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Poet and translator Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma first picked up Juan Rulfo’s book, Pedro Páramo, while learning Spanish in Oaxaca, Mexico. The novel–which tells the story of the living and the dead speaking across time–became something he turned to again and again. But when he searched for an English translation, he discovered that while the plot remained, the spirit of the language felt lost. Through memories of his great-grandmother, the mentors that shaped him, and more than 20 years spent translating the novel, Thomas reflects on what it means to carry another person’s voice without distorting it. Even if the work itself may never be published.

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Putsata Reang was 11 months old when her family escaped Cambodia on a boat in 1975. When they arrived in San Diego after 23 days at sea, each member of her family was given a meal card at Camp Pendleton. More than a ticket to three free meals a day, it was a ticket to prosperity in America. But the American dream has a downside, where accepting help can be seen as an accrual of debt. Now as an adult, Putsata is reckoning with this sense of indebtedness, and finding a sense of agency after years of shaving off pieces of herself in order to assimilate. 

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After years of experimenting with all kinds of mediums and materials, Korean-American artist Rob Rhee found his calling in bricolage—a practice of artmaking that uses whatever's at hand. And what proved to be at hand… were gourds. In working with gourds, Rob trains his living plants with new routines, giving birth to fantastic new forms never before imagined—just as so many children of immigrants, faced with narrative scarcity, shape their own ways of being from otherwise incoherent fragments.

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The season one finale of Field Notes explores the life and legacy of Seattle music producer Gary Mula and the musical castle he built at The Dutchman Studios. The podcast features archival interview recordings with Mula where he recalls how The Dutchman became a diverse, welcoming mecca for various genres, from grunge to early hip-hop. Ultimately, this episode celebrates Mula's unwavering, community-driven spirit as reflected in his final project, The Rabbit Box, which continues