boston progress radio

A couple of friends of Boston Progress Arts Collective has embarked on a new adventure to spread positive facts and debunk old lies about Asian Americans—to tell everyone how awesome Asian Americans are behind the wheel.

Kit Yan—transgendered champion slam poet—and Melissa Li—lesbian folkrocker—are driving across the country in a small automobile, spreading their music and words wherever they go. Both of them featured at East Meets Words last year and I had the privilege of interviewing them for Boston Progress Radio.

You can follow them on their cross country journey as they travel through 30 states and 20 major cities, seeking out the Asian American and queer communities, and representing voices that are not often heard. Read about their adventures on their blog and check when they might be coming through your town. Read more

Tags: Boston Progress, Community, Concert, Video.

with the exception of one month, for three years, every second friday has transformed a tiny bookstore into a magical haven of shared energy—stanzas, lyrics, melodies, rhymes, dances, visuals, fragmented thoughts, reciprocation and appreciation, have been transferred between bodies and spirits.

so i thought it would be fun to take a short look back, in order to look forward.

the bookstore, east meets west, opened october of 2004, with just a small table full of independent apia CD’s and chapbooks. only open on saturdays, the store served as a clubhouse of sorts for boston progress members to catch up, crack jokes, and build together. having an actual physical space available and seeing the potential of our space, it was only natural to program an open mic… but what shape it would take or how it would be actualized, no one really could tell. up to that point, only a few people have actually passed through the threshold of the store and wandered into our world.

in a boba tea spot in the back bay, at a monthly boston progress meeting, the open mic began to form an identity. after several suggestions (ginger-bred, mic-a-saurus rex), vinh the kid said after only a second of thought, east meets words, and the open mic had a name.

first open mic, we had the synchronous fortune of having not just one, but two members of 2 tongues, anida yoeu ali and marlon esguerra, in the northeast. it seems only fitting to have them be the first to bless the open mic as our first co-features. flash forward a year, we had regie cabico telling stories of mini-wooden-penises from men in barrels while humping a stool as a make-shift lover. in between and following, beautiful features from nyc, philly, the bay, LA, minnesota, toronto, chicago, jersee, and locals—all have graced the space.the list of open mic-er seem to be just as illustrious with local poets, musicians, freestylers, youth, passer-byers—all have come thru the space and shared…

to now. we don’t even have to worry about having folks come through… without fail, open mic nights become packed. and the unheated bookstore warms with body heat, which is the only thing that can keep you warm during the cold cold cold boston winters.

on a personal tip, the open mic has opened gates internally, like nothing has before. it’s not just learning the audience banter as a host, or getting over awkward insecurities as an open mic-er, or being brave enough to read from dusty journals as a feature, but i’ve learned that the more i can let go of… speak my mind and heart about, the more room i have to grow… i’ve learned to be open, unguarded—even if just for a few minutes—shed walls and free little pieces of my thoughts with the people. i’ve learned in a deep way the power of words… the unlocking of held breathes i usually choke back, releasing spiritual self into the physical world. even now, three years later, once a month, i still get nervous as i open my black book of secrets and with a shaky voice read out. but i’ve started to see many others, other unidentified poets and writers looking forward, raising their voice at the open mic. in the most obvious way, the open mic was a monthly session to meditate on the state of your union. where would i be if i didn’t have that space… i can’t even begin to assume.

looking back, we realize the open mics really wouldn’t be anything without everyone who supports–reads out on the list, listens in the metal chairs, claps their hands to the beat, yells words to rhyme about, and who shouts—ohhhhhh yeah. so it seems only right to have our three year anniversary feature be east meets words—a super mic of sorts. each and every participant—open mic-ers and audience alike—are the feature.

oh, the only month we did not hold the open mic at east meets west, was august 2005—when boston hosted the 3rd apia spoken word summit. but i guess even then, one can see the community and family showcase as open mics, so yeah, then for three years, boston progress has hosted an open mic, each month… and we’re still holding it down. solid.

