If you need a reminder that you can write anything you can conceive of, this interview is for you. My guest, Bryan Thao Worra, explains how his experience as a first generation Asian American, reading his way through high and low American culture, made him the writer he is. Along the way we talk about poetry, democracy, and Kyle Baker's under-examined graphic novel Why I Hate Saturn.

Bryan Thao Worra is an award-winning Lao American poet based in Minneapolis and one of the first to come to the United States after the Vietnam War ended 50 years ago. The author of 10 collections, including his later, American Laodyssey from Sahtu Press, his work has been published across the globe, including the 2012 London Summer Games. He was the first Asian American president of the international Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association. His literary journey incorporates history, science fiction, fantasy, horror and poetry to explore how people make a transition to democracy in diaspora. You can follow his blog at https://thaoworra.wordpress.com or online at https://www.youtube.com/thaoworra

Catch DJ Diego Dela Rosa's AAPI focused playlist at This Playlist Made Me: Celebrate.

And, as always, you can follow the latest about the pod:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisbookmademe/

email: thisbookmademe@gmail.com

If you think that classic novels are irrelevant, my guest is here to change your mind. In this conversation, Diego Dela Rosa explains how the French novel, from the 18th century, provides hope against impossible circumstances, and makes the case for irreverent humor and community.

Diego Dela Rosa is your classic Los Angeles based multi-hyphenate: arts programmer, writer, archivist, playlist maker, line dancer, gamer, Real Housewives aficionado, and tinned fish enthusiast. He holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Curatorial Practices and the Public Sphere from the USC Roski School of Art and Design, and currently works as the Coordinator of Learning at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Born in 2000, Diego’s experience growing up in a post-Y2K world has been formative in building their perspective, and thus their practice. Being queer, trans non-binary, and a Chicano Chula Vista native, much of their work taps into a resonant feeling of liminality they’ve always found comfort in. She always aims to show the meaning and value of things often labelled as frivolous, and to spread the power of irreverence in very heavy times.

Catch Diego's very special playlist This Mixtape Made Me: Cope for the full experience.

And, as always, you can follow the latest about the pod:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisbookmademe/

email: thisbookmademe@gmail.com

If you're looking for a short book that packs a wallop, we have just the one for you! In this episode, my guest Matt Davis happens upon a book at his local bookstore, and it grounds our conversation about the state of reading in our current attention economy, the perils of the publishing industry, and how we can push ourselves to break out of our reading ruts. If you're not familiar with Helen DeWitt--a real writer's writer--you're in for a treat. We're talking about her tiny but powerful novel The English Understand Wool, and its savvy and subversive protagonist.

Matt Davis is a writer and PR consultant in Manhattan where he lives with his wife Logan and four-year-old son, Freddy. He writes a daily newsletter called Matt Davis Reads the Newspaper So You Don't Have To if you'd like to hear more from him. (Protip: check out Matt's daily LinkedIn series, where he reads the news via video, too!)

At the end of the episode, you can catch DJ Diego Dela Rosa's playlist, curated especially for this episode: volume 6 of This Mixtape Made Me: Subvert

And, as always, you can follow the latest about the pod:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisbookmademe/

email: thisbookmademe@gmail.com