Neil can be found on his website: <a href="http://www.neil-aitken.com/" target="_blank">www.neil-aitken.com</a></i></p>
<p><b>3. <i>Claiming Your Voice<span>
</span></i>(11am – 1pm)<span></span></b></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>A memoir/personal writing class
with Naomi Hirahara </b><br>
Have you always wanted to write, but are not sure quite how to put your
thoughts and experiences on paper? How do you find your written
"voice" and how do you nurture and sustain it? Instruction will
include writing exercises that allow students to take creative risks in a safe
and encouraging environment. Participants will learn how to remove obstacles
that keep them from being truly free in their writing. Basic craft skills will
also be covered. <br>
<br>
<b>* Please note: Naomi's class will run from Oct 4 - Nov 15 with Oct 25 off </b><br>
<br>
<i>Award-winning writer and former Rafu Shimpo editor <b>Naomi Hirahara</b> is a Los
Angeles literary treasure. She is the author of the
Edgar Award-winning Mas Arai mystery series, which includes </i><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Summer of the Big Bachi</span></i><i>, </i><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Gasa-Gasa Girl</span></i><i>, and </i><i><span style="font-style: normal;">Snakeskin
Shamisen</span></i><i>.<span> </span>Her website is <a href="http://www.naomihirahara.com" target="_blank">www.naomihirahara.com</a></i></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br>
</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br>
</span><b>4. <i>Lights, Camera, Write<span> </span></i>(1pm
– 3 pm)<span></span></b></p>
<p><b>Introduction to Screenwriting with Koji Steven Sakai </b><br>
For the cinephile who has the next great American Film within them, this
six-week course will introduce you to the craft of screenwriting, where
students will focus on story structure, scene development and dialogue. From
plot-driven action to independent drama, students will write and workshop short
scenes, basic outlines and short treatments. <br>
<br>
<b><i>Koji Steven Sakai</i></b><i> is a
graduate from USC's Masters of Professional Writing program. He co-wrote, </i><span>Haunted
Highway</span><i>, which was directed by Junichi
Suzuki and distributed by Lions Gate DVD. He has held several fellowships,
starting with the most recent, which include: Film Independent's Project:
Involve (2007), Visual Communication's Armed With a Camera (2006), and
Screenwriting Expo 4 New Visions Fellowship award (2005). When he isnt'
fighting crime or making movies, he is the Manager of Public Programs at the Japanese American National
Museum.</i> <br>
</p></div>
</div></div>
</div>-- <br>~~~~~<br>Ching-In Chen<br>THE HEART'S TRAFFIC (Arktoi Books/Red Hen Press forthcoming 2009)<br><a href="http://www.redhen.org/arktoi.asp">www.redhen.org/arktoi.asp</a><br>
</div>