Nam Le Skylight Reading 6/29/2008

Over 100 people turned out on a sunny Southern California Sunday to see Nam Le read at Skylight Books in Los Feliz. (A small miracle, IMO, not for Nam (he's great), just for books in general)

I came early and found an aisle seat. Behind me, a guy told a gal all about Nam: how he'd been in the New York Times, and NPR, and this and that mainsteam publication. She responded in one of those hushed PC whispers, "Wow, that's impressive, especially for...an ethnic writer."

Ha, I thought to myself, that's exactly the attitude Nam critiques (read "clowns") in his story "'Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice." And right on cue, Nam appeared and read the first half of the story. I loved the story on the page, but to hear it with his pauses and breaks and tone, cut me to the bone.

Nam then deftly navigated a question-and-answer session, where he addressed authenticity in literature, his research process, writing influences, and general things he likes: ''good Vietnamese food'' and ''right now, poker.''

Some well-meaning, but somewhat ignorant person asked Nam how he "as a Vietnamese Australian" could write others outside of his experience (in this book: two Viet characters, a middle aged white man, a young white woman, an Australian boy, a Colombian teen, a Japanese girl).

Many of us do-gooder, thinker-types rolled our eyes. Is his background a handicap of some sort? Is Nam human or subaltern? Who gets asked these questions?You know who. And aren't all fiction writers writing "outside of their experiences?" Isn't that their job? But Nam, ever the gentleman, was way more diplomatic. He said, "There’s a conviction that I have to believe that it’s not outside my experience…That there is commonality, universality in the human experience that we can all partake in.''

Afterwards, Nam and his friends and Who's-Who of Vietnamese America got to hang out and then grab drinks at the Dresden from Swingers fame. They included author/businessman Quang X. Phạm; Professor Mariam Beevi Lam from UC Riverside; Ysa Lê, the executive director of VAALA; poet and film producer Jenni Trang Lê; film producer Hiếu Hồ; and director Đòan La.

AAPW Has a Home!!!

Marvel at just under 200 square feet of prime North Long Beach real estate. Thanks to the Maxwell Gluck Foundation for making this happen and contractor Jimmy "I-know-you-so-much-better-now-that-we've-been-to-Home-Depot-together-
over-100 times" Liang.

So if you've ever wondered where the site and blog comes from or "where the magic happens," your wish has come true.

As you can see, we went for a white and chrome, minimal modern look. The biggest influence was the Tantive IV Blockade Runner from Star Wars (no joke). Hence the name of the office is "Spaceship."

Dwell on Design Show 6/7/2008

Not sure this is true, but is it only in Los Angeles that the Dwell on Design show can be held the same weekend as the Erotic LA show, which is just what it sounds like: a pornstar Convention.

I imagine people getting mixed up at the various Los Angeles Convention Center buildings, design heads wandering amidst leather and lace. Porn fiends lost in a sea of Eames chairs and pre-fab houses...and I love it! Hybridity hybridity.

Here are my favorite pieces from the show.

Gabriela Jauregui's Los Angeles debut reading 6/8/08

Poet and AAPW editor Gabriela Jauregui reads from her debut collection of poetry Controlled Decay at the Poetic Research Bureau in Glendale. In addition to crowd favorite poems like "Get On Down to the Floor to the Heaven of Other Animals" and "Collective" (about the metro system in her hometown of Mexico City), Gaby varied the reading with humor in her Lokus (the opposite of Haikus), tragedy "After Goya (and Fallujah and Kigali and Juarez and Da Nang and Wounded Knee and Tiananmen and Cali and Compton) which is one of my favorites, and new works from a manuscript called Beast Language.

Shout outs to the Poetic Research Bureau, an amazing and much-needed new space. The big crowd that turned out on a scorching afternoon. And to poet Ara Shirinyan who helped Gaby open the reading with a hilarious duet. His latest book Your Country is Great is probably my favorite book of the year. You must read it and trust me, you'll be hearing much more of him in AAPW later this year.

How Does This Happen?

Smoking Gun victim, urgh, writer James Frey has written a new book called Bright Shiny Morning. You may remember Frey as the writer who faked two memoirs and faced a public flogging by Oprah Winfrey on national television.

Full disclosure: I haven't read the book. But AAPW senior staff writer was keen to point out two reviews, one by the Los Angeles Times and one the New York Times.

