Kanlaon

Kundiman Asian American Poetry Retreat

June 25 – 29, 2008
University of Virginia, Charlottesville

In order to help mentor the next generation of Asian American poets, Kundiman sponsors an annual Poetry Retreat at The University of Virginia. During the Retreat, nationally renowned Asian American poets will conduct workshops and provide one-on-one mentorship sessions with participants. Readings and informal social gatherings will also be scheduled. Through this Retreat, Kundiman hopes to provide a safe and instructive environment that identifies and addresses the unique challenges faced by emerging Asian American poets. This 5-day Retreat will take place from Wednesday to Sunday. Workshops will be conducted from Thursday to Saturday. Workshops will not exceed six students.

2008 Faculty

Bei Dao is the author of poems that were a major source of inspiration during the April Fifth Democracy Movement of 1976, a peaceful demonstration in Tiananmen Square. His books of poetry include Unlock (2000); At the Sky’s Edge: Poems 1991-1996 (1996), for which David Hinton won the Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from The Academy of American Poets; Landscape Over Zero (1995); Forms of Distance (1994); Old Snow (1991); and The August Sleepwalker (1990). His awards and honors include the Aragana Poetry Prize from the International Festival of Poetry in Casablanca, Morocco, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He has been a candidate several times for the Nobel Prize in Literature, and was elected an honorary member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Tan Lin is a writer, artist, and critic. He is the author of the poetry collections Lotion Bullwhip Giraffe (Sun & Moon Press) and BlipSoak01 (atelos). His visual and video work has been exhibited at the Yale Art Museum (New Haven), the Sophienholm (Copenhagen), and the Marianne Boesky Gallery (New York City). His writing has appeared in a variety of contemporary literary and cultural journals, including Conjunctions, Purple, Black Book, and Cabinet. He is a professor of English and creative writing at New Jersey City University.

Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of At the Drive-In Volcano and Miracle Fruit (Tupelo Press), winner of the Tupelo Press Judge’s Prize, the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award in poetry, and the Global Filipino Award. Her poetry and essays have been widely anthologized and have appeared in Prairie Schooner, Black Warrior Review, FIELD, Mid-American Review and Tin House. She is associate professor of English at the State University of New York-Fredonia, where she is a recipient of the campus-wide Hagan Young Scholar Award and the SUNY
Chancellor’s Medal of Scholarly and Creative Activities.

Application Process

Send five to seven (5-7) paginated, stapled pages of poetry, with your name included on each page. Include a cover letter with your name, address, phone number, e-mail address and a brief paragraph describing what you would like to accomplish at the Kundiman Asian American Poetry Retreat. Include a SAS postcard if you want an application receipt. Manuscripts will not be returned. No electronic submissions, please.

Mail application to:

Kundiman
245 Eighth Avenue #151
New York, NY 10011

Submissions must be postmarked between February 1, 2008 and March 1, 2008.

Fees

Tuition: Free to accepted fellows through donations from foundation, corporate and government sources, and the generosity of individuals.

Room & Board: Room and Board for the retreat is $325.

Questions?
Please e-mail any questions to info@kundiman.org