More Than a Writing Retreat

Before attending Kundiman's Retreat in 2016, I had yet to read a book of poems or learn about written forms of poetry. I had found electricity only through spoken word and poetry slams. It wasn’t until I attended my first Retreat––reading poems in classrooms with faculty and walking across campus with fellows and freewriting during late-night karaoke––that my understanding of poetry and its possibilities became clear.

I learned how poems can live both on stage and the page, how enjambment can bring two universes into one couplet, how I am part of a lineage of Asian American literature. That year, the Kundiman faculty gave me tools to help me define my own poetics. I still use what I learned from them today.

Jaswinder Bolina introduced me to poems I come back to whenever I need to feel moved by words again––poems I share in my own writing workshops to show the kind of thrill and haunting poetry can bring to a body. Kimiko Hahn introduced me to the use of fragments and memory and, in particular, the zuihitsu and, in general, what form in poetry can do. Lee Herrick introduced me to expanding the imagination in a way that feels easily accessible. I continue to use his writing prompts whenever I feel my poetry has gone flat.

The night I look back on most often is the night I opened up to Joseph O. Legaspi, one of Kundiman’s co-founders. I told him I felt misplaced and not accomplished enough to be at the Retreat. I didn’t have an MFA or a debut collection on the way or poems published in a journal. Without hesitating, he let me know that I was at the retreat because Kundiman believed in me and my writing. That if I wanted the support, Kundiman was here to help me grow as a writer in whatever way that meant for me––whether it was pursuing a graduate degree, publishing a book, or doing something else entirely.

It was this moment that I realized Kundiman would be more than a writing retreat for me. It would be the backbone of my poetry, a community of writers, peers, and mentors that I could come to for guidance, a community that I want to give back to and help grow so that more Asian American writers can experience the support I receive time and time again.

Receiving a scholarship to attend the 2022 Kundiman retreat allowed me to deepen what I began learning at my first Retreat in 2016. It also allowed me to continue the relationships that began at that first Retreat. I reconnected with Kundiman Fellows Andy Chen and Ryan Lee Wong, whose writing and spirits are shining lights. I continued to learn and receive support from Kundiman staff like Cathy Linh Che, Ching-In Chen, and Helene Achanzar, who, on the last night of the retreat, sat beside me in a dormitory hallway where we were singing karaoke at 1 a.m. and told me, “I’m here for you whenever you need it.”

Having the opportunity to be part of Kundiman has propelled my writing. I’ve received fellowships from Hugo House and Jack Straw Cultural Center and have most recently been awarded a 2022 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship by the Poetry Foundation. I’m also currently serving as a 2022-2023 Critic-at-Large for Poetry Northwest, have had the opportunity to publish in several journals I admire, and have received grant awards for writing from organizations like Artist Trust and 4Culture. What I’ve been able to accomplish in these last few years was possible because of the support from Kundiman. I’m grateful for all that it’s done for me and am excited to give back in the ways I can. Kundiman forever.

Troy Osaki, Kundiman Fellow & scholarship recipient

To ensure that Kundiman's Retreat is financially accessible, you can donate to Team Troy at kundiman.org/donate. All funds will go directly toward need-based scholarships for Kundiman Fellows. So far, we've raised enough to provide 10 scholarships for the 2023 Kundiman Retreat, and we'd love to raise 6 more during this end of year campaign. Please donate to raise one full scholarship of $2,500 on Troy's behalf.