[About an anthology] Southeast Asian Women in the Diaspora: Troubling Borders in Art and Literature

The following is a short blurb by Vietnamese American writer Quyen Truong  about the publication of a Southeast Asian literature anthology titled Southeast Asian Women in the Diaspora: Troubling Borders in Art and Literature.  The event accompanying the book launch has unfortunately passed, but you can find out more about the anthology and how to support it below and at http://dvanonline.org/.

Two years ago, I responded to this call for submissions:

Southeast Asian Women in the Diaspora: Troubling Borders in Literature and Art

The literature of Southeast Asian women within the diaspora is marginalized in mainstream cultures. When visible, our writings are often misunderstood as stereotypical representations of purity, pathos, folklore, or matrilineal caricature. As activists, writers, and scholars, Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN) is committed to bringing together a truly unique collection of voices by Southeast Asian women who trace their ancestry to Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Burma/Myanmar, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei or East Timor, and whose stories have yet to be told or visualized.

We would also like to hear from women of minority groups, like the ethnic Chinese and Indians throughout Southeast Asia, and the Mien, Hmong, and Cham, who are located in many regions of the world. As the book’s subtitle suggests, we hope the collection will question the concept of national borders and the boundaries of literature and art. Because we envision this anthology will feature importantly in classroom curricula, we are looking for pieces that speak to broad themes and concerns relating, but not limited to questions of youth, generational difference, nationality, identity, gender, sexuality, and class. We are soliciting submissions of various genres: short fiction, poems, personal essays, and artwork.

http://www.dvanonline.org/events/dvan-SEA-women-anthology2.pdf

Now, we are being published. I flew out to SF last week to participate in our fundraiser / book reading, as a featured contributor. What an honor. Life smiles back when we smile.

This anthology recognizes the differences that exist among us, while drawing upon similarities that bring us together through these expressive forms. Located in many parts of the world, we form a multilingual collective of women artists who are committed to narrating our own stories. This anthology shows that Southeast Asian women artists are producing art and literature and impacting their local communities. By publishing their works and pushing the boundaries of literature and art, we want to demonstrate the global connections that bring such disparate groups of women together. We hope that this collection will inspire future generations of women artists and students to continue to create and to find their own voice.