In early 1998, the Asian American Writers' Workshop (AAWW) will releaseBLACK LIGHTNING (formerly known as IN PROGRESS), a collection of poetry-in-progress essays and interviews.
The book features Eileen Tabios (editor of The Asian Pacific American Journal), who will discuss the development of particular poems (featuring early drafts leading to the final drafts of each poem) with some of the country's leading poets: Meena Alexander, Indran Amirthanayagam, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, Luis Cabalquinto, Marilyn Chin, Sesshu Foster, Jessica Hagedorn, Kimiko Hahn, Garret Hongo, Li Young Lee, Timothy Liu, David Mura, Arther Sze (who also will write an introductory essay) and John Yau. BLACK LIGHTNING is the first ever publication of poetry-in-progress articles showcasing Asian American poets.
BLACK LIGHTNING was created in response to the first poetry-in-progress article published in The APA Journal's Fall/Winter 1995 issue. This essay, featuring 1997 Guggenheim Fellowship awardee Arthur Sze, not only elicited an enthusiastic response nationwide but subsequently, was used by certain universities in classes focused on creative writing and/or Asian American literature.
Thus, AAWW decided to publish BLACK LIGHTNING in the hopes pf expanding the dialogue on Asian American poetics--and do so in a reader-friendly fashion. BLACK LIGHTNING was recently rewarded a 1997 grant by the Witter Bynner Foundation of Poetry, Inc.
BLACK LIGHTNING was chosen as the book's title from the poem by Arthur Sze:
A blind girl
stares at me,
then types put ten lines
in braille.
The air has a scent
of sandalwood and arsenic;
a night-blooming cereus
blooms on a dark path.
I look at the
short and long flow
of the lines;
and guess at garlic,
the sun, a silver desert rain,
and palms.
Or is it simply
about hands,
a river of light,
the ear of a snail,
or rags?
And stunned, I feel
the nerves of my hand flashing
in the dark, feel
the world as black
lightning.
Experience the world of BLACK LIGHTNING, and save money by placing an ADVANCE ORDER that will shave off shipping/handling costs and provide a $2 discount off the book's retail price of $16.95 (add 8.25% tax for New York State residents). Fill out and send the information below with your checks (made out to the "Asian American Writer's Workshop") to:Asian American Writer's Workshop
37 St. Marks Place, Suite B
New York, NY 10025
Attn: Eileen Tabios
No. of Copies__________________ Amount Enclosed:__________________________
Name:_____________________________
Address:___________________________
__________________________________(Sample all-in-prices: one copy for N.Y. residents, $16, $18; non-N.Y. residents, $14.95)