From the official Innsmouth Free Press announcement
12/5/13 is now considered the official release date for DEMONSTRA. It's also the birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Margaret Cho and Patricia Kaas. I can remember that.
So, to celebrate, here's a recap of some of early praise for DEMONSTRA:
“These poems are not bound by language. They leap from one
to the other — indeed, one realm to the other — not bound
my myth, not bound by life, not bound by earth. Where they
land, a world all their own. You ever read your biography in
a foreign language filled with foreign characters? At the end,
you come out with an intimate understanding of who you are,
your place in the places you call home. Don’t let the zombies
and moon-eating frogs fool you. These poems will tell you
about yourself, whether you be from Laos, Vietnam, Guinea, or
Somalia; whether home is China, Mexico, California, Kenya,
or the space between all those places.”
— IBé Kaba, author of
Bridge Across the Atlantic
“
DEMONSTRA is born of the extraordinary imagination of
Bryan Thao Worra, who draws inspiration from the Cthulhu
Mythos, the Laotian pantheon of ghosts and monsters, and the
horrors of the modern world, among other things. Something
sinister and enchanting beckons from every poem. There’s
the enthralling journey across the dream highway of Ms.
Mannivongsa. There’s the poignant meditation on Egyptian
iconography as a harbinger of death. And there’s the invocation
to Mothra.
DEMONSTRA is absolutely evocative and haunting.”
— Kristine Ong Muslim, author of
Grim Series and
We Bury
the Landscape
“For me, Bryan Thao Worra’s
DEMONSTRA is the thinking geek’s
collection of poetry. Robots, zombies, Buddha, mythical beings
from various universes, Eastern and Western folklore, and us
lowly members of humanity clash on pages that paint a unique,
sprawling world that invites multiple interpretations. Worra clearly has a gift for surreal realism that is enhanced by his wit, humor and flare for the dramatic.”
— Kevin Vollmers, Founder of
Land of Gazillion Adoptees
“Bryan Thao Worra navigates the liminal spaces between high and low culture, the sublime and the ridiculous, the sacred and the profane, Lao and whatever it means to be American with skill and wit. Whether musing over zombie Buddhas or mapping out a Highway 61-style odyssey across our immigrant nation, he has an eye for contradictions and unexpected connections. Highly recommended.”
— David J. Schwartz, author of
Superpowers, and
Gooseberry Bluff Community College of Magic: The Thirteenth Rib
"DEMONSTRA presents a universe in which mythologies — ancient and modern, American and Lao, cultural and popcultural, occupy the same space,conversing, breeding and bleeding into one another. And the best part is that these many references— from Greek mythology to professional wrestling, to zombie films, to Lovecraftian horrors, to folktales, to kaiju battles, and beyond— are always in the service of something greater. This is poetry with a deep respect and love for science fiction and horror tropes but with an even greater respect and love for Lao culture, and the Lao/ Lao American experience. These two big ideas are weaved together masterfully, creating that rare literary hybrid that transcends its component parts, a poetic Mekagojira, standing triumphant over a thousand fallen foes."
—Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre, hip hop artist and two-time National Poetry Slam champion
Thanks for being a part of this journey!
