Conference Information	Adobe Acrobat	Word document
schedule (updated 07.26.01)
waiver
welcome letter
contact info sheet
food and directions

isangmahal arts kollective (seattle) and
i was born with two tongues (chicago) presents:

The 1st National
APIA SPOKEN WORD & POETRY SUMMIT:
"first there was the word...then there was the FIST!"

MISSION:

• establish a national network of progressive artists involved in the APIA community
• to challenge the often peripheral and passive roles the artist is branded within the APIA community and the arts community at-large
• to acknowledge the arts as a critical, elemental component in building, empowering and transforming our community and our selves.

JULY 28 - JULY 30, 2001
Seattle, Washington
@Seattle University

This ground-breaking gathering is the first of its kind to focus in unifying and empowering Asian Pacific Islander American Poets and Spoken Word Artists on a national scale. The theme of the summit, "First there was the WORD...then there was the FIST!" highlights the oral tradition of storytelling and poetry as a fundamental medium for creating culture, preserving history, transforming community, and self.

The summit is 3 Days packed with performances, roundtable discussions and writing intensive workshops & activities including improvisational exercises, mythology creation through ritual, guerilla theater, visual and written ethnography, group poetry and collaborations. (This summit is not for the passive, casual artist. It is performance & writing intensive!)

Through this summit, isangmahal and Two Tongues aim to not only establish a strong network of artists, but also challenge and redefine the role the artist plays in the community.

Co-sponsored by University of Washington Filipino American Student Association, Seattle University United Filipino Club, isangmahal, 2Tongues, and the Northwest Asian American Theater.

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED!

SUMMIT SCHEDULE:

EARLY REGISTRATION:
JULY 27, Friday
WAPIFASA Conference Room, suite 108
606 Maynard Avenue South
(Main Street & Maynard Avenue)

3 - 9 pm: we're hoping most of you fly in, sign in, and get assigned your housing and transportation groups-make sure we know your flight info so we can arrange group pick ups if necessary
RELAX AND GO SEE SEATTLE, why not start in the International District/Chinatown?! ---you're on your own for this evening!

DAY 1:
JULY 28, SATURDAY
Pigott Hall, Atrium @ seattle university
(12th Avenue & Marion Street)

10 - 2 pm: Registration Sign-In (must be completed by 1pm)
Grab your folders & journals, find out who your house and vanmates will be, and take a sneak peak at your first writing exercise.
Art Project: During registration you can also join isangmahal visual artists in a yellow/brown fist making activity.

12 pm -LUNCH (on your own) with your new house & vanmates

OPTIONAL: “Collective Jaywalk”
220 4th Street (in front of Aristocrat’s Club Bar & Grill)
2 pm - In recognition of July 16, 2001 where local Police Officers harassed a group of APIA youth (members of the Northwest Asian American Journal Summer Youth Program) for jaywalking. They were lined up against the wall and detained for 45 minutes. While being interrogated about whether or not they were able to “speak English.”, they were also accused of being from the same country, foreign to the United States.

Northwest Asian American Theater
407 7th Avenue
3 pm- opening performance: isangmahal
including welcoming statement by isangmahal and 2tongues

Pigott Hall, Auditorium @ seattle university
4 pm- THE WORD
• group/individual introductions + icebreakers
• writing warm up exercises
• challenge #1: a group/collaborative writing exercise to be performed the next morning to all attendees!

Pigott Hall, Atrium @ seattle university
7:30 pm-DINNER (provided)

OPTION:
Paradox Theater
5510 University Way
P.A.C.I.F.I.C.S & TYPICAL CATS SHOW
all-ages
$5 admission for summit goers!

