Franny Choi's Blog, page 4

“P***** Monster” on Huffington Post

Def not safe for work. Or kiddies. But the Huffington Post wrote up a lil thing about my poem, “Pussy Monster” and posted Button Poetry’s video of me performing the poem at the Loft.

“The poem starts out as a celebration of phonetics, syllables clicking against one another, but quickly becomes something a little bit more… repetitive. Which, if nothing else, demonstrates what deconstruction is really good at.”

“Pussy Monster” was originally published in PANK and included in Floating, Brilliant, Gone.

PANK Interview and Button Poetry Video

Two updates!

First, peep this interview with PANK Magazine, where four of my poems appeared earlier this year.

Next, peep this video of me performing my poem “Pussy Monster” at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, on the Button Poetry Channel.

Fall 2014 Tour Dates coming soon!

Booking for Fall 2014

Now booking for Fall 2014!

If you want to bring Franny to your college, university, poetry slam venue, bookstore, community center, or youth organization, please send an email to booking@frannychoi.com!

To bring Franny to your K-12 school, please get in touch through the Project VOICE website, http://projectvoice.co/! And definitely check out the new site for lots of information about what Project VOICE does.

The Rumpus, Feministing, and Courage Anthology!

Greetings from Madison, at the tail end of the Midwest portion of my book tour! It’s been an awesome few weeks in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Madison. I had a blast at Arcadia Books in Spring Green, WI last night and am stoked to feature at First Wave’s Just Bust Open Mic tonight!

Some updates:

The Rumpus: I had an essay published in The Rumpus, as part of their recurring “Where I Write” segment, which features writers talking about their creative processes. I drew a slightly-janky illustration to accompany my piece. Read the essay, “The Wild Pendulum,” here!

Feministing: My poem, “To the Man Who Shouted, ‘I Like Pork Fried Rice’ at Me on the Street,” was featured on Feministing a little while back. This blog makes me filled with productive feminist rage (i.e., happy), and I’m honored that my work was highlighted.

The Courage Anthology: This beautiful poetry anthology for teenage girls, edited by Karen Finneyfrock, Rachel McKibbens, and Mindy Netifee, just dropped yesterday! I have two poems included in the collection. The Courage Anthology: Daring Poems for Gutsy Girls also includes work by Patricia Smith, Sarah Kay, Fatimah Asghar, Jamila Woods, Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Aracelis Girmay, Andrea Gibson, Sonya Renee Taylor, and so many more amazing female-bodied poets.

Article in the Providence Phoenix

If you’re in Providence, you can pick up a copy of today’s Phoenix to see a silly photo of my face and read an article & interview. If you’re not in the best little city in New England, first of all, I’m sorry — that’s a bummer. Second, you can read the article here: “Meet Franny Choi, Your New Favorite Poet.”

Also, my book release party is in just two days! See you this Saturday at 6pm at the Salon! Opening acts include Aaron Samuels, Fatimah Asghar, Muggs Fogarty, and Jess X. Chen. Hosted by Laura Brown-Lavoie! Buy tickets here!

 

Interview on Voice of America’s Now Podcast!

Here’s the transcript of an interview I did with Voice of America’s podcast, “Now,” during which they interviewed three poets of Asian descent who were involved in Split This Rock. The others are the incredible Shalija Patel and Wang Ping. Thanks VOA, and thanks Split This Rock!

Floating, Brilliant, Gone :: Book Release & Party!

Book, world. World, book.

Floating, Brilliant, Gone is officially released on Write Bloody Publishing today! I would use childbirth metaphors to describe how I feel about this, but I can’t pretend to know what that’s like  (a friend of mine used the term “pooping a watermelon,” which is terrifying and not necessarily the image I want to evoke when talking about my book).

You can buy the thing on Amazon and Powell’s. (For some reason, Amazon’s listing a weird future release date, but fear not — your book should still ship!)

If you’re in the Providence/Boston area, you can snag a copy at my Book Release Party on Saturday, April 5th at The Salon (57 Eddy St.). We’ll have Korean food, opening acts by some wonderful poet-friends, a reading from the book, prints by Jess X. Chen for sale, fun lil activities, and a book signing. And stick around afterward for a dance party! Buy tickets here!

Poetry Magazine (and more goodness)

Lots of updates!

Most exciting of all, two of my poems (“Second Mouth” and “To the Man Who Shouted ‘I Like Pork Fried Rice’ at Me on the Street”) are in Poetry Magazine this month for a special issue in collaboration with Split This Rock, at which I’ll be presenting later this month. This is my first appearance in Poetry, and I can’t stop running my hands all over the hard copy I received in the mail.

You can listen to the editors and the director of STR discuss my poems in the Poetry Magazine podcast.

Four of my poems were just published in the online version of PANK, a journal I’ve admired for a while.

Five poems appeared in the Monster issue of Gesture, another great journal.

And lastly, an interview with me recently appeared in a Korean magazine called Topclass, which is connected to the Chosun Ilbo.

Three Poems in Radius

Three poems (“Bird Watching,” “Bait,” and Chinky”) were published on Radius Lit earlier this month. Read ‘em here.

 

Spoiler alert: Oppression is sad.

 

Spoiler alert 2: All these poems are in my new book, which you can pre-order on Powell’s and Amazon!

Sojourner House Interview & New Tour Dates!

I’m super honored and humbled to be featured on the Sojourner House website as part of their “Weekend Warrior” Series.  Read the interview here! And please check out and support the amazing, important work that Sojourner House does to end domestic violence. They’ve got a whole wish list for in-kind donations!

Also added a bunch of new tour dates for Spring 2014! I’m currently booking dates in the Midwest in late April. Contact choi.franny@gmail.com for booking inquiries!