Posted on 04/23/2023 10:56:31 PM PDT by KingofZion
Stanford’s Creative Writing program hosted poet Hieu Minh Nguyen in the Poetry-in-Conversation interview series on Wednesday....
Nguyen’s works were heavily influenced by his gay and Vietnamese American identities. “Not Here” conveys his experiences struggling to come to terms with whiteness, trauma and belonging.
However, Nguyen’s career as a poet began with a seemingly unrelated piece of 2000’s pop culture: the movie “8 Mile,” which was released during his teens. A semi-autobiographical film of the rapper Eminem’s life, the popularity of “8 Mile” led to rap battles on Nguyen’s school bus. Nguyen recalled having an “overwhelming anxiety” that one day his classmates would expect him to join in.
“And so I’d go home, and I would write and memorize poems in anticipation of the day I was expected to join the rap battle,” Nguyen said. Although he didn’t end up being picked on, he learned to use poetry to participate in the world f . or the first time
Many of his poems today revolve around his mother and his complex relationship with her, as she gradually comes to terms with his queerness. In the poem titled “Nguyen,” his mother’s positive reaction to his coming-out and having a white male partner completely throws him off. “What do you do with tenderness when all you expect is fury?,” Nguyen contemplates. Eventually, he comes to understand that her “forgiveness” of his queerness stems from her relief that his partner “looks like he will keep you [Nguyen] safe.”
Nguyen opened the interview with a reading of the first poem in the “Not Here” collection, “Lesson”: “Asian men ain’t shit, her voice a loose cork / Đàn ông của mìn không tốt & I think about my father […] Leave. All you do is leave.”
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(Excerpt) Read more at stanforddaily.com ...
All “8 Mile” reminds me of is not to go to Wayne county. And the fact that I’m out of Faygo.
CC
Hmm. I’m going to try my hand at writing an honest poem about “queerness” Here we go:
QUEERNESS
Dreams of fists
Shoved up my butt
I am an amoral slut
Got my K.Y. set to go
Open mouth, ready to blow
Anus being ripped to shreds
Poop-stained sheets adorn my bed
Prowling all the glory holes
Servicing all stranger’s poles
Doctor visits every week
Is the price for going “Greek.”
If you don’t approve of me
Feds are going to visit thee. . .
instant Grammy
Heh, we lived on the other end of 8 Mile where it is the border for Livingston and Washtenaw counties, dirt road and all that. It is a rather bucolic area mixed with woods and farmland, fantastic place to live compared to going the other way going east where you have a decent chance (about 45 miles) to the Detroit border and getting robbed, beaten, murdered, carjacked or other nasty activity.
That right there is one Nobel laureate quality pome, sir.
Ship the boy’s ass back to Vietnam. They’ll help him out with his “queerness” gig.
LOL. WTF does that mean?
Excellent!
You sir are now the official poet laureate of FreeRepublic.
He should move to North Philly, there's loads of diversity that'll embrace him.
I accept the honor! More on the way!
LOL! A classic!
This is more gold than any awards trophy in human history
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