I-Spy
1921 5th Avenue (in the Alley)
Triple Threat DJ’s
21 and UP!
$18 admission

DAY 2:
JULY 29, SUNDAY
Pigott Hall, Auditorium @ seattle university

11 am - GROUP PERFORMANCE
group performance of challenge #1

12:30 pm - BREAK OUT SESSION
• discussion/questions about performances or the exercise
• present the next challenge:
LIVING STORIES/ETHNOGRAPHX PROJECT

Pista Sa Nayon @ seward park
1:30 pm-LUNCH
• check out "Pista Sa Nayon"--an annual Filipino festival at Seward Park
• Performance by our very own P.A.C.I.F.I.C.S. and more!!!
• lunch can be found/purchased here
• Ethnography project will be initially developed here

4 pm-BOOTH PERFORMANCE (optional)
ethnographx pieces at isangmahal booth at Pista Sa Nayon

6:30 pm - VANS LEAVE Pista Sa Nayon.

Group Picture @ HING HAY PARK, International District/Chinatown
(Maynard Avenue & King Street)
7:00 pm - Official Summit Group Photograph

First there was the word, then there was the FIST! :
THE SHOWCASE
Northwest Asian American Theater
7:30pm - 11pm
This is a chance for the attending poets and spoken word artists to showcase and share their performance to a wider audience. Each individual and/or group will be given 5 -7 min. to perform their work. A B-boy/girl battle and other performances will open the show and an open mic will close the showcase. This event is opened to the public. This show will also be recorded for a possible live CD project documenting this historical event for future generations.

Note: a table will be set up for the sales/distribution of merchandise from all attending artists. You will be responsible for your sales.

DAY 3: WORKSHOPS!
JULY 30, MONDAY
Pigott Hall, Rooms TBA @ seattle university

11:15 am - 4:15 pm (w/ a lunch break at 1:15)
GROUP LED WORKSHOPS/DISCUSSIONS/PANELS
• all attendees will experience all 4 workshops, each is led by 4 different groups:
• this is a chance to interact and experience how other poetry groups from other regions use their art to empower their communities
• these sessions will vary from creative writing workshops to group led discussions about various issues facing our arts community

workshop A/B timeslot
11:15am - 12:15pm and 12:15pm - 1:15pm

WORKSHOP A
Read My Lips: Maximizing Communication
Workshop presented by Michelle and Catzie of Yellow Rage (Philly)


In this age of emails, cell phones, and two-way pagers, there never seems to be a time when people are not in constant communication with each other. But are we maximizing communication in a way that establishes constructive interactions with other people in all facets of our lives? This interactive workshop facilitated by Michelle Myers and Catzie Vilayphonh of Yellow Rage will examine the importance of communicating productively and will explore the repercussions of miscommunication or misinformation. Through activities, discussion, and writing exercises, participants will be asked to consider the significance of maximizing communication in our personal lives, social activities, political causes, and artistic/creative work and relationships.

WORKSHOP B
Can you pay my bills?: Poetry collectives and their non profits
Workshop presented by Feedback & Asian American Writers' Workshop (NYC)

What are the pros and cons of working with and under various non-profit organizations? In this workshop, Feedback and the Asian American Writers‚ Workshop are going to talk about their relationship when it comes to programming, money, and resources. As a literary organization, the Workshop is more than just feedBack‚s fiscal agent -- how does that manifest itself within the collective? The poets in Feedback will also be able to discuss their relationship with the Workshop and how it helps in the creative process. During this workshop, other poets and collectives will have the opportunity to voice their own experiences working with non-profits as well as learn how the Workshop could be a tool for their endeavors.

1:15 - 2 pm— lunch on your own

workshop C/D timeslot
2:15pm - 3:15pm and 3:15pm - 4:15pm

WORKSHOP C
Isolation, relocation, displacement and invisibility.
Workshop presented by Bao Phi (MN), Ed Bok Lee (MN) & Beau Sia (NYC)

This workshop will focus on discussion, exercises and on-going dialogue as a means to unearth and create what it means to be an Asian in America from the perspective of three very different, and primarily Midwestern, Asian male experiences. The workshop will concentrate on conceptualizing the role of the Asian American artist, his or her "responsibility", and role in the greater Asian American community. We want to make sure you leave the workshop knowing that identity is not a matter of finding an identity to cling but a lifelong process of taking what the individual loves about all things, all identities, and using that to help create, empower, and even reinvent yourself.

