Available beginning this April is Before We Remember We Dream, a new collection from Sahtu Press featuring the poetry of Lao American poet Bryan Thao Worra. In his new collection, he blends memoir and Southeast Asian history, mythology, horror and science fiction to weave a spellbinding meditation on 45 years of the Lao diaspora.
Among the things setting this collection apart is his collaboration with the award-winning artist Nor Sanavongsay, marking their first full-length book together. Before We Remember We Dream explores Mekong memories, the quirky bends of American road trips and distant stars yet undreamt. Challenging, intimate, apocalyptic, humorous and cosmic, Before We Remember We Dream was originally slated for 2019 release, but the creators decided to give it more time to expand the art and bring new material into the collection.
The release of this collection now coincides with the anniversary of the Southeast Asian diaspora and also the 10th anniversary of the UN Convention on Cluster Munitions.
Illustrated by Nor Sanavongsay
Bryan Thao Worra was born in Vientiane, Laos in 1973. Today he holds over 20 awards for his writing and community leadership including an NEA Fellowship in Literature. He was a Cultural Olympian representing Laos during the 2012 London Summer Games. He is the author of numerous books, with work appearing internationally in Australia, Canada, Scotland, Germany, France, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea, and Pakistan.
Eleven of the fifty-five poems in this collection were previously published, appearing in acclaimed publications like Uncanny Magazine, Little Laos on the Prairie, the Asian American Literary Review, the Asian Pacific American Studies Review, and the 2017 anthology Capitals. Edited by Abhay K. The remaining 44 poems are original to this collection. As with previous collections, the poems are self-contained and can be read out of sequence, although a very loose chronological structure is provided this time.
Initially taking its literary cues from dystopian science fiction and fantasy set in 2019 and 2020 in classics such as Blade Runner, The Running Man, and Akira, Thao Worra’s Before We Remember We Dream is also centered on the Great Lao American Road Trip and convoluted connections between ancient Lan Xang, the Secret War, and the American Midwest. He doesn’t set out to solve all of the great questions of the Lao American diaspora, but does lay out groundwork for other readers to explore and articulate their own search.
Nor Sanavongsay has been a member of the SatJaDham Lao Literary Project, the National Lao American Writers Summit, the Lao Artists Festival of Elgin, among many others. He is the author of children’s books inspired by Lao folktales, such as A Sticky Mess retelling a classic story from the life of the legendary trickster Xieng Mieng. Nor Sanavongsay also illustrated the popular Lao children’s book Mommy Eats Fried Grasshoppers written by Vanh Bender.
Painting by Sisvanh Phoutavong Houghton
The cover for Before We Remember We Dream stands out because it was painted by the award-winning artist Sisvanh Phoutavong Houghton, who is based in Tennessee. She and her family have roots in Laos, coming to the US in the 1980s. Represented by the Tinney Contemporary Gallery in Nashville, her art explores profound themes of displacement, conflict, connection and disconnect. These days she is a Professor of Painting in the Department of Art and Design at Middle Tennessee State University. Her numerous awards and distinctions over the decades include MTSU’s Teacher of the Year. She exhibits nationally including museums in Minnesota, Tennessee, Missouri, and Alabama. She has presented at the National Lao American Writers Summit, and is included in the permanent collections of the Hunter Museum of American Art, he American Embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname, Legacies of War in Washington, D.C., the Tennessee State Museum, and the Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Pennsylvania.
Established in 2013, the mission of Sahtu Press is to publish and promote enduring contemporary Lao American literature and to create academic and grassroots learning opportunities. It was officially recognized as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization in 2015. Previous books of poetry they’ve published include Krysada Panusith Phounsiri’s Dance Among Elephants, and Do Nguyen Mai’s Battlefield Blooming.
Before We Remember We Dream will be available directly from the publisher and at community events everywhere. Retailers and institutions interested in stocking this collection should contact the publisher directly. Special bulk rates are available for classrooms, book clubs and non-profits.