November Literary Bridges

“This month we celebrate a sliver of the contribution Asian women  make to the Literary community of the region,” says Stan Kusunoki, Co-host/curator of the Literary Bridges reading series. “I hope this reading will encourage readers and writers to take a deeper dive into the diverse Asian community that enriches Twin Cites .”



The roster includes:



Lia Rivamonte received grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, MRAC’s Next Step fund and a residency at Wellspring House, among others. Her poetry chapbook, Tell Me When You Get There, was published in 2019 by Finishing Line Press. She is currently and possibly forever working on a novel along with a few travel essays from a trip to the Philippines she made a few years back. She has an MFA in Painting from the U of M and lives in St. Paul’s Little Bohemia neighborhood.



Wang Ping is a poet, writer, photographer, performance and multimedia artist. Her publications have been translated into multiple languages and include poetry, Short stories, novels, cultural studies and children’s stories. Her multimedia exhibitions address the global themes of industrialization, the environment, interdependency, and the people. She is the recipient of numerous awards, a professor of English, and founder of the Kinship of Rivers project



Npaus Baim  is an educator and storyteller, who collects the narratives of Asian Americans. She is pursuing a Master of Arts in Creative Writing and Publishing at St. Thomas University. Currently, she works with the Asian Economic Development Association as an Arts & Culture Coordinator. In 2019 to 2021, she was published in #MinneAsianStories with Coaliation of Asian American Leaders, Staring Down the Tiger, and The Summit Avenue Review



Minna Zhou (they/them) is a second generation Chinese American writer, radio producer, and DJ. Their writing has appeared in publications such as Pitchfork, The Fader, MTV, City Pages (RIP), and others. They maintain a blog called Shrimp Chips (shrimpchips.blog), which centers on issues in and across "Asian America"--a term they recognize as flawed but that they still think can be powerful. You can also catch them on KFAI 90.3 FM every Thursday 10am-12pm CT, where they host MSG Radio, a show that explores musical traditions & innovations of the vast and complex Asian Diaspora (and beyond!).