A late Summer Update

Hi all,
Maybe you’re rubbing the beach sand from your eyes or once and for all rinsing the chlorine from your pool hair. Summer is drawing to a close. I’m actually not sad about that.  But I am somewhat dreading the accelerated pace that the school calendar brings.  So, since I’m finally opening my calendar again, I thought I’d take a just a few minutes to update you on my writing endeavors.
Refugee is Not My Name has experienced huge success this summer.  http://refugeeisnotmyname.com Ashley St.Clair (photos), Aaron Weiss (film) and I exhibited the the show at the brand new downtown Austin central library all summer long.  Hundreds and hundreds of people saw and experienced the exhibit.  We heard and felt their positive reactions all over social media.  The Austin American Statesman ran an article about it.  https://www.mystatesman.com/entertainment/arts–theater/real-women-have-curves-play-comes-austin/dGbJCsILo2xdmM4Wn4jQnO/

In addition, Aaron and I were guests at the KOOP Austin radio station this July.  Ashley couldn’t make it that day for the interview, but Aaron and I talked about our inspiration in creating the exhibit, as well as personal highlights. You can listen to that interview here: https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/show/volumes-koop-radio
This summer a fellow creative, Nelson Guda also hosted Ashley, Aaron and myself on his podcast, Unbound.  We invited one of the participants from the project, Jasmin Kalic to join the podcast interview.  Jasmin is a refugee from Bosnia.  He adds a distinctive voice to the project, as he has now lived in Austin longer than he lived in Bosnia. He added humor and insight to that podcast.
The next stop for Refugee is Not My Name is on the EAST tour.  http://east.bigmedium.org/
EAST is held in Austin Nov. 10-11 and then again from Nov. 17-18. Refugee is Not My Name will be open and accessible to the public during those two weekends that celebrate Austin art.
And then finally, Ashley, Aaron and I got confirmation that Refugee is Not My Name will be on display at the Texas State Capitol building in March, 2019!  This is an incredible honor.  Here you can see our exhibit listed on the official capitol calendar. https://tspb.texas.gov/plan/events/tcapcal.html
I cannot over emphasis what an honor this is for the three of us.  To have the faces and stories of these refugees seen before Texas lawmakers  and tourists will be a dream come true.
This fall, I am writing for various local magazines and doing some speaking engagements.  Keep in touch on social media. Or better yet, drop me a hand-written note in the mailbox.  I will treasure it.  Thanks for the love and support.


 

If Language Were Not a Barrier

If language weren’t a barrier with my students, I would tell them, I like the best of your country that I see in you. The parts of your cultural personality that have been hammered by evil governments. I would tell you that I see the best parts of your people in you.

The Afghani women: I see your veiled strength. You bore 6 children with never an epidural, in the harsh desert without good hospitals. You cook every meal, every single day. You’ve been on your feet in the kitchen since age 10. You must be chaperoned in public. You always defer to your husband. I see how taxing life is from the time you are married at a young age. Your face is 15 years older than mine, but in truth you are 10 years younger than me. With every year your burdens compound. But I see your strength.
I see how you pull the head scarf of your hijab a little tighter when you’re nervous. When I ask you to speak aloud in English. It’s so hard to be vulnerable in public. You are so unfamiliar with that idea. I see you trying to adjust to our American expectations while keeping your standards of discretion. And I applaud you for choosing to live in that tension.

To my Burmese students. I see your gift for hospitality. Should I come to your home you would unroll the red carpet. And I have come to your homes, and you treat me like royalty. Once when I visited one of you there was only pancake batter in your cupboard. I stole a glance when you opened the cupboard. Nothing there but a box of pancake batter. And so you made me pancakes. And they were the most delicious pancakes I’ve ever tasted. I choked back tears as I ate them because of your humility and vulnerability. The willingness to show all your weak cards for the sake of someone else’ comfort. Americans know nothing of such humility. We would rather hide our weakness; we would close the cupboard and lie.   We deceive ourselves that we are strong because we have money and a certain level of freedom.
But you look more like God to me. Your softness. Your meekness. Your simplicity. These are the ways of Christ. These things about you astound me and shake me from my insulated, privileged American discontent.

If language were not a barrier I would gather all my Congolese students around me on a front porch one evening and we would shoot the breeze and tell jokes for hours. We would laugh and drink and whittle time away till the sun came up. If language were not a barrier. You are the most light-hearted, affable people I have ever met. With nothing but time to offer your friends. You tell me, “Americans are too busy.” And then you laugh because the joke is on us. And your observation is exacting and convicting.
By way of contrast, I have seen my own hurried reflection in your ease and relaxed approach to life. You are changing me, that’s what I would tell my Congolese friends.

And finally, if language were no barrier I would tell my refugee students this: you’ll be in my writing for years to come. By some mysterious way of God, you–the refugees of the world– were a piece I needed for some novels that need writing. I have at least two novels bursting to be born in me, and I needed to be an English teacher to adult refugees to get some essential pieces for those novels. I’ve been taking copious notes this year and a half of teaching you English.

My students, your English will continue to improve. And one day I’ll hand you my first novel. You’ll read it and see parts of yourselves in the characters. And you’ll know my depth of gratitude.

 

My Next Project

I thought I’d take a minute here to update you all on my writing endeavors.  I continue to promote my little memoir, Finding Home with the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Billy Graham through book signings and speaking engagements.  (By the way, I now have on my website a “speaking” tab. If you’re interested in having me speak at your church, book club or women’s event, please contact me: here )
But in terms of the writing I’m doing these days, my focus has been on a project about refugees that resettle in Austin.  The project is a joint effort between myself and photographer, Ashley St. Clair. http://ashleystclair.com
Over the last six months, Ashley and I have spent hundreds of hours interviewing and photographing refugees from around the world that are seeking to make a new life in Austin.  We’ve titled the project, “Refugee is Not My Name.” Working from the assumption that Austinites are open-minded and welcoming to newcomers, “Refugee is Not My Name” is an artistic bridge between refugees and the people of Austin. Through Ashley’s compelling portrait photographs and my short, digestible written vignettes, viewers can, in essence, get to know some of the individual refugees that have resettled in the capital city.
To a large extend the refugee community of Austin remains isolated, though they ride the same buses as you and I, though they shop at the same HEB and their children attend the same schools as ours. Language barriers can keep refugees from reaching out to their English speaking neighbors. In addition, cultural and religious differences often inhibit them from taking a step toward Americans.
The aim of “Refugee is Not my Name” is to allow a wide sampling of individuals from the refugee community to show their faces, say their names and make their unique voices heard.
By nature of the word, refugee these individuals can never return to the country their hearts call, home. After waiting many months, often years, these refugees have landed in Austin and strive to make it their new home. “Refugee is Not my Name” is an artistic effort to welcome these new neighbors from around the world to our beloved capital city of Texas.
In December, 2017, “Refugee is Not My Name” will be printed as a feature article in Tribeza, an Austin curated magazine with wide readership.tribeza.com  It is our aim that this publication serves as a springboard to launch the more complete version of the project as a full gallery exhibit. It is our aim to have a gallery space secured for the exhibit to launch in January or February, 2018.
I’ll keep you updated as the publication of “Refugee is Not My Name” draws nearer.  I am so excited for you to discover some of the refugees that I have gotten to know over the last year. They are incredible individuals.
Here’s a photograph I took of Ashley photographing Basim, a refugee from Iraq.  Basim was a violinist for 19 years in the Iraqi Symphony Orchestra.  He now lives in Austin where he seeks safety and a new musical adventure.