Ka Vang, reading at Intermedia Arts in 2007. Staff file photo by Jeff Wheeler.
"Hmong Women Write Now," a retreat for 50 Hmong women to study the art of creative writing, will take place in early September in Frontenac, Minn., in a castle along the banks of the Mississippi River. (OK, not a real castle. But a lovely stone-and-turretted structure that could be a castle, if Minnesota had castles.)
Hmong women have always been at the forefront of the Hmong American literary arts movement, May Lee-Yang, interim executive director of the Hmong Arts Connection, said in a statement. "We've used literature as a vehicle ot tell our stories, educate others and build community. Now it's time to develop a new generation of writers and artists."
At the retreat, Hmong literary artists--including Ka Vang and Mai Neng Moua--will lead workshops on spoken word, paj ntaug (Hmong story cloths), magical realism, journalism, and other forms of storytelling.
The conference will be Sept. 9-11 at Villa Maria Retreat and Conference Center.
Organizers believe this three-day conference is the first ever geared to Hmong women. Women from high school age on up are welcome to apply; a grant from the Minnesota States Arts Board (funded in part by the Legacy amendment) will provide scholarships for many participants. Register online here.
