Podcast appearances and mentions of ira sukrungruang

On this episode, "not far off", Darren and Ira Sukrungruang get a chance to discuss a child's understanding of authority and violence in the world. Make sure to listen to the end of the podcast to hear Darren read his poem "those junk plums" from the a child walks in the dark collection (available now from Harbor Editions) that inspired the theme for this episode.

Ira Sukrungruang, an American Book Award Winner is back with This Jade World (University of Nebraska Press, 10/21), a new memoir soon to be featured in the Chicago Tribune that seeks to confront Asian stereotypes and redefine the “divorce memoir” genre. Edited by Tobias Wolff and part of UNP's esteemed American Lives Series, Ira recounts his experience as a Thai American as he returns to his ancestral roots while dealing with the dissolution of his marriage. Ira married young to an older poet, and on their twelfth anniversary, he received a letter asking for a divorce, which sent him into a despairing spiral. How would he define himself when he was suddenly without the person who helped mold him into the person he is? Returning to the bustling marketplaces of Chiang Mai and Bangkok, the ancient temples and lush greenery of Thailand, Ira seeks to obliterate the stereotype of the “sexless” Asian man as he recounts a year of mishap, exploration and experimentation, self-discovery — and eventually, healing. We discuss the power of vulnerability when telling your story and healing, intersection between Thai culture and gender, and being a BTS ARMY! To learn more about Ira and purchase his books: http://www.buddhistboy.com/ To order This Jade World   

“If you're a mess, how can you help others? In what way can you help others at all?”- Ira Sukrungruang For this week's podcast episode, I talk with Ira Sukrungruang, poet, writer, and creative writing professor at Kenyon College *and* a former Buddhist monk. We talk about “striving for nirvana first” before we can help others get to enlightenment. It's another way of saying “put your own mask on before assisting others.” This striving includes self-examination, looking at how our language was formed and informed, at how we express ourselves, at how we respond (or react) to external events. Some of the things that came up in our conversation: race relations: the rise in awareness around racism and white supremacy but in particular, the relationship between Black and AAPI communities cultivating of the skill of deeper listening self-awareness - why we need it and what to do with it once we have it being fully present in your body, something we take for granted communication: where language is formed and how it plays a role beyond just talking to each other. and of course, writing! All the things about writing! Ira is the author of four nonfiction books, including the forthcoming memoir, This Jade World; the short story collection The Melting Season; and the poetry collection In Thailand It Is Night. He is the recipient of many awards, including the 2015 American Book Award and the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Nonfiction Literature. He is one of the founding editors of Sweet: A Literary Confection (sweetlit.com), and is a creative writing professor at Kenyon College. * Introducing the Witchy Writers collective! In this membership, you'll not only be part of an amazing community of women of color, but you'll also get weekly tarot-inspired writing prompts to help jump-start the creative juices or get you out of any stuck-ness in your writing. AND you'll get to participate in monthly new moon sacred circles and receive guidance in monthly group coaching calls. Become a member now! Follow me on Instagram for Maverick Mondays, Free Verse Fridays, and some real talk about healing AND play: @leslieannhobayan Today's poems/ Books mentioned: “Forgive the Dream” by Hafiz “A Small Needful Fact” by Ross Gay Membership(s) Mentioned: Witchy Writers: https://suryagian.com/witchy-writers

In this episode I talk with Ira Sukrungruang, one of Under the Gum Tree's previous contributors. Ira is the author of The Melting Season, Southside Buddhist, Talk Thai, and In Thailand It Is Night. He teaches in the MFA program at University of South Florida. His essay "The Animatronic Dog" appears in the April 2016 issue of Under the Gum Tree. The pen name that Ira used when he used to submit stories to the New Yorker as a teenager How Ira shifts between writing in all three genres of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction The difference between writing personal stories as nonfiction versus autobiographical fiction Exploring the meaning of the word "monster," where monsters come from and what we are really afraid of Crafting segmented essays, determining the sequence and what to include or leave out What to do with material that doesn't end up in an essay The role of being an editor and how it affects Ira's work as a writer The online literary magazine Sweet, where Ira is a founding editor Ira's new memoir Buddah's Dog, coming out in spring 2018 Visit Ira online at buddistboy.com, follow him on Twitter at @sukrungruang Visit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com. Follow Under the Gum Tree Twitter and Instagram [@undergumtree][4]. Follow me on Twitter [@justjanna][5] and [@jannamarlies][6] on Instagram. Find out about my 6-week email audio course at [jannamarlies.com/cnf101course][7].

