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Home / Publications / About / Sessions / Spotlight / Audio / FAQ / Press / Links
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SPOTLIGHT: Rae Motonaga
Subtly, quietly, diligently, and totally ninja-like, she has become one of the staples of The Writers Workshop. Her desire to expand her literary repertoire, and ability to do so, caught our eyes and attention.
"Wow, thank you for this opportunity :). I think you just ran out of writers hah." - Rae Motonaga
No, we didn't.
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What is your name?
My name is ______________, but you can call me Rae Motonaga.
Where do you live?
Carson, CA. Born and raised.
What do you do?
Firstly, I raise and provide for my son following the principles of unconditional parenting and non-violent communication.
Secondly, I work for an engineering firm, and am on course in becoming an electrical and instrument designer.
Thirdly, I write. Granted, it's usually during breaks at work and while my son is napping, but I manage to fit in writing because it keeps me healthy and balanced.
Lastly, I support the creative consciousness building work of One Imagination (oneimagination.blogspot.com), a social justice arts organization in South Bay/Long Beach, because being connected in our community is also extremely vital for our well-being.
When is your birthday?
Dates are trivial. I'm a Taurean Rat. Funny enough, my son is also a Taurean Rat, so don't be surprised if he carries a lot of the same traits as I do. Good thing? Bad thing? I'm still not sure . . .
How the hell did you even get into writing in the first place?
My relationship with writing has been a geological fault line with periods of massive activity and inactivity.
Back in high school, I used to keep notebooks that I would fill during slow times in class and between class periods. I would write some terrible three chord punk songs, as I was just learning guitar at the time as well, and just really bizarre random poetry that made no sense. Whatever nonsense came to my head, I scribbled it down.
I didn't take writing seriously until years later when I tried out for my college's poetry slam team. I really didn't expect to make it on the team. I was encouraging my friend who was a writer/rapper to try out and was convinced to audition as well. We both scored high with our performances and ended up competing that year on the team. I would perform at events and conferences, spitting my poetry which tended to be very political, socially critical, and angry. However, to be honest, I grew a dislike for the competitive aspect of the slam poetry scene because my view is that art should not be competitive. I don't want to compete, I want to connect. I don't want to entertain, I want to engage. There should be an exchange with and through art, an exchange between the performer/audience member, the writer/reader. Everyone should see themselves as people capable of creating through whatever medium it may be. But I digress.
Then I got involved with a person who ridiculed and rejected my creative work and discouraged my passion for writing and performing. So I stopped. He, with his degrading comments and manipulative behavior, convinced me that I was worthless, that my art and its messages were inferior and weak. I was deeply wounded, and he had a really negative impact on me as a whole.
Luckily, as I came out of that situation, I found the support of my family and friends, and through my participation in The Undeniables and One Imagination, I have managed to write and perform once again, finding myself as a person and a mother and furthering myself as an artist, especially as a writer.
Who are your favorite authors? Why?
I started off as a performer and it hasn't been until more recently that I have focused on developing my writing as a craft. There is something about the oral tradition that I embrace, not just reading an artist's words but seeing and feeling it through their voice and body. With that said, I've been largely influenced by performance artists/groups, like I Was Born with Two Tongues. I saw them perform in Little Tokyo back in 2003, and they blew my mind. I wanted to be just like them, spitting pro-Asian Pacific Islander American messages of consciousness to challenge, educate, and resonate with people. Saul Williams is another favorite with his brilliant word play and political themes. Local performance artists like Alison De La Cruz and D'Lo also impacted me early on, especially when I first started to get involved in the Asian Pacific Islander American community. Ryka Aoki De La Cruz is another amazing performer and writer whom I have very much admired.
As for literary favorites, I really enjoy Thich Nhat Hanh for his words of Buddhist wisdom and bell hooks for her feminist social critiques. I also appreciate the works of Audre Lorde, Cherrie Moraga, and Gloria Anzaldua.
Growing up, I loved S.E. Hinton's work, particularly The Outsiders. I remember reading it when I was in 4th grade and falling in love with that book and Ponyboy's character.
In high school, I became familiarized with the Harlem Renaissance, and I took a liking to Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Watching God and Langston Hughes's poetry. I also read Octavia Butler's Kindred, and that meshing of science fiction and historical fiction really stuck with me. It was a book I just couldn't put down.
An artist friend of mine in high school also exposed me to Charles Bukowski and I would devour his poetry, despite the drunken, cynical, misogynistic tone of it all. It was just raw and free and that has probably influenced my approach to writing a lot, as I now try to apply more structure.
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel is a favorite too. The magical realism, the use of recipes throughout the novel, it's just such a brilliant piece of literature.
To be honest, majority of what I read nowadays include non-fiction, parenting books, vegetarian cookbooks, and children's stories, but I have been pushing myself to read more fictional literature because I see how it impacts my writing.
What say you to the state of literature currently?
Literature is polluted by capitalism. Business owners' and publishers' main objectives are to make a profit off the writing. Who and what is selected for mass production is controlled and monitored, and usually it's people who already have capital or have connections. The culture and messages put out are controlled for the consumers who trust in what the newspapers list as bestsellers and what the mega-bookstores have on their shelves. I am critical of this, and believe people need to produce their own culture, which is why hip hop is such a powerful medium, despite the way it also has been exploited and commercialized. It is imperative to support independent publishers, bookstores, and writers, just as it is sustainable to buy food from farmers directly. With the advent of technology, people, at least those who have access, have an easier time spreading their written work in ways our world has never seen. A lot of good work is being produced but it's not readily accessible for most to read, and that's unfortunate. I hope we are able to push forward in this 21st century cultural movement.