WORKSHOP D
Imperialist Globalization 101 + Resistance 199
Workshop presented by Art Concordia & Faith Santilla (L.A.)

Imperialist Globalization 101: Introduction to the inner-workings of a most violent,
sexist, racist, homophobic, evil, anti-people, anti-environment, destructive, greedy capitalist scheme to hoodwink the people.

AND

Resistance 199: Independent study - what artists can do to create a harmony of righteous thought, subversive voices, and resistant action.

Pigott Hall, Room 103 @ seattle university
3:15 pm - DEBRIEF/DISCUSSION

4:30 pm - FAMILY MEETING
• round table discussion of perspective groups, regions, what you do, what you face, what you have to deal with as APIA poets. How can we support one another? How do you use art to create positive change? What’s the next step?

6:30 pm - CLOSING STATEMENT (by 2 tongues & isangmahal)

7 pm - CLOSING DINNER (please bring your money)

SUMMIT NOTE: We highly encourage all attendees to stay through August 5th, for the National Poetry Slam 2001. Though we will not be able to provide housing accommodations and transportation for this event, it is essential that we support our Asian American brothers and sisters and other poets of color at this years national competition while it continues to be dominated by white audiences, venues, and organizers.

Please register for the NPS 2001 online at www.nationalpoetryslam.com

OPTIONAL:

JULY 31, TUESDAY
TOUR OF SEATTLE APIA COMMUNITY
See the community, pay respects to the late Carlos Bulosan, and Bruce Lee, tour Wing Luke Asian Museum, and Seattle with your tour guide, Emily Lawsin.

11 am- Meet outside Executive Inn

AUGUST 1, WEDNESDAY
PRESENT A WORKSHOP
FOR THE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINER SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAM
Take part in a mini-performance/discussion workshop for APIA youth just starting to write poetry.

2 - 4 pm SIGN UP with Maya during the Summit

WORKSHOP PRESENTER BIOs:

Thien-bao Thuc Phi was born in Sai Gon, Viet Nam and raised in the Phillips neighborhood of South Minneapolis. His passion for combining activism with performance poetry began in his teen years, and he hasn't stopped for the past 11 years. He has been a featured performer, speaker on Asian American issues, workshop leader and teacher in numerous schools and venues across the country. He has been published in numerous poetry anthologies, put out two CD's, and is currently working on his chapbook and next CD. In the last five
years, he has been Minnesota's Grand Slam champion twice and placed 2nd the other three times. Last year he placed 6th in the individual
competition of the National Poetry Slam in Providence.

Ed Bok Lee is from the Midwest (Fargo/Minneapolis/St. Paul) and Korea, and has lived throughout California, New York, Russia, and Eurasia. His poems, prose, and translations have been published in such journals as MANOA, APA JOURNAL, and ARTS & LETTERS: JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY CULTURE, among others. Past venues for his plays include: the Joseph Papp Public Theater (NY), Trinity Repertory (RI), East West Players (LA), Theater Mu and the Guthrie Theater (MN). A founding member of Mongrel, a pan Asian poetry/percussion/performance collective out of Minneapolis, he is currently a Writer-in-Residence at the Guthrie Theater. His first chapbook is HEROES WANT TO WORSHIP. 2001 marks his first appearance at the National Poetry Slam.

Beau Sia is the author of "a night without armor II: the revenge." he is also featured in the films "slam," and "slam nation," and has spoken word cd entitled "attack! attack! go!" he has been in various poetry anthologies, has had work featured on espn, and has been a member of two national poetry slam championship teams. he is currently working on a new spoken word album
and book, both to be released in the fall. he loves to cuddle.

