Venerable Ly Van Aggadipo's book (Photo: AP)Monday, February 1, 2010
Dear Friends:
How are you doing? I just want to reach out to you about a possibility of bringing the Cambodian Refugee Poetry & Smot Project to your area in April 2010. It was kind of a serendipity that we discovered the writing of the late Venerable Ly Van on the very same day of his passing on January 12, 2008. He was one of the Cambodian Buddhist monks in Lowell. Found among his belongings were Khmer handwritten manuscripts containing two lengthy poems...one autobiographical describing Ven. Ly Van's experiences during the Khmer Rouge regime, the other a biography of Sophoan Chea, a dear friend of Ly Van's who was actually his sponsor for resettlement in the U.S. The poems are beautifully written, poignant, and reflect the richness of Khmer culture. They have been translated into English and are currently scheduled for publication in March 2010.
We titled the poetry book "O! Maha Mount Dangrek: poetry of Cambodian Refugee Experiences", a quote that the author wrote in one the poetic stanzas, which recaptured his experience during the inhuman ordeal at mountainous plateau where some 45,000 Khmer refugees were violently shot, killed and pushed over the cliff of Mount Dangrek by the Thai soldiers in the mid-1979. The author and his family were among the victims, but fortunately survived yet another sad episode of Cambodian refugee experiences. We are so fortunate to have discovered such writing.
The overall project itself is called. the "Cambodian Refugee Poetry Book & CD", to be published in bilingual, Khmer and English, with full color case bound and black and white photos inside. It is about 200 pages in length. The book will be jointly produced by the Light of Cambodian Children, the Glory Buddhist Temple and the Cambodian Expressions. There have been several funding organizations and foundations supporting this poetry book & CD project. We still need to fundraise for the poetry book touring and community reading and all of that. We estimate the budget to be about $35,000. We already secured $5,000 from the Cambodian Living Arts, a project of the Marion Institute based in Marion, Massachusetts.
We are also in the process of sponsoring two Cambodian students of traditional smot chanting and Khmer instrument to come and visit the U.S. in order to participate in poetry readings at various Cambodian communities around the country, including Lowell, Rhode Island, New York, DC/Maryland/Virginia, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minnesota, Stockton, Fresno, San Diego, Long Beach, Portland, OR, Tacoma, Seattle and other cities and towns where there are large concentration of our Cambodian Americans.
I believe that your Cambodian community, particularly the Cambodian Buddhist Temple will be the perfect venue for such community reading event. If this idea interests you, I would love to arrange a possible tour of your community in April 2010 along with the two students/artists from Cambodia. Better yet if you, friends and community leaders can help us with hosting and sponsoring the event itself, it will mean a great deal to our Cambodian Refugee Poetry & Smot Project. Please see attached documents, one in Khmer and another is an English translation of one the late monk's poems.
Thank you in advance for your support and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best Regards,
Samkhann C. Khoeun
Editor/Translator,
Cambodian Refugee Poetry Book & CD Project
email: samkhannkhoeun@lhs.lowell.k12.ma.us
How are you doing? I just want to reach out to you about a possibility of bringing the Cambodian Refugee Poetry & Smot Project to your area in April 2010. It was kind of a serendipity that we discovered the writing of the late Venerable Ly Van on the very same day of his passing on January 12, 2008. He was one of the Cambodian Buddhist monks in Lowell. Found among his belongings were Khmer handwritten manuscripts containing two lengthy poems...one autobiographical describing Ven. Ly Van's experiences during the Khmer Rouge regime, the other a biography of Sophoan Chea, a dear friend of Ly Van's who was actually his sponsor for resettlement in the U.S. The poems are beautifully written, poignant, and reflect the richness of Khmer culture. They have been translated into English and are currently scheduled for publication in March 2010.
