University of Illinois at Chicago Office of Public Affairs (MC 288)
601 S. Morgan St., Chicago, IL 60607-7113, (312) 996-3456, www.uic.edu/depts/paff

February 19, 2001

Contact: Anne Dybek (312) 996-8279; adybek@uic.edu

UIC HOSTS ASIAN-AMERICAN WRITERS CONFERENCE

The University of Illinois at Chicago is hosting a two-day Asian-American Writers Conference. The conference will feature highly acclaimed Asian-American poets, writers, scholars and performing artists who will share their work and discuss Asian-American literature.

"This is truly an exciting event, not only for Chicago's Asian-American community but anyone interested in fiction and poetry," said Rocio Davis, visiting professor of English and event coordinator. "Many of the writers joining us are nationally recognized literary talents who transcend the boundaries of the Asian-American label."

All conference events will be held at the Chicago Circle Center, Room 605, 750 South Halsted, unless otherwise indicated. The conference is free and open to the public, except where noted. For more information, call Rocio Davis, (312) 413-5184 or visit the Web site.

The event schedule is as follows:

Friday, Feb. 23

Registration: Registration is encouraged, but not required. 8-9 a.m.

Welcome Address: UIC Chancellor Sylvia Manning. 9 a.m.

Lecture: "Poetry and Social History," by Garrett Hongo. Hongo's most recent book is "Volcano: A Memoir of Hawaii." 9 a.m. (immediately following Chancellor Manning's remarks).

Poetry Reading: Li-Young Lee, author of "The Winged Seed: A Remembrance," Myung Mi Kim and Christian Langworthy will read poetry selections and discuss their work. 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lecture: "That's Ethnotainment!: Performing Ethnicity in Asian-American Fiction." Rachel Lee, author of "The Americas of Asian-American Literature." 2:30-4 p.m.

Fiction Reading: Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Shauna Singh Baldwin and Heinz Insu Fenkl will share readings and discuss their work. 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Riksha Performance: Featuring the work of local Asian-American artists: Ed Eusebio, Sapna Kumar, Chika, and the Angel Island Theater Group. Sponsored by Riksha, the Asian-American Literary Journal. Decima Musa Restaurant, 1901 S. Loomis St. (one block south of 18th St., two blocks east of Ashland). Performance begins at 9 p.m. $10 general admission, $7 students.

Saturday, Feb. 24

Lecture: "Towards a Critical Community: Post Colonialism and Asian-American Literature." Samir Dayal, assistant professor of English, Bentley College. 9-10:30 a.m.

Session on Life Writing: Garrett Hongo, Sylvia Watanabe and David Mura offer their perspectives. 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Closing Remarks: Richard Lim, Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Asian-Americans. 1 p.m.

This event is sponsored by: Office of the Provost, Chancellor's Committee on the Status of Asian- Americans, Humanities Institute, The Graduate College, Campus Programs, English Department, Asian- American Student Organizations at UIC, Student Activities Funding Committee, Asian Studies Committee, Illinois Arts Council, Chicago Commission on Human Relations, Advisory Council on Asian Affairs and the Office of the Governor.

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