Art Concordia I was born and (g)razed in downtown Lost Angeles. I grew up in Echo Park in a 3 bedroom apartment with anywhere from 10-12 other people. Despite this, I grew up with privilege, I got the biggest room. It had a TV and VCR, a phone, refrigerator, stove and the kitchen sink. I was illiterate for most of my life and voiceless for two thirds of it. When I write my pen still stutters and my voice still shakes, but less so now. I moved to San Francisco three years ago and have been learning and teaching social studies with high school students who look and smell, walk and talk just like me. We talk about world and local affairs, concrete and abstract notions of freedom, justice, oppression, love, and hate, among other things. I support every sincere effort to find voice. When their palms sweat and when their mind goes blank and when all they can say is, "um…ah…" I tell them, "good job!" I was once like them - actually still am, kinda. I manifest the spirit of resistance of generations past. I'm an activist/teacher/student/organizer/writer and I work with the League of Filipino Students and the Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines.

Faith Santilla is a 24-year-old Pinay poet born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She is currently a member of GABRIELA Network, an International Women's Rights Group, and also a founding member of the Balagtasan Collective, which is comprised of pro-community Poets, Photographers DJs and activists. She currently serves as a counselor/case manager for "at-risk" high school youth at Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA). Among other things, she has served as a national spokesperson for Rock the Vote's community organizing campaign, is featured in Fred Ho's anthology, "Legacy to Liberation" (AK Press), and most recently performed in L.A.'s SOL Festival benefit concert. Her current projects include curating the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture's 3rd annual Poetry Slam, serving as co-producer for Grand Performances, and teaching her 1-year-old daughter how to color

Jeannie L. Wong graduated from Hampshire College with a focus on Asian American Studies, Race Studies and U.S. History. She used to be an artist in her youth, but now likes to make books, bracelets and cook. She is currently Administrative Director of The Asian American Writers' Workshop.

Nancy Yap is a Chinese Filipino activist that was born and raised in the Cleveland area. She is the current bookstore manager at the Asian American Writers' Workshop. She has organized numerous readings, concerts, and workshops in the New York City area and is the manager of the feedBACK poets collective.

The Asian American Writers‚ Workshop, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation, development, publication and dissemination of Asian American literature. The Workshop publishes books on Asian America, The Asian Pacific American Journal, and a literary magazine Ten; sponsors readings; offers creative writing workshops; presents performances; offers fellowships to aspiring Asian American writers; produces CreateNow ˜ a youth program; presents The Annual Asian American Literary Awards; and operates
The Asian American Bookseller ˜ the most comprehensive collection of Asian American books and magazines in the country.

feedBACK is a pan-Asian, New York City based performance poetry troupe whose nine poets, one musician, and one activist speak the words needed to be spoken to intiate dialogue and give voice to new chapters of consciousness. Their eclectic language is a voice of resistance against the misconceptions that bind Asian America. They have helped to create (re)collection, an open mic series sponsored by The Asian American Writers' Workshop that provides an "open space to recollect the spirits and stories of Asian Pacific America." feedBACK is also an active part of "Poetry: Brought to you by the Letter A," a program that visits different schools in the New York City area to teach Asian American Literature and to run writing workshops.
FeedBack Members: Tim Arevalo, Chia-Ti Chiu, Julie Hwang, Kai Ma, Ishle Yi Park, Beau Sia, Taiyo Takeda, F. Omar Telan, Masaki Yamagata, Nancy Yap, and Helen Yum.

Catzie Vilayphonh and Michelle Myers made their first appearance together as "Black Hair, Brown Eyes, Yellow Rage" in December 2000 at the Russell Simmon’s Def Poetry Slam in Philadelphia, where they made the semi-finals. In March 2001, they represented Def Poetry Jam at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, sharing the stage with Jessica Care Moore, Black Ice, Taylor Mali and Steve Colman. They have also been honored to perform with other amazing spoken word artists, such as Ursula Rucker and Beau Sia. Together, Michelle and Catzie are a dynamic duo of Philly-based Asian American female spoken word poets. Both are part of the larger Asian American Philadelphia performance collective "Something to Say," led by Gary San Angel of Peeling the Banana fame. Through their voices, Catzie and Michelle hope to provide an awareness that is not often heard. Exploring topics from fetishes to cultural appropriation to ethnic pride, Yellow Rage challenges mainstream misconceptions of Asianness.

