“As an adoptee, I have a life that must be written in pencil, never ink, because everything I know about myself could be changed in an instant.”

~ Bryan Thao Worra

By Catzie Vilayphonh  |  Send to Friend

Bryan Thao Wora is a rare anomoly. First off he's a Lao American writer. There's probably 6 of us in the U.S. total. When we first met we argued over which one of us first coined the phrase "Laos in The House", of which the winner is yet to be determined. But you shouldn't know Bryan for being part of a small ethnic percentage, but because he's also part of the small pool of talented artists (trust me, we have wack Lao artists too, but they're not worth the rap right now), an artist of color living in the Midwest state of Minnesota of all places. Bryan is our Laotian Langston Hughes, his book On the Other Side of The Eye has been critically acclaimed and co-signed by many other authors, writers and artists and his poems have been featured internationally. He also sits on the literary board for Bakka Magazine, and is a contributing writer for eye.d magazine.

When I grow up I want to be like Bryan Thao Worra. Here's what he had to say.

 

Catz: What is your full name and what is it that you do?

Bryan: Fun question. Depending on whom you ask it's Bryan Thao Worra, but that's shortened from Bryan Somnouk Kaj Siab Douglas Thao Worra Silosoth or any number of shorter variations thereof. "Hey, you" also works. I'm a writer and community activist.

Catz: How did you decide that you would become a literary renaissance man?

Bryan: Like most people, I wouldn't say that I chose my path as much as it chose me.

When I was presented with a short story writing assignment in the fifth grade, I did so well that it became clear I had a talent for it. One that, in the foolishness typical of rebellious youth, I tried to resist for years.

But finally, I came to terms with my path when I realized: no matter what I was doing, whether I was working in a pizza kitchen in Ohio or a high priced consultant in Washington D.C., I still had to finish whatever poem or short story I was working on at the time.

Catz: Who are your influences?

Bryan: My teachers were almost always good friends. I never saw them as adversaries. There are far too many writers to list, but they're from around the world. Borges, Kafka, Lovecraft, Eco, Yevtushenko, McHugh and Komunyakka consistently rise to the top of my piles however, as do the old folktales.

Catz: You have many jobs and titles, but what is it that you enjoy writing about most?

Bryan: The world not just as it's been, as it is, and as it can be, but even as it never will be. Just because I think it's important to remember as we make our choices in life, what we've given up along the way as well. But beyond that, everything interests me. When we see so much stretching beyond us and within us, how can we not be curious?

Catz: How did you come up with the title for On The Other Side of The Eye?

Bryan: A look at my poetry often reveals a love of language and the idea that language is fluid. I wanted a title that played with perspective. There are at least two sides to every eye: looking outward, and looking inward. And as Laotian Americans, we're often regarded as 'The Other' or the alien.

Our war in the 20th century is often referred to as "The Secret War' but it certainly wasn't secret to us. We were right in the center of it.

Ultimately, my book is a way of showing what's inside of me, and me looking outwardly at what's inside of you, too, and those things that are outside of all of us.

Catz: You were adopted, correct? How has that shaped your life, if at all?

Bryan: I was adopted and that shaped a lot of my perspective about issues of certainty and our connection to others in the world. As an adoptee, I have a life that must be written in pencil, never ink, because everything I know about myself could be changed in an instant.

Catz: Have you been back to Laos, if so, how many times?

Bryan: I went back to Laos for the first time in 2003, 30 years since I was born there in the city of Vientiane. I was going there for many reasons, but also to look for my family. I finally found them and have been in touch ever since.

Catz: What's it like living in Minnesota?

Bryan: Lots of snow when it snows, and many cold nights, but the company of so many Asian American artists and writers and a community that clearly enjoys the deeper pursuits of literature and expression in a supportive community make it an amazing place.

You see Hmong poets and Japanese writers with Lao American hip hop artists, Korean Adoptee actresses and taiko drummers working with Latin American and Liberian spoken word performers, Indian playwrights, Somalian musicians and so many others exchanging idea. It's a good time to be here.

Catz: Why is there such a high concentration of Lao and Hmong people living in the Midwest, you think?

Bryan: A lot of it is economics and social policies in the Midwest, and a good transport infrastructure that makes it easy to get to several states where we can practice a good balance of agricultural and professional vocations. It's VERY different of course from the old country, but we've always been very adaptable cultures.

Catz: You think there's any hope that Laotians will become recognized beyond "King of the Hill" references in mainstream media?

Bryan: Absolutely. But that's where the writers and artists are going to come in.

Catz: What is your advice for anyone who wants to write? How does one stay focused?

Bryan: You need to develop a sense of the value of your own great story within you. Read widely, and be patient with yourself to discover your own process. Don't worry about trying to write like other people -- it's your own voice that you should find.

Catz: Does your family in Laos know and understand what it is that you do? how do both of your families feel about your career as a writer?

Bryan: Mom and my sisters have an idea of what I do for a living. It's hard explaining that being a writer is not like being a rapper or a movie star, or explaining why people get paid for writing books, especially books of poems. But after the first year or so, and once my book arrived, they finally got it. I think. At least, my sisters do.

One of the best feelings in the world was that my kid sisters actually got my work. Mom? Well, she just smiles, as long as it lets me come home.

Both sides of my family are supportive of my work as a writer. And as long as I'm not living homeless in the streets or making the 6 o'clock news like O.J. they're happy.

Bryan is currently at work on his newest book Barrow, which will be released in Spring 09. To check out what else he may be up to go to thaoworra.blogspot.com