Happy Friday, everyone, and welcome to the Open Mic! Today’s mic is a discussion post (I’m seeking guest posts for the rest of the year!). If you’re new here or haven’t visited in a while, here’s how it works: I pose a question, we all talk in the comments. Comments are threaded so you can respond to each individually; that way, it’s less a series of single speakers than a mutual conversation. Here we go!
It has been a wild week here with my recent anthology release and readings. The readings were the “graduation” event for the IWL (Interdisciplinary Writers Lab) workshop that began back in April, and — as with many graduations — now that it’s over, I’m aswirl in excitement, gratitude, fondness, and lack of sleep!
If you have not yet read through the anthology, which is online at www.theintersection.org/iwl/2011, I encourage you to check it out — not just to read my piece, which is the first in the table of contents, but to immerse yourself in the tremendous creativity and energy of my 10 fellow writers and 2 of our instructors. They have shared beautiful, heartbreaking poetry; experiences that tread the border between hilarious and painful; self-affirmations both quiet and roaring. They have done this in words, pictures, and video — and in the openness and kindness of their presence. These are the people, and the art, that have changed my perspective so much in just a few months.
IWL 2011. L to R, top row: Elwin Cotman, Jenny Strauss, Ron Ragin, Maria Allocco, instructor Brenda Wong Aoki, Lisa Hsia, Sarah Dayley. Bottom row: Nayomi Munaweera, Indira Allegra, Dylan Casama, Erika Céspedes-Kent. Not pictured: Jen Palmares Meadows, instructors Jaime Cortez, Leticia Hernandez, Cheryl Dunye.
Each of my IWL classmates has been like a living gift I’ve been humbled to receive. In honor of these dear friends and inspirations, in today’s Open Mic I’d like to hear about the people who’ve changed you. To whom do you owe your deepest gratitude — who are your living gifts?
See you in the comments!
satsumabug.com | Lisa Hsia 
First, I have to say how impressed I am by the way you developed “Chickens.” It touches on so many of life’s journeys, like poetry, with an economy of words that I feel brings out the beauty of your watercolors. It made me think — about a lot of things.
Now about today’s question: There actually aren’t a lot of people in my life who I feel have changed me in a way that leads itself to deep gratitude. I know that my daughter Jasmine is the one who has changed me the most, and led me to see and use more strength then I knew I had. She’s given me life lessons in how to show love, and how to bend that or knit it into what’s needed in life’s unexpected moments.
Lisa, you’ve said things to me, about writing especially, but life too, that have changed how I think. I’ve stopped several times, while writing something in these past months, and realized that I approach the work much differently than I did before the beginning of this year. And that’s because of you and your help, so just in case I forgot to say this before, thanks.
This is a great question; I’m curious to see what your other readers have to say.
Oh thank you, Ré, that means a lot that you liked “Chickens.” I was talking it over with Erik and we both thought the “economy of words” was powerful too — which is so odd, because I’m naturally verbose and it’s very hard for me to achieve that. I think pictures help me do that.
I love the way you’ve described Jasmine’s gifts to you, especially “how to bend [love] or knit it into what’s needed in life’s unexpected moments.” It seems a very apropos metaphor from a knitter. 🙂
And oh, I’m very touched to hear I’ve had such an impact on your thinking and your writing. You’ve done the same for me. I’ve particularly been inspired by the way you translate intellectual or emotional questions in your life into written explorations. I’ll read something wonderful on your blog and know that it came from something you’d been thinking about lately, and it’s always so beautiful and interesting to see the transformation!
Maybe we scared my other readers away from answering this question. 😉