David L. Ulin, the LA Times Book Page Editor, hated it. Janet Maslin, a NY Times reviewer, loved it. Huh?

Well, I read both reviews and am inclined towards Ulin. Ulin is a die-hard LA transplant and has over the years made an earnest effort to know and love Los Angeles on its own terms. God knows this region is one of the most beat up, reputation-wise, in the country if not the world.

Maslin seemed to be reading the book in a void or vacuum of realism: There is no Los Angeles. Diversity is static here. Brown people are unactualized. As usual.

Kudos to Ulin for being such a keen reader and pushing his criticism and thus the way we read contemporary literature (with contemporary ideas) and Los Angeles (a much more complicated place than its given credit for).

The Lamest Article Ever? Ever, Ever? Ever Ever

So I was reading the LA Times and ran into an article about n + 1, the critical and brainy journal out of New York, and how a lot it initially defined itself by what is was against: McSweeney's, the war, the New Republic, and yes, even exercise.

Well, as I was updating the site, for some odd reason, I remembered this article about Asian men being en vogue to date. It appeared in Newsweek in 2000, right as the dot.bomb thing was happening (not to be confused with the home-bomb thing happening right now). It is so bad it can't even be funny bad. Who thinks of articles like this? Was it the writer? Was it the editor who walked into a party and noticed like two gals with Asian bf's? Were they both strolling the streets of NY and bumping into Asian men accessories left and right?

Whatevs. It was so yesterday, it was a week ago. And it was written in the year 2000, when the new millenium was supposed to mean something. Oh well. It's so bad, I can't even believe it is still hosted by Newsweek. I would have taken it down as fast as my Robotech posters when I bring a girl over. But I guess, it's good for you, the reader, to see it.

First amendment of AAPW's constitution: Crap articles like this get the Gas Face! (not to be confused with the Thizz Face) Don't submit them. EVER. It is one thing we are TOTALLY against. Cheers!

And Now Introducing...Fata Morgana

This sculpture, called Fata Morgana and shown at Coachella 2008, epitomizes the latest in retro-industrial design, capturing a bygone era of hope and prosperity following WWII and ushering in the Cold War and foreshadowing nuclear proliferation. That it was made now, in 2008, it works less as homage and more as satire of another technological dead end, like ships, railroads, cars, and planes, because in the end, it says, we can never escape ourselves.

It could mean all that, or, it could just be a cool hunk of a metal that spins around in the day time and lights up at night, shooting a beam of light into the blue-black sky. You decide. Regardless, I love it. Check that: I am in love with Fata Morgana, the coolest sculpture of Coachella 2008. It is totally Spaceship! one of the fashion themes of 2008. Promise!

My Coachella 2008

After an epic car line just to park, we finally got into Coachella.

It was initially really hot, so we got our bearings aka 'warm up' by cooling down at The Do Lab, red onion shaped tents arranged in a circle. Water dripped from faux trees and shot from cannons, not to mention the people on stage who water-blasted dancers--young, old, scantily clad--to their/our delight. A DJ played electronic dance when we were there.

After that, we made our way to see Cafe Tcvba, a DF-based band, on the main stage. I had heard lots about them but have never seen live. They were awesome, probably my favorite live act of the night, musically. These guys could do it all and with mad style. Their sound is my new favorite word, Hybrid, and takes in and puts out reggaeton, hip hop, salsa, banda, ska, dance hall, and rock to name a few. It seemed like everyone knew their songs, singing them before they did. Both lead singers had beautiful but different voices that lent more texture to their songs. Must have been at least a 8 person band.

Following Cafe Tcvba, we made our way to see Hot Chip, from the UK, in the Sahara Tent and they had a good crowd that bounced along with them to their electro pop, super catchy songs with mellowing synthesizer keys that I appreciated.

We stayed a bit for Junkie XL, who was really fun and energetic with his house music and someone I will look more into, then over to see Kraftwerk. They had great visuals and lights and their opening was cool, but then after that, they lacked energy and the music got a little dark, so we bounced back to the Sahara tent for MIA.