We titled the poetry book "O! Maha Mount Dangrek: poetry of Cambodian Refugee Experiences", a quote that the author wrote in one the poetic stanzas, which recaptured his experience during the inhuman ordeal at mountainous plateau where some 45,000 Khmer refugees were violently shot, killed and pushed over the cliff of Mount Dangrek by the Thai soldiers in the mid-1979. The author and his family were among the victims, but fortunately survived yet another sad episode of Cambodian refugee experiences. We are so fortunate to have discovered such writing.
The overall project itself is called. the "Cambodian Refugee Poetry Book & CD", to be published in bilingual, Khmer and English, with full color case bound and black and white photos inside. It is about 200 pages in length. The book will be jointly produced by the Light of Cambodian Children, the Glory Buddhist Temple and the Cambodian Expressions. There have been several funding organizations and foundations supporting this poetry book & CD project. We still need to fundraise for the poetry book touring and community reading and all of that. We estimate the budget to be about $35,000. We already secured $5,000 from the Cambodian Living Arts, a project of the Marion Institute based in Marion, Massachusetts.
We are also in the process of sponsoring two Cambodian students of traditional smot chanting and Khmer instrument to come and visit the U.S. in order to participate in poetry readings at various Cambodian communities around the country, including Lowell, Rhode Island, New York, DC/Maryland/Virginia, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minnesota, Stockton, Fresno, San Diego, Long Beach, Portland, OR, Tacoma, Seattle and other cities and towns where there are large concentration of our Cambodian Americans.
I believe that your Cambodian community, particularly the Cambodian Buddhist Temple will be the perfect venue for such community reading event. If this idea interests you, I would love to arrange a possible tour of your community in April 2010 along with the two students/artists from Cambodia. Better yet if you, friends and community leaders can help us with hosting and sponsoring the event itself, it will mean a great deal to our Cambodian Refugee Poetry & Smot Project. Please see attached documents, one in Khmer and another is an English translation of one the late monk's poems.
Thank you in advance for your support and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best Regards,
Samkhann C. Khoeun
Editor/Translator,
Cambodian Refugee Poetry Book & CD Project
email: samkhannkhoeun@lhs.lowell.k12.ma.us
8 comments:
Thank you for sharing the Cambodian refugee experience with the future generation of Khmer. This is a dark period in Khmer history and we shall remember it always! Khmer are resilient people, we have overcome such horror and atrocities and we still continue to live each day with a grateful heart! I will support the Smot reading tour and book!
Thank you for sharing the Cambodian refugee experience with the future generation of Khmer. This is a dark period in Khmer history and we shall remember it always! Khmer are resilient people, we have overcome such horror and atrocities and we still continue to live each day with a grateful heart! I will support the Smot reading tour and book!
I am thoroughly grateful of this news. I have read a few articles and books which make references to this tragedy that Cambodian refugees had to go through. I would greatly appreciate if this poem and more stories about the past can be posted through KI-media or other means.
Khmer gov't must migrate more viets to be part of our citizens so that we may have enough people and armies to protect our nation. In the mean time we have half vietkhmer already but we need more because the more people we have the better and try to adopt with the Aust policies, e.g having a comment law to protect all for one and one for all. In addition, khmer must learn to change the way their belief in religion, we need to move toward christianity, build as many churches as possible and try to collect monies for the welfare system to help the poor. chistianity allows individual to teach and preach including men, women and children etc. Aust
1:31 PM
It is about our love to the birth country. Only Khmer born or Khmer descent can underatnd and abel to resolve all these Problems.
We Khmer survived so long and we will fight for our good right.
No one can take Freedom, Peace, Believe, Religion, Culture, Songs, Musics, way of life of Khmer people from us away.
All these important resources were built by our ancestors and still in our heart and mind. We will not destroy our Khmer heritages.
Vietnameses are very CRAFTY.
When they can they kill Khmers.
When they cannot they help to earn Khmers heart.
That is extremely CUNNING.
How can I get a copy of this book?
Check out www.khmerpoetry.org. You can learn more about the project, National Tour, and order book/CD online.
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