Meet Siwaraya Rochanahusdin | Writer & Poet

We had the good fortune of connecting with Siwaraya Rochanahusdin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Siwaraya, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I’ve discovered that one of the most fundamental things I need as a creative is to have networks. I don’t mean in the business sense of ‘what can this person do for me so I can close a deal’ but rather how can we build together, support one another’s whole self, and all while working towards the best possible future for all of us.

In the wild times of pandemic and social unrest, networks/community have kept me anchored. I have multiple writing circles that I am grateful for every single day.

There’s an intergenerational group of Black and Asian writers and photographers called The Decades that are alum who came out of Voices of Our Nations Arts, the only multi-genre weeklong workshop for writers of color. The Decades had already been an established group when the Black Lives Matter protests and the Atlanta Asian Hate murders took over the public consciousness. There was so much pain and hurt from these events. We were there for one another in our works and more importantly as our whole multi-layered selves. I didn’t have to be performative. I could process the events and how our writings responded to or reflected the times.

For more Hollywood related writing, I’m blessed to be in a TV writing collective helmed by Prince Gomolvilas, who is one of the creators of a new TV series for Amazon. The entertainment field while beautiful can be a hard space to navigate as without a good community it can be easy to want to bend or contort yourself/your ideas to reflect the latest trend thinking that’s the way to have your work accepted. But this TV writing collective has really made it core principle that while your work will need to follow a certain framework in craft it is equally crucial that your sincere take on the world through your characters, story, and choices will keep your writing far more interesting, unique, and nuanced.

I love having created intentional communities. It feeds my work, my ethos, and most of all my heart. These spaces allow me to persevere and flourish as a writer. I encourage anyone to figure out what makes you tick because it’ll feed you and give you the necessary fuel for the marathon of a creative career.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
These are such great questions. I feel like I along with every artist I’ve encountered has had their own unique journey filled with hard-won battles and beautiful moments along the way. Regarding themes, my work highlights the poetry in people, characters, and their stories demonstrating their importance to our social fabric.

When I was commissioned by the Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists, I highlighted the case of Professor Xiaoxing Xi who was held up by gunpoint with his young family by federal agents believing him to be a mad scientist. Professor Xi was later stripped of his positions at Temple University, even though he never was found guilty of any crime and is still currently fighting for reinstatement. To make light of stereotypes and the ways Asian Americans have had to prove their allegiance in this country, I created a multimedia performance with poetry and staged an arranged marriage of America to the audience as they get interrogated with questions from the U.S. citizenship application.

In my most recent poetry reading, I was commissioned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Poetry in Color series. The museum brings in poets to create original slam-inspired pieces responding to a current exhibit and whose themes are of international trade, political conflict, and global artistic exchange. The poems I created centered stories of blue-collar workers who make it possible for our society to function as well as a piece encouraging us as a society to find better ways of honoring, remembering, and fighting for our front-line workers.

Growing up, I have always loved the power of story. It gave me a sense of understanding the world, the people, and place into context where I was in history. I hope that my work offers a bit of this to my audiences. The power of story in connecting us to one another and greater humanity is unparalleled.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There’s so much I would want to take loved ones to if they came out for a visit.

For visual arts and vinyl collectors, I’d take them over to Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, check the street murals in the Arts District, and Amoeba Music. If they wanted to dance, I’d take them to any of the events where DJ Phatrick spins.

For book lovers, I’d take them to The Last Bookstore in DTLA, the Central Library in Downtown, Kinokuniya, and Manhattan Beach Library (for the ocean view).

For strolls or views, we’d take the Coast Starlight train near golden hour, hike Griffith Park to the observatory, walk the Venice Canals on a weekday afternoon, and check out the observation deck at City Hall.

For noms, I’d hit up: Lou’s French on the Block, Berry Opera, Wanderlust Creamery, Republic of Pie, Mama Lu’s Dumpling House, Mister Donut Man, Uovo, Grand Central Market, Bahn Khanom Thai, Luv2Eat, and Sushi Gen.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many spaces and faces I’d love to list. The biggest amount of love and appreciation I want to shoutout are for the following three groups – The Decades, the TV writing collective helmed by Prince Gomolvilas, and Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists (PAPA). They are thought leaders, great at their craft, and most of all fun people. I am so grateful for what each has offered me and their respective artistic communities.

Website: www.siwaraya.com

Image Credits
Ronald Palarca, Nox Shou, Jimmy Tran, Marc Fajardo