When and how did you get into The Writers Workshop?
I was searching on the Blacklava website and saw a little blurb about The Undeniables. I clicked on it and read about a group of writers pushing themselves by writing everyday and dedicating themselves to developing the craft of writing. This was a couple months after giving birth to my son and staying at home 24/7 taking care of him. Though beautiful and worthwhile to have that special time with him and only him to create a strong connection and secure attachment, it was also socially isolating. I was also healing from the traumatic experiences I had with my abusive ex-partner and I needed a positive creative outlet to release the pain, transform the anger, and nurture the re-emergence of my inner artist.
Why are you still involved?
Participating in The Undeniables and taking my writing seriously has transformed my own perception of myself. It has been a very positive experience. There have been a number of people in my past who have devalued my art and my self-worth in general, and their dark negative voices have affected me in very destructive, paralyzing ways. For once in my life, I feel light, not judging my art and my writing so harshly, letting go of the doubt, and just being a creative channel through which to allow the universe to tell its stories. Even though I haven't ever been able to write every single day as professed in the mantra of The Undeniables, I constantly think about writing, about story telling. I think about what messages I want to share with other people and how I intend to do so. It has been truly liberating, introspective, and I've encouraged many people to join the writer's workshop because it is so powerful. Writing is healing.
How do you see literature evolving, especially with the technology available to it?
I'm not sure. There is still an issue with access to technology. And with all this incredible technology, why are there still people starving, living in and dying of poverty and oppressive circumstances? Why are so many people incarcerated? Why is violence such a norm? Okay, I'm getting off topic, but basically I do see a lot of potential. People with access to technology have the capacity to connect with others around the world and share their work. I am just concerned because these virtual communities are just that: virtual. What will happen to the direct interface between writers and readers? Sure, you reach more people through the internet, but who are these people? What about your own neighbors and family members? How can literature and art be used to build stronger relationships, more cohesive communities? The role of technology may be damning, but I don't know.
How do you see yourself evolving? As a person? As a writer?
I see every day as a new opportunity to be open, to learn, to grow, to connect with others, to embrace happiness, to live freely in my mind and soul. As long as I keep my goals and the larger picture in sight, as long as I stay focused, I have no doubt in my mind that I will achieve what I want as a person and as a writer. Identifying what exactly I want is the difficult task, because there are so many ideas and directions I would like to go, but I do know that I would eventually like to reach certain milestones like publishing my own book and recording my own album. I think I am surrounding myself with the right people to nurture my creative spirit, and hoping that I am doing the same for my friends as well so they too can actualize their goals.
If you could characterize your writing style, how would you describe it?
Honest.
Open.
Direct.
Introspective.
Put it this way: if you read my writing you probably have a better sense of who I am, what I've experienced, and how I think, than if you meet me in person.
Any upcoming news or events in the future for yourself?
As I mentioned before, I support the work of One Imagination, and they're organizing a youth leadership and writing series called Our Word is Our Weapon set to take place in February and March 2010. I'm excited to be a part of this and support the local youth in empowering themselves as visionary leaders and artists. In addition, One Imagination is also working on releasing its very own compilation album, date TBA, which I'll be featured on as an artist.
I assembled my very own chapbook called Becoming: A Journey to Complete Samsara, which includes writing I completed while participating in The Undeniables, and I hope to hold a gathering in celebration of its release. It just makes me happy to see something I've tangibly created, something of which I can claim ownership, something that I can say I've completed. Yay!
My son has had a phenomenal impact on me and I'm always thinking about our children and youth. I'm currently working on a children's picture book with my sister who is an amazing visual artist and freelance graphic designer. I hope to work on a series of children's books. I think it's important to break down concepts and messages for young people, touching their minds and hearts early on.
Do you think books can save the world?
No, but I think unconditional love, unity, and mindfulness can cultivate a liberated world of peace and justice. If we write books that embrace these themes, they can indeed be tools for transformation.
PLAYLIST
In no particular order:
C. Cueva - His writing reflects him as an individual: quick-witted, insightful, and kinda quirky.
J. Guevarra - He has a beautiful way of telling insightful stories that reflect on his relationship with his mother and highlight Pilipin@ history and culture.
J. Kaewsith - A brilliant, confident sister who isn't afraid to share her stories, her ideas, her dreams, her struggles.
R. Tong - A compassionate brother who manages to capture some fierce political themes in his work.
T. Cheung - He writes these concise pieces that unexpectedly snap at you as a reader.
N. Heng - Striking, provocative work. She seriously writes like a ninja.
G. Morose - Incredibly personal and relevant.
C. Zarate - Another insightful, passionate sister.
R. Conwi - He's so sweet and just genuine. His work is very honest.
K. Sao - Beautiful, exquisite poetry.
V. Luu - Her work makes me hot. Whew! And it keeps me on my toes. She got me hooked with Broken Pious.
E. Sumagaysay - I don't find many people intimidating. He is one of the only ones. He is just an extremely intense writer, so descriptive and so imaginative, touching on aspects of humanity in such a way that I strive to one day.
S. P. Doan - Amazing imagery. Beautiful details, even when some raw dark twist happens . . . which always catches you off guard.
I. Cruz - Started reading her work recently and it's just brutal. A lot about the civil war in El Salvador and just some deep, intense topics.
T. Ikeda - I was struck by one of her pieces about the Daruma doll that really hooked me on the rest of her writing.
W. Pathomrit - She has such beautiful, agonizing, descriptive poetry that I love reading.
D. Bui - The personal is political, the political is personal. Enough said.
A. Roh Park - I miss her! Please come back! Just more dope politically charged, personal work by a sister on the east coast.
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