Nou Her finds it hard to say things verbally in person, but writing is an easy way to express herself.
“I love the freedom in being able to make anything happen in my stories,” said Her, a Fresno State alumna who is currently working in marketing.
Her joined Hmong writers Yia Lee, Jer Xiong and Mai Dove, all alumni of Fresno State, to read at “LitHop,” an annual pop-up literary event on Oct. 12 in Fresno’s Tower District. Started in April 2016, LitHop was created by local writers to uplift the writing community while celebrating Fresno’s unique arts districts.
The Hmong women writers came together to reflect on contemporary Hmong American culture and the big and small moments and trends in the community.
When asked about doing LitHop together, they shared that it’s their second time each, but not together.
“This is the first time we have read together as a group. It is great!” Lee said. “I have watched all the others read before and they are great; it was an honor to read with the ladies.”
Lee said she writes because she loves reading. She is writing a young adult novel about making a life and moving past war trauma.
“I love how words can be art. I love the idea that the writers I know are all ordinary looking people, but they have words inside them to electrify or astound or break you up into pieces,” Lee said.
Xiong has a passion for writing about Hmong people. She is working on new short and long essays to get published.
“I like writing about and for my people. I hope that my own writings and identity as a writer will encourage others to write as well about their own experiences or write poetry and fiction,” Xiong said.
Xiong shares some advice for writers who want to get published.
“Experiment with different styles and forms to help develop your voice, but don’t feel like you have to conform to a certain type of voice to get published,” she said.
Dove was influenced by Hmong stories because it helps express her life story.
“I like to write because I grew up with Hmong folktales among others,” Dove said. “I get to share stories passed down to me from my parents and others, which helps me see that we’re all unique individuals in the Hmong community.”
Dove encourages future writers to keep writing no matter what.
“A lot of us are going through the same struggles, keep writing, submit your work to places that share your themes/concepts, and you’ll get noticed over time,” Dove said. “It takes a lot of work and dedication.”