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Asian Americans Coast to Coast: Honoring Our Literary Ancestors


Gratitude Letter

Dear Li-Young Lee, Grace Lin, and Gene Luen Yang,

Thank you, Li-Young, for Behind My Eyes, Rose, and The Winged Seed. We met briefly once upon a time at Calvin College during the Festival of Faith & Writing. I started reading your miracles of poetry way back in college. I am eternally grateful for your literary work as it continues to positively influence my own writing of poems.

Thank you, Grace, for Dumpling Days and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. I started reading your dashing and delicious books for children before having children of my own. I look forward to meeting you one day when I publish my children's books.

Thank you, Gene, for American Born Chinese, Boxers & Saints, and The Shadow Hero. I started reading graphic novels because of you and your fun retelling of Sun Wukong the Monkey King. I look forward to meeting you one day on our journey west, our pilgrimage east.

You three make up my Asian-American Trinity.

Write on!

Best,
Paul L. Hsu

paulinesandpaulisms.blogspot.com

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