She started late, but once it got poppin, her school yard chants and thumpin bass were absolutely irresistible. The crowd was mad packed and it seemed to me, she could have easily filled the main stage. I suspect she was in a tent because people tend to dance more in the tents rather than outside. After she let like a million people on stage, something happened and the lights went on and a bunch of cops milled about. It totally robbed the show of the energy and MIA seemed upset. After a 10 minute delay or so, she tried her best to rally, but came back with less bass intensive songs that didn't help. She did fight off some stage manager to sing one last song for us. For those who want to know, she rocked an all white bobbed wig and had frenetic energy. We loved her odd dancing that only rock stars can get away with. From what my friends told me, I danced my arse off to her to the whole time under one of the huge hanging speakers in the back.

Following a mass exodus, we chilled and got food at Sahara when all of a sudden Sasha and John Digweed totally snuck up on us and everyone. A small crowd grew to a medium crowd that danced and danced to their ambient trance. It was the perfect come down after MIA. Their visual and light show were the best of the night. Their crowd was the chillest and nicest and you could make your way to the front with ease and with people helping you in and out. It was truly a tent and set for electronic dance fiends (where LA is leading the national renaissance) with people dancing in bunches, circles, and alone. Though I danced the most to MIA, I had the most fun dancing to Sasha and John Digweed. Good music, vibe, people.

We ended the night with the Purple One, of course, Prince. He opened on guitar and let Morris Day and Jerome (I think) warm us up with "Jungle Love." Sheila E also made a cameo and performed "Glamourous Life" with Prince. Then Prince took over and commanded the crowd like only he can. He didn't play a lot of songs, but instead he played a few extended and varied versions including "Cream," "1999," "Seven," and "Controversy." Somewhere in there, one of his lead singers also sang an amazing, soul-bearing rendition of Sarah MacLaughlan's "Angel." He also sang the song he wrote for Tevin Campbell "Shhh," Radiohead's "Creep" which was amazing, and a cover of the Beatles "Come Together." And per tradition, he closed the show with "Purple Rain," asking the audience to coo along with him at the end with "whhhhoooooooooo, hoooooooooo, oooooooooo."

Many people stayed for Prince, but also many left, perhaps to beat traffic, get home by curfew, or just not being into him. I think Prince was there for the older crowd, not teens, since Prince is more of a sort of cult figure, not played on radio and MTV anymore. I also think some of the rock heads weren't into his type of show, which is a classic rock/funk band from the 70's with theatrics, posturing, performance, his endearing to me but maybe not others, diva-ness. Who knows? But man, who walks out on Prince? Isn't that a Coachella crime? And it's also good to note, that Prince was one of the few black acts of the weekend. What up with that? (Maybe one of these years, they should get a reunion of Cult of Personality.)

All in all, it was an AMAZING first time and I look forward to many many more. It was like Disneyland, but instead of rides, you go watch bands. Seriously, the best day of my life!

* Part 2 will discuss the art exhibits. Man o man, can a person be in love with a sculpture? I say, "Yes," because I am obsessed with a metallic piece called Fata Morgana. Absolutley in love with it.

Ham Tran is a Rockstar!

The screening and panel with Ham Tran, director of "Journey from the Fall," was a total hit.

Stats: - 200 + for the screening
- 30 DVD's sold
- Countless autographs of DVD's, books, then even flyers, and then after that, a cardboard trash can. (Okay, that was just me fooling).
- AND dozens of students hanging out after to talk to Ham for over an hour, that, to me, was a miracle in this day and age of various kinds of distractions.

It was so successful, in fact, that Ham didn't have any more DVD's for his next screening in North Carolina. Oops, our bad.

The Q & A was informative as well. I was a bit nervous--it was my first time as moderator, actually--but Ham was smooth as pho noodles. He talked about why he made this film (cause Oliver Stone does not own the Vietnam War story) and how he became a filmmaker (persistence). Professor Mariam Lam discussed the intersection of art and politics, something much more complicated in the Vietnamese American community than at large.

Special shout out to UC Riverside's Asian Pacific Student Programs. Their student coordinators were of professional quality and staffer (and lifelong friend) Billy Caganap busted his chops.

For AAPW, it was a huge success too. Let's hope we can keep this up. There is a need for something like this--a gathering of people, ideas, culture, discussion--in Los Angeles, in Southern California, and the Asian American community. To the stars...

Planet B-Boy should win the Oscar!

