Contributors * more photos to appear soon

Contributors * more photos to appear soon
Christy Namee Eriksen, kim thompson, Jon Schill

ABOUT

THURSDAYS is an ibyang* intercontinental poem a week project. Every Thursday, Korean ibyangs from around the world post a poem here.

We’re not just writing poems about being ibyang.  We’re ibyang, and we’re also writing poems.  We’re interested in seeing how our common identity shapes our language in both similar and disparate ways.   

Currently, the contributors to the blog are: kim thompson, Christy NaMee Eriksen, HeJin, Jonathan F. Schill, Andrew Dupre, Katie Leo, Jung Mee Bec, Michael Sung-Ho, Kurt Blomberg, Mads Them Nielsen Lee, and Laura Klunder.

We welcome any other Korean ibyang poets who would also would like to contribute weekly to the blog.  Please e-mail christynamee@gmail.com if that sounds like something you'd do.

* ibyang - korean for "adoptee"

MORE ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS:

kim thompson (K-10094) was born in seoul, adopted to the states at 6 months old, grew up in the very white conservative south, wandered around europe for 8 years, and then made her living minneapolis, mn as a full time inter-disciplinary artist. she is a recipient of the 08/09 Jerome Travel Grant for Literature as well as the recipient of grants and commissions from the playwrights center, intermedia arts, pangea theater, and the pillsbury house theater.
kim recently moved to seoul, south korea to discover the things that have been waiting for her all these years. she moved to seoul to re-discover a language lost and to see how this shapes the language she was given. her hope and goal is to find her way as a full time artist in seoul... she has no plans to live in the states again... she has a circle to complete in the land of her dna.
http://k-10094.blogspot.com/

Christy NaMee Eriksen a.k.a. 정나미 Jung Na Mee is a korean adoptee spoken word poet and proud mama. She has performed at Patrick’s Cabaret, Intermedia Arts, Hamline University, Pillsbury House Theatre, and Equilibrium’s spoken word series at The Loft Literary Center. She is a featured artist on the 2009 Minnesota Spoken Word Album of the Year, “¿Nation of Immigrants?” produced by The Loft Literary Center. She has been published in Alaska Women Speak, The Fulcrum, Tidal Echoes, and Race-Talk.org. Christy has shared the stage with Ishle Park, Mayda del Valle, Bao Phi, the Good Asian Drivers and other really cool people. She tries to be good, but not very hard.http://tsunameepoetry.blogspot.com/


HeJin (K84-5272) was presented to a "proud middle class white couple" in Belgium, 1985. Since then she has crossed the gender divide, and moved through two continents to end up living in a third; as a result she eats kimchi with her pap and wors, and makes kimbap for her friend's braais. An autodidact in every way, she has overeducated herself in many useless things, considers correct use of the semi-colon the apex of sexiness, and recently decided that quiting smoking is as valid a hobby as any other. Subject to an inane obsession with languages she speaks Dutch, English, French, Afrikaans, Esperanto, and puts effort into Korean, isiXhosa and Setswana (while eyeballing Namagowab, Kiswahili and Oshiwambo). HeJin loves pain, cupcakes and Palmer's cocoa butter; she is not an addict, she is an activist; she is not a writer, but tries to be a story (... when she feels like it ^_^) - universityofbrokenglass.wordpress.com | theworldsofhjk.wordpress.com | mycatplaysbaduk.wordpress.com

Jung Mee Bec is a TRA, a college student, a massage therapist, a daughter, an auntie, a friend, a Korean, an American, an Asian, a woman, a person.

Katie Hae Leo is a writer, actor, and educator. Her poetry, essays, monologues, and articles have appeared or are forthcoming in Asian American Poetry and Writing, Flying Fists, Water~Stone Review, The Talking Stick, 60 Seconds to Shine: One Minute Monologues for Men, Journal of the Asian American Renaissance, Utne Reader, and Minnesota Women's Press.Her chapbook, Attempts at Location, was a finalist for the Tupelo Press Snowbound Award and is available through Finishing Line Press. She has received a Pushcart Prize nomination, The Academy of American Poets James Wright Prize, a Gesell Award for Nonfiction, a Blacklock Fellowship for Poetry, and two Many Voices residencies from The Playwrights' Center, as well as funding from the MN State Arts Board. She holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota.


Mads Them Nielsen Lee is a  PhD candidate of English literature at Sogang University. He is nuts for Shakespeare and enjoys reading and writing poetry.

Laura Klunder a.k.a. 기 화영 (K85-160) is a queer woman of color, social justice activist, and an aspiring artist and intellectual badass. In fall 2011, she left the United States for a disorientalizing life adventure in Korea. She embarks on this active learning venture as a defiant act of love.  Laura invites you to be part of her coming out process as a self-determined Asian American Femme and overseas Korean adoptee at coloringout.blogspot.com.

[more bios coming soon]