2007 Sponsors

 

Angels ($250 and above)
Asian American Arts Alliance’s (SOAR) Program
Nora F. De La Paz
Jon & Amy Pineda
Eddie del Rosario
Rebecca Gambito

The National Endowment for the Arts

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
The Peters Ruston Bequest at The University of Virginia
C. Dale Young

Champions ($100 – $249)
Elzie Chan
Saukok Chu
Ram Devineni
Jeph Herrin
Lawson Inada
Chi Lam
Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Linda Nietes
Bino Realuyo
Veronica Realuyo
Libby Santoro
Pavneet Singh
Lemeneh Tefera
Shirley Yra

Friends ($35 – $99)
Pamela Bayless
Kimberly Christensen
Kitty Chan
Sandra Chu
Emily Dalton
Luis Francia
Nukool Kennedy
Kay Kojima
Ann Lien
Vyvyane Loh
Tyler Nguyen & Robert Eaton
Sharon Olds
Ravi Shankar
Dave Simpson
Sean Singer
Eileen Tabios
Charles Valle

I don't think I could have prepared myself for the experience I had at Kundiman. I  came prepared, as a half-Asian poet, to observe and could feel myself wanting to hide the first day we all assembled. I was blown away by Vikas' poem, the first poem we all read together, about his father and the burning of the body. And every single poem I heard as we went around the room reminded me how poets are the vital heart of any society, that we have and are using a great steam-valve, poetry, to remember where we come from, and to discuss this strange state of Asian-American art and poetry. I loved hearing from outside the academy (where I work) about political work and poetry, about slam poetry, poets who demonstrate drive and love for educating others. I felt I had come home to something -- remembering what made me want to write poetry in the first place -- a desire to define my own unique experiences.

--Cynthia Arrieu-King