Kao Kalia Yang
Recorded before her historic win of three Minnesota Book Awards in three categories, prolific memoirist and children’s book writer Kao Kalia Yang shares her wisdom and humor as she discusses both big and small topics.
Kao Kalia Yang is a Hmong American teacher, speaker, and writer. Her work crosses audiences and genres. She is the award-winning author of the memoirs, The Latehomecomer, The Song Poet, Somewhere in the Unknown World, and Where Rivers Part. Yang co-edited the groundbreaking book, What God is Honored Here?: Writings on Miscarriage and Infant Loss By and For Native Women and Women of Color. She is a librettist for The Song Poet Opera (commissioned by Minnesota Opera). Her children’s books, A Map Into the World, The Most Beautiful Thing, The Shared Room, Yang Warriors, From the Tops of the Trees, The Rock in My Throat, and Caged center Hmong children and families who live in our world, who dream, hurt, and hope in it.
“The space from my head to my heart is like this”
Kalia’s work has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Chautauqua Prize, the PEN USA literary awards, the Dayton’s Literary Peace Prize, as Notable Books by the American Library Association, Kirkus Best Books of the Year, the Heartland Bookseller’s Award, and garnered four Minnesota Book Awards. She was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Carleton College. Yang is McKnight, Soros, and Guggenheim fellow.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Diamond Explorer - out now and winner of the Minnesota Book Award!
Where Rivers Part - out now and winner of the Minnesota Book Award!
A Rock in My Throat - out now and winner of the Minnesota Book Award!
“Assert your importance.”