When I was in the sixth grade my friend and I always won writing contests, and we read a lot of books. We were always the ones that read the most books in class. I thought about writing but visual arts weren't part of my vocabulary.

How am I placing myself in the world of other people around me? For me, I feel that I am not really alone, that others can feel it too. I see art in this way.

You get closer to your own humanity by understanding the stories of other people and the struggles they have.

It's really hard when you read literature in a language that's not your own. There are all these cultural references you have to be born into that particular language to get.

When I hear Khmer poets, when they recite their poems, I know what they're talking about, I get it right away.

I read a lot when I was in school in the United States, and even though writing in English is very difficult for me, I wrote in journals.

I thought of the pillowcases as a symbol of love and loss, of retaining the memory of your loved one.