Tags: Boston Progress, Commentary, Open Mic.

 

 Interview with Kit Yan [20:39m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Last month, Kit Yan was the East Meets Words open mic featured performer. He read and spit a few pretty amazing pieces. While we weren’t able to record his performance, you can listen to many of the previous open mics sponsored by the Boston Progress Arts Collective by selecting “Podcasts” in the Categories pull-down menu in the sidebar.

Though we didn’t record the open mic, we did have an opportunity to meet with Kit a week before the open mic. He came by the East Meets West Bookstore in Cambridge and I was lucky enough to talk to him for a few minutes about his art, his family, and his inspirations.

When you listen to this interview, imagine that you have the power to bend the space-time continuum like Hiro Nakamura from the show “Heroes” on NBC. That way, when you hear Kit refer to September 14 as though it hasn’t happened yet, you won’t get freaked out. Just pretend that you happened to have zipped back into the past.

Speaking of Hiro Nakamura, did you know that Masi Oka, the actor who plays Hiro was featured in a Time Magazine article about Asian American smart kids. That whole story smells like someone idealizing the Asian American minority group. Masi Oka was most recently a computer engineer for Sony… before he hit the big time. Maybe an engineer like me could one day be an actor like him. Or be better.

That was a total digression. I hope you enjoy the interview. Thanks to Kit for being so candid. If you liked his pieces, he’s performing in Boston at the 2007 BASIC Conference being held at Harvard University on October 13, 2007.

Tags: Interview, Podcasts.

This month’s feature on the East Meets Words Open Mic series is Kit Yan. I look forward to this event every month because it’s great to have the privilege to listen to what these talented poets have to say. This month’s open mic series featured many familiar faces as well as a new collaborative duo. Vinh the Kid started off the show by paying a tribute to his Asian American mentors in poetry. Theresa followed Vinh by reflecting on her recent journey to Korea. Albert was up next on the mic and he read a story entitled “Lovebomb” that reminded that “love conquers all.” The next performer was Afro-D and I have to say, this guy is one of the more talented poets that I’ve heard. He has been at the Open Mic for two months now and just like last month, he brought the house down with “See the World, Be the Change.” The poem was powerful when he compared the War on Iraq was the only way for some kids to study aboard. Andy was up next with the help of Joey B on the beat box. Sarah followed Andy with two pieces called “Untiled” and “If not A then B.” Febo and Joey B surpised everyone when they announced that they have collaborated into a group called L.I.F.E. and they performed a piece called “Haiku Slaughter.” Victor returned this month along with Dave Kong and once again they killed the freestyle and ended the open mic segment on a high note.

This month feature was Kit Yan, a transgender slam poet that promotes the issues through poetry. In his first piece, he shared his life experiences and the everyday struggle that he faces as a transgendered invididual. Even through it all, he is still proud of who he is. The comedic side of the performance included the comparison of how females eat their food to how they perform in bed. He followed that piece up with a poem called MANGO, explaining his experiences with a prosthetic penis. The segment took a serious turn when he performed a piece about his home island of Hawa’ii and poems about being something that he is not. Kit concluded his performance with Queeroake, a poem about injustices and sexism within the queer community. Kit Yan was a powerful performer and even through the laughter that he has created with his poems, I felt as though there were hidden messages in them. He reminded us all that even though he is transgendered, he is a person that faces many of the same issues, such as racism, that everyone else faces.

Tags: Open Mic, Recaps.

When September arrives in Boston, hordes of college students return. The leaves begin to change as the sweltering dog days of summer leave us behind. But East Meets Words goes on. The September East Meets Words Open Mic sponsored by the Boston Progress Arts Collective will feature Kit Yan. Once again, it will go down at the East Meets West Bookstore at 934 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140. Hope to see many new faces there. Cover charge is $3.