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.

If I were really fluent and born into the English language, I would probably become a greater writer.

Some people have witnessed the killing of their husbands, or they survived other horrific things. My sister is a widow but her husband was killed after the Khmer Rouge. There are different periods in which violence has occurred, and differences in how these women became widowed and how they survived afterwards.

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

I tried to write poems in rhyme. I tried writing songs. Sometimes I jotted down a thought. I would keep a log of spontaneous thoughts.

All throughout my work, even in the United States, I have worked with the greater Cambodian community.

I'm very connected to the story, the history, and the trauma people experience.