Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop (ACWW): Difference between revisions

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Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop (ACWW) (edit)

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ACWW was created out of a need to develop and nurture Pacific Rim Asian writers. Its primary purpose is to foster a community of writers and build a literature.  
ACWW was created out of a need to develop and nurture Pacific Rim Asian writers. Its primary purpose is to foster a community of writers and build a literature.  
At the height of ACWW, it had developed over 200 members with ACWW chapters in Toronto and Edmonton.  ACWW established a number of successes: establishing writing workshops, literary anthologies, book clubs, mentorship of new writers, one-on-one manuscript development sessions, an annual reading series, and launched and maintained the ACWW Emerging Writer’s Award.
At the height of ACWW, it had developed over 200 members with ACWW chapters in Toronto and Edmonton.  ACWW established a number of successes: establishing writing workshops, literary anthologies, book clubs, mentorship of new writers, one-on-one manuscript development sessions, an annual reading series, and launched and maintained the ACWW Emerging Writer’s Award.
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'''ACWW Reconceptualization'''
'''History'''  
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The purpose of the reconceptualization process – for both ACWW and Ricepaper - was to allow both entities an opportunity to re-examine its past, do some soul-searching and revisit its original mandate and purpose and to better understand how it got to such a current state of affairs and seek a way forward. Unfortunately the latest crisis within Ricepaper, an all too familiar reoccurring dilemma, monopolized the board’s available time and sapping their energy and forced its focus away from the urgently required process of reflection and strategic analysis.
Although a report on the ACWW reconceptualization process is due, this current report helps fill in the historical perspective as well as an attempt to provide a deeper examination of this society’s fundamental purpose and legacy. We hope this report will help to illuminate and address what’s missing.
Collective amnesia
If a stranger walked into the doors of ACWW today, the only impression he or she would come away with is that our primary function is to publish a magazine. It was not that way at all. Most of us have heard about its reputation and legacy of nurturing and building the AC literary community, yet in 2012, not a shred of its endeavors on the writer’s side of the equation are reflected in its current activities. The sad reality is that maintaining the magazine has become all consuming.  The irony: Ricepaper is no longer a subsidiary of ACWW.  Rather, ACWW has become a subsidiary of the magazine. ACWW has to come to terms with the fact that it has lost its way.  The magazine no longer serves its purpose, and in fact, has become a hindrance to those who must oversee and safeguard its mandate and operations.
History
ACWW began the late sixties – early seventies with a handful of community activists turned writers. The earliest publications featured two anthologies: Inalienable Rice: A Chinese and Japanese Canadian Anthology (1979) and West Coast Line: The Asian Canadian and the Arts (1981).
ACWW began the late sixties – early seventies with a handful of community activists turned writers. The earliest publications featured two anthologies: Inalienable Rice: A Chinese and Japanese Canadian Anthology (1979) and West Coast Line: The Asian Canadian and the Arts (1981).
Founding members began to publish: Paul Yee’s Teach Me How to Fly Skyfighter (1983) ( illustrated by SKY Lee); Jim Wong-Chu’s Chinatown Ghosts (1986); Paul Yee’s Curses of Third Uncle (1986), Tales of Gold Mountain (1989); SKY Lee’s Disappearing Moon Café (1993).  These pioneers saw the need to form an organization to promote our history and literary culture.  The idea of ACWW was born.  
Founding members began to publish: Paul Yee’s Teach Me How to Fly Skyfighter (1983) ( illustrated by SKY Lee); Jim Wong-Chu’s Chinatown Ghosts (1986); Paul Yee’s Curses of Third Uncle (1986), Tales of Gold Mountain (1989); SKY Lee’s Disappearing Moon Café (1993).  These pioneers saw the need to form an organization to promote our history and literary culture.  The idea of ACWW was born. <br><br>
The seminal Many-Mouthed Birds anthology (1991) also served to awaken the mainstream to the richness of Chinese Canadian literature. This was followed by:
 
• Denise Chong’s Concubine’s Children (1994);  
The seminal Many-Mouthed Birds anthology (1991) also served to awaken the mainstream to the richness of Chinese Canadian literature. This was followed by:<br><br>
• Sky Lee’s Bellydancer (1994);  
• Denise Chong’s Concubine’s Children (1994); <br><br>
• Lydia Kwa ‘s poetry  The Colours of Heroines (1994);  
• Sky Lee’s Bellydancer (1994); <br><br>
• Wayson Choy’s Jade Peony (1995) ;  
• Lydia Kwa ‘s poetry  The Colours of Heroines (1994); <br><br>
• Larrisa Lai’s When Fox was a Thousand (1995)  
• Wayson Choy’s Jade Peony (1995) ; <br><br>
• Larrisa Lai’s When Fox was a Thousand (1995) <br><br>
• Thuong Vuong-Riddick’s ground-breaking bilingual poetry, Two Shores / Deux Rives (1995).  
• Thuong Vuong-Riddick’s ground-breaking bilingual poetry, Two Shores / Deux Rives (1995).  
1995 saw the incorporation of the ACWW as a society. Many of these pioneer writers began to win prizes.  
1995 saw the incorporation of the ACWW as a society. Many of these pioneer writers began to win prizes.  
Allancho
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