Imagine the movie "Spellbound" (one my favorites and very subversive, btw), mixed with the doc "The Freshest Kids" and you've got "Planet B-Boy" THE must-see flick of the year! Here's the ill trailer.

Director Benson Lee follows B-Boy crews from all over the globe (France, Korea, Japan, the US, plus crews from at least 18 other countries) as they prepare for the "Battle of the Year" to determine that year's world champion breakdance crew.

B-Boy Joe from Korea and Ketsu from Japan are straight up sick dancers! Korea's teams not only had ridiculous power moves, they had tons of them, so even if a crew could keep up with their own or have mad style, team Last For One would just come over the top with gravity-defying move after move. Almost not fair.

The dancing is phenomenal, as expected. The shot of the French dancers with the Eiffel Tower in the background is epic and serves as the movie poster. Following and capturing so many crews in so many places, Lee should be commended for his bull-doggedness. Getting Asian families to open up on camera was also impressive. He does a good job of trailing Joe and Ketsu and showing their challenges and issues with their fathers, but I felt cutting away in the final battle into interviews weakend that dance scene. Though it made the film about the people and their story, I thought that scene should have highlighted the dancing above all.

I thought the U.S. team actually had great style, an advanced nuanced style that was ahead of the curve, but that b-boying in Europe was still in a more athletic mode and they were punished for that. They rocked blazers, while everyone else was still in jumpsuits and sweats, which is not how it's done here now.

Like JabbaWockeez from MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew," this film reminded me why I love hip hop so much and no matter what, hip hop (like the Force) can never truly leave you if it was ever really in you in the first place.

Calque at Beyond Baroque (4/19)

Mad traffic on the 405. I hate the westside. Tried a short cut off the 90 that became a long cut and ended up at LMU.

Finally made it to Beyond Baroque in Venice Beach to see readings from Calque, a new journal of translation. This is Jen Hofer, who read beautifully in English and Spanish. She opened with a note that she would be reading in two languages and asked the audience to come along with the sounds. In my new, better world, she won't have to. Especially in L.A. where being bilingual is the norm.

It was so good to be out of the house, in an old theater in an old city hall, listening to someone read poetry. Not that it needs to be said, but it's so much better than staying home and watching TV--it makes you feel human.

On the after-reading tip, I went to the craziest sushi place in Venice ever! (btw, Venice is so not the place I remember from my college days. It is gentrification personified. What was once Dog-Town should now be called Yup-Town). Anyways, this sushi place was called Creative Sushi in Santa Monica. It's hard to describe, but it's L.A. and pastiche through and through: grass huts, Wyoming mountain range wallpaper, plastic plants, UB40 and Bob Marley, and flower trimmed booths. It's B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Was also lucky enough to spend the evening with friend and artist Yoshua Okon, who had just swam in the Los Angeles River the day before and lived (sort of ) to tell the tale. Also got to meet Raymond Pettibon, former flyer maker for Sonic Youth and Black Flag, now do-it-all artist, and one of the funniest people I've ever met.

Jay-Z is a writer, go and dust your shoulders off!

In full chronological disclosure, I attended Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige's "Heart of the City" show at the Hollywood Bowl the night before Jhumpa. But I wanted to open P.O.V. with a literary heavy hitter. It was my first time to the Bowl, but luckily they have shuttle bus service and visual artist Aya Seko and I caught one in from Long Beach.

The concert was amazing, especially the stage, with a touch of old (dual wrap-around stair cases) and new (HD screen backdrop). This is the finale, fireworks raging in the 7o degree night in the Hollywood Hills. Only in L.A. I swear!

And let me tell you, Jay is a lyricist which makes him a writer: " From Bricks to Billboards, from grams to Grammys/The O's to opposite, Orphan Annie."

Btw, I am STILL looking to see who else did this literary/hip hop double-header. Holler!

Jhumpa Lahiri Reading in Brentwood--AAPW exclusive

Pulitzer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri read from her new novel Unaccustomed Earth (Knopf, 2008) at the Brentwood School last night.

We were also treated with a guest interviewer, LA Times Book Editor David Ulin.

These are the basics. More to come. Staff writer Parissa and I have more to share on Brentwood School, the tony prep school nestled in the hills, the audience,
and how Mr. Ulin almost ran her over as he pulled in. All good stuff + lots of quotes + a great interview by David.

We are online...

Check us out at www.aapw-la.org