Page Turner: Asian American Literary Festival
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Asians have come a long way in this nation’s history. From the humble beginnings of a railroad worker, many Asian immigrants of that time have settled here and gave birth to a new generation of Asians—Asian Americans. On November 14th, The Asian American Writers’ Workshop hosted its most ambitious project yet: “Page Turner—The Asian American Literary Festival” in D.U.M.B.O, Brooklyn. This event featured 7 hours of successful Asian American writers, critics, and entertainers. The last hour of the show was an awards ceremony, to honor and recognize those outstanding Asian American writers for their literary excellence. Though I did not stay for the whole festival, I did get to hear 3 rounds of readings: “Hard-boiled India: Stories from the Delhi Noir Anthology,” “The New Eclectics,” and “Beyond Harold and Kumar: Representation in a Not-Yet-Post-Racial Era.” My favorite was “The New Eclectics.” This reading featured four writers who had set out to create a new quirky and comedic genre in Asian American literature. One of the best performers there was Jen Kwok, who stood up and while strumming her little bass, proceeded to sing original songs. Though vulgar in language and theme, I found this to be a refreshing change to the traditional, White-man’s expectations of Asian American literature. It’s nice to see a move away from Amy Tan’s stereotypical “Joy Luck Club” writings. This whole festival showed just how Asian Americans have progressed over the years—we have successfully infused eastern and western traditions.