NATIONAL POETRY SLAM
August 1- 5, 2001
For the most up to date schedule for NPS 2001, visit: www.nationalpoetryslam.com

Festival passes and single tickets to may be purchased in advance with check, money order or Visa/MasterCard via mail:

NPS 2001
1122 E Pike St #1166
Seattle WA 98122

(include your name, mailing address, (cc billing address if different), phone number, email, # of tickets; if paying by credit card, include cc#, expiration date, and name on card.)

OR passes only may be purchased online via Ticketweb.com starting approximately Friday, July 20.

Tickets to Finals at The Paramount Theatre on Saturday may be purchased online over the phone with Ticketmaster, and also by walking up to The Paramount Theatre Box Office, 911 Pine St, Seattle WA 98101.

JULY 31, TUESDAY
11am-7pm
continues through Sunday August 5.
Poetry Slam Photo Exhibition, David Huang
"Poetry Slam—A Sampled Perspective"
Photographer David Huang curated this collection of works by documenters of the poetry slam movement that detail it's rich and vibrant history.
ArtStar Project [free]

AUGUST 2, WEDNESDAY
8 pm-9:30 pm
First bouts of preliminary competition. These bouts face-off four cities and two unaffiliated individual competitors as they vie for spots in Friday's Semi-Final contest. Judges are selected from the audience. (venues listed below) [festival pass or $5 at the door each venue]

10 pm-11:30pm
Second bouts of preliminary competition.
[festival pass or $5 at the door each venue]
Theatre Off Jackson, Northwest Asian American Theatre
New Orleans Creole Restaurant [21 and over after 10 pm]
Zasu [21 and over]
Doc Maynard's [21 and over]
Contour [21 and over after 10 pm]
Sit-n-Spin [21 and over]
ReBar [21 and over]

AUGUST 3, THURSDAY

1:30 - 3pm
APIA SHOWCASE SHOW @Northwest Asian American Theater
Produced by isangmahal
Featuring some groups/individuals in summit

10-11:30 pm
Second bouts of preliminary competition.
Theatre Off Jackson, Northwest Asian American Theatre
New Orleans Creole Restaurant [21 and over after 10 pm]
Zasu [21 and over]
Doc Maynard's [21 and over]
The Crocodile Café [21 and over]
Sit-n-Spin [21 and over]
ReBar [21 and over]
[festival pass or $5 at the door each venue]

AUGUST 4, FRIDAY
EVENT SEMI-FINALS!
7:30 pm-8:30 pm
Exhibition rounds: 2 teams go head to head for bragging rights!
The Crocodile Café [21 and over]
ReBar [21 and over]
Sit-n-Spin [21 and over]
[festival pass or $10 each venue]

9 pm-10:30 pm
Team Semi-Finals: The top 16 teams duke it out-each bout's winners advance to Saturday Night's Finals Competition.
King Cat Theater
The Crocodile Café [21 and over]
ReBar [21 and over]
Sit-n-Spin [21 and over]
[festival pass or $10 each venue]

11 pm-12:30 am
Individual Semi-Finals.
The Nation's Top 10 performance poets go 2 rounds to earn a spot in Saturday's Finals Competition!
King Cat Theater
[festival pass or $10 each venue]

AUGUST 5, SATURDAY
FINALS
8 pm
After a week of elimination rounds, the nation's top 4 teams and 6 individual competitors share the stage in this final performance and a shot at some serious prize money. This is poetry-experienced.
The Paramount Theatre [festival pass with ticket or $17]

Asian American poets who will be represented at NPS 2001:
these are just the ones we know about, we're sure there are others
and plus some of the cities are still selecting their teams:

Marlon Esguerra (Chicago)
Dennis Kim (Chicago)
Maria McCray (Chicago)
Beau Sia (Manhattan)
Thien-bao Thuc Phi (Minneapolis)
Ishle Park (Union Square)
F.Omar Telan (Union Square--alt)

NPS VENUE LIST