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| Editorial | |
| Denis Wong | |
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| Editorial | |
| Denis Wong | |
“I do think of myself as an Asian American writer, because I’m Asian American and I’m a writer.”
The above quote is an excerpt from this issue’s interview with Don Lee, the author of Yellow and Wrack and Ruin. His words were simple, but what does this statement mean when applied to an Asian American literary journal?
Are we an Asian American literary journal simply because we are Asian American?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the mission of Kartika Review was to explore, defy, and expand each of the possible definitions. Each piece in this second issue, then, is another step.
In our fiction section, Thaila Ramanujam offers the lyrical “Queen of the Skies,” in which a mother discovers her strength on the eve of a family friend’s funeral, and both Lloyd Liu and Thomas Lee depict the strange, sublime experiences that are a part of surviving—and transcending—family relationships. In our essay section, Gemma Guillermo wrangles with the demons surrounding her childhood move from Manila to Hawaii in "Slaying Monsters."
Our poetry, which includes selections from Jane Chun and Kamayani Sharma, as well as art from Darren Lee, Christine Song, and Candybird, illustrate the breadth of Asian American creativity.
Throughout the formation of this issue, prose, poetry, and art melded into each other and conflicted. This is most evident in Ken Pobo’s critique of Russell Leong, which is followed immediately by Russell Leong’s response.
And in a series of hellos and goodbyes, Sarah and I regret to announce that this is our last issue as the fiction editors of Kartika Review. We’re each heading in related but different directions, physically and mentally: Sarah to Colorado, in pursuit of a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Fiction, and I to Shanghai, China to teach English and to focus on writing. Though we’ll no longer be a part of Kartika Review (except as avid readers), our spirits will always lie with the efforts and vision of the Asian American literary and arts community.
I hope that you enjoy our Spring 2008 issue. Thank you all for reading.
- Denis Wong
