In the present absence of many other online or print magazines for the Laotian community, Bakka seems like an intriguing effort to close that gap.
I've agreed to include some of my work for the first issue. You can see a trio of my poems: The National Library In Laos, Jaew and Boun.
You have to register for free to view the magazine, but that's no more annoying than signing in to the New York Times or any other newspaper online.
The editors have a lot of positive spirit and energy for the project. Today there are still a few links that aren't quite complete functional, but I imagine those will be resolved shortly. I'm looking forward to seeing future issues.
Looks like they're looking for work, particularly from more poets, writers, essayists and artists with connections to Laos. They've also put out a special call for non-fiction stories about life in the Thai refugee camps.
You can drop them a note at letters@bakkamagazine.com or even better, visit the website www.bakkamagaine.com
Okay, coming from a huge "otaku" point of view: why are they calling their magazine "Idiot"? Is there a translation other than the Japanese term available?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it translates into something a little more lofty in Lao. But I'll have to ask. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, it came across my radar too. But hey, Nova means "No Go" in Spanish, and everyone remembers how 'Pepsi: The Taste of A New Generation' got translated in Chinese to Pepsi: Brings Your Ancestors Back From the Dead.
Which is also still much better than that bit in the Douglas Adams book that I recall about how some company's name looked like the words "Go Stick Your Head In A Pig," sparking some revolution or some similar brouhaha.
Bryan,
ReplyDeletewhat a nice job you're doing here! glad to stop by.
thanks
Thanks for checking it out, B.
ReplyDeleteI had to wonder, when I didn't find an article to go with that lovely doorway of the Mushroom House featured as the cover picture for Bakka, if the name wasn't apt after all. . . .
But you can check out what it spurred me to do in my blog entry about it.
So yaaay: it became opportunity knocking, or as my b-in-law says, "all history now."
C
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ReplyDeleteOh, yes: At least you don't have a cow asking which cut you want, and telling you which may be tastiest (speaking of Adams' work).
ReplyDeleteCool man, one of the best - never got the chance to talk directly with him, just hung out with him and others at Dreamhaven (Lake St store) not too long before he died.
Too tall - I think that's what caused his death (that disease or genetic ailment too-tall [esp. Brits] get, where their bodies, especially hearts, wear out faster).
Sad, though, all 'round. We lost another creative genius in that one's passing.
But hey, at least we've got 42! And all his other works, in their many-coloured media.