It takes a village to make a poet. Let me introduce you to a few from my village.
“ASSIMILATION” was previously published in Homeland Insecurities and the O.K.A.Y. (Overseas Korean Artists e-Yearbook), #5. “For My Mother” was performed at the 2017 Listen To Your Mother show in Burbank, CA. “After I Left” was previously published as “After I Left Korea” in the 2017 City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Calendar and Cultural Guide. “Return to Sender” was previously published in Cultural Weekly, reprinted in Portside and included in the Arts + Advocacy: Citizenship for All Adoptees event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Much gratitude to the team at Rare Bird! Thank you Tyson Cornell, Julia Callahan, and Alice Marsh-Elmer for reading my entire manuscript and venturing into the world of poetry! To the entire Rare Bird team—Hailie Johnson, Gregory Henry, Jake Levens, and Guy Intoci—thank you for bringing this book to life!
Love and eternal gratitude to Mongrel, The Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) Spoken Word and Poetry Summit, Summit founders I Was Born With Two Tongues and Isangmahal and the 2011 Twin Cities Summit Organizing Committee. The Summit Family provided a space for me to connect with 1st generation and contemporary APIA poets and find my way through this jungle of a journey called life!
Thank you to the cofounders and founding members of Adoptee Solidarity Korea (ASK) in Seoul. You all are trailblazers and revolutionaries. You took an unpopular yet necessary stand on an important human rights issue and provided a space for me to voice my many conflicting thoughts and feelings on inter-country adoption that now live in these pages. We are nearly mission accomplished!
Adoptee Solidarity Korea – Los Angeles (ASK-LA), the Global Overseas Adoptees’ Link (G.O.A.’L), the Dual Citizenship Planning Committee, and Koroot, your solidarity and commitment to equality and justice have weathered many a storm and continue to provide a light for generations to come.
Thank you to the many workshops and open-mics that nurtured my growth as a writer in Minnesota, Seoul and Los Angeles and all those from whom I’ve taken a workshop: Asian American Renaissance, Diaspora Flow, Equilibrium, Party Benefit & Jam, Our Mic, #90X90LA and Writ Large Press, The Poetry Lab in Long Beach, The Poetry Salon, The Anansi Writers’ Workshop at The World Stage, Kaya Press, Studio Karimi, Rooftop Studios, the Allied Media Conference, and so many more.
Beau Sia, you made me stand on the ledge, literally. You helped me do the challenging work of owning and believing in My Words, My Life, My Voice. Thank you!
Jaha Zainabu, you are a model for any poet. I am blessed to know and learn from you!
Arianna Lady Basco, much appreciation for curating and editing a manuscript that sings. Thank you for pushing me out of my comfort zone in Our Mic’s round #2.
Thank you Karen Gee for your expert legal advice!
Peace and love to AKoldPiece, Cynthia Allesandra Briano, Camari Carter-Hawkins, Jessica Ceballos, HyunJu Chappell, Jaye Cho, Jenna Cho, Chiwan Choi, Tammy Chu, Sharon Chung, Alexis Rhone Fancher, Angela Franklin, Cynthia Guardado, Andrea Gutierrez, David Hall, Robert Karimi, Nicole Kim, Annie Koh, Linda Kwon, Vincent Kuneen, Paul Mabon, David Mura and our virtual Asian American Writers class, Juliana Hu Pegues, Taia Perry, Bao Phi, Reverdia ‘da River Woman, Siwaraya Rochanahusdin, Juyeon Rhee, Kim Stoker, Anne Sjogen, Natalia Sylvester, Kelly Grace Thomas, Suzanne Weerts, Dana Weiser, Tanya Wenning and Betsy Yoon. You and many more have played a role in my author journey from Minnesota to Seoul to Los Angeles!
Eternal love and peace to the late Joy De La Cruz and Brandon Lacy Campos. Your fire and light will always inspire me. Rest in Power!
Mil gracias to Las Dos Brujas Writers’ Workshop and Chris Abani for the opportunity to learn in La Mision!
Last but indeed not least many thanks to Community Literature Initiative (CLI) and Founder & Director Professor Hiram Charles Sims. Your mission to make books and get us on the shelf made these pages a reality. This book would not exist without your passion for poetry and vision to make authors! Much gratitude and love to the CLI family. Special thanks to Year 3 Poetry and Extension, especially in naming my book!