Welcome to the Coach Cafe, where you can get your weekly cup of inspiration with your hosts, certified law of attraction life coaches, Estra Roell and Kathleen Martin. This week Estra and Kathleen welcome Melissa Carroll.  Melissa is a writer and yoga instructor who believes in the power of being present. Based in Tampa, she guides more than 200 students every week at the largest yoga class in Florida. Melissa also helps run the teacher training programs at The Yoga Loft, leads retreats all over the world, and teaches creative writing at the University of Tampa. Melissa is the author of the chapbook The Karma Machine, and her work has appeared in many literary journals and magazines. Melissa will be speaking with us about her new anthology, Going Om: Real-Life Stories On and Off the Yoga Mat.  Unlike books on yoga that provide instruction on technique, Going Om: Real-Life Stories On and Off the Yoga Mat is a unique collection of never-before-seen personal narratives from celebrated authors.  For example, Ira Sukrungruang shares his heartbreaking struggle as a 375 pound yoga student discovering self-worth on his mat; Gloria Munoz explores the practice of stillness with lyrical elegance in the midst of her busy mind; Neal Pollack’s signature sarcasm leads to surprising turns at yoga class with his dad; Elizabeth Kadetsky uses yogic wisdom while coping with her mother’s devastating Alzheimer’s. Come explore with us the peace and presence that is found through the practice of yoga and how it enhances your everyday life. Discover more at www.MelissaCarrollYoga.com.

Unlike books on yoga that provide instruction on technique, Going Om: Real-Life Stories On and Off the Yoga Mat is a unique collection of never-before-seen personal narratives from celebrated authors. This anthology values the quality of writing over the authors’ flexibility. With candid, witty and compelling experiences of yoga from renowned memoirists, including forewordist Cheryl Strayed, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Wild, Going Om shares a range of observations about this popular practice. Notable authors include Claire Dederer, Poser: My Life in 23 Yoga Poses; Dinty W. Moore, The Accidental Buddhist; Neal Pollack, Stretch: The Making of a Yoga Dude and many others. Ira Sukrungruang shares his heartbreaking struggle as a 375 pound yoga student discovering self-worth on his mat; Gloria Munoz explores the practice of stillness with lyrical elegance in the midst of her busy mind; Neal Pollack’s signature sarcasm leads to surprising turns at yoga class with his dad; Elizabeth Kadetsky uses yogic wisdom while coping with her mother’s devastating Alzheimer’s. Going Om is not just for the 20 million Americans practicing yoga but rather for anyone seeking a way to get through life challenges more easily and with grace. The editor, Melissa Carroll, is a yoga instructor who teaches more than 200 students every week. As a writer and university creative writing professor with extensive public speaking and print experience, only Carroll could curate these true tales of life from the mat.

Welcome to the Coach Cafe, where you can get your weekly cup of inspiration with your hosts, certified law of attraction life coaches, Estra Roell and Kathleen Martin. This week Estra and Kathleen welcome Melissa Carroll.  Melissa is a writer and yoga instructor who believes in the power of being present. Based in Tampa, she guides more than 200 students every week at the largest yoga class in Florida. Melissa also helps run the teacher training programs at The Yoga Loft, leads retreats all over the world, and teaches creative writing at the University of Tampa. Melissa is the author of the chapbook The Karma Machine, and her work has appeared in many literary journals and magazines. Melissa will be speaking with us about her new anthology, Going Om: Real-Life Stories On and Off the Yoga Mat.  Unlike books on yoga that provide instruction on technique, Going Om: Real-Life Stories On and Off the Yoga Mat is a unique collection of never-before-seen personal narratives from celebrated authors.  For example, Ira Sukrungruang shares his heartbreaking struggle as a 375 pound yoga student discovering self-worth on his mat; Gloria Munoz explores the practice of stillness with lyrical elegance in the midst of her busy mind; Neal Pollack’s signature sarcasm leads to surprising turns at yoga class with his dad; Elizabeth Kadetsky uses yogic wisdom while coping with her mother’s devastating Alzheimer’s. Come explore with us the peace and presence that is found through the practice of yoga and how it enhances your everyday life. Discover more at www.MelissaCarrollYoga.com.

Ira Sukrungruang was born to Thai parents newly arrived in the U.S., they picked his Jewish moniker out of a book of “American” names. In this lively, entertaining, and often hilarious memoir, he relates the early life of a first-generation Thai-American and his constant, often bumbling attempts to meet cultural and familial expectations while coping with the trials of growing up in 1980s America. Talk Thai is a richly told account that takes us into an immigrant’s world. Here is a story imbued with Thai influences and the sensibilities of an American upbringing, a story in which Ira practices English by reciting lines from TV sitcoms and struggles with the feeling of not belonging in either of his two worlds. For readers who delight in the writings of Amy Tan, Gish Jen, and other Asian-Americans, Talk Thai provides generous portions of a rich and ancient culture while telling the story of a modern American boyhood with humor, playfulness, and uncompromising honesty.

Ira Sukrungruang was born to Thai parents newly arrived in the U.S., they picked his Jewish moniker out of a book of “American” names. In this lively, entertaining, and often hilarious memoir, he relates the early life of a first-generation Thai-American and his constant, often bumbling attempts to meet cultural and familial expectations while coping with the trials of growing up in 1980s America. Talk Thai is a richly told account that takes us into an immigrant’s world. Here is a story imbued with Thai influences and the sensibilities of an American upbringing, a story in which Ira practices English by reciting lines from TV sitcoms and struggles with the feeling of not belonging in either of his two worlds. For readers who delight in the writings of Amy Tan, Gish Jen, and other Asian-Americans, Talk Thai provides generous portions of a rich and ancient culture while telling the story of a modern American boyhood with humor, playfulness, and uncompromising honesty.