The launch of Chantha Nguon’s Slow Noodles, a memoir about her life as a Cambodian refugee in the aftermath of Pol Pot’s 1970s genocide (co-written with Kim Green), was a movable literary feast, with international events as well as several key local affairs. The literary event of the season — and the year — was the book launch and group exhibition at Julia Martin Gallery. To honor Nguon and her book, Martin and 20 other women explored female resilience and perseverance. Some artists made work with Mekong Blue silk, and others with ceramic vessels to hold noodles. I’ve never seen such a loving literary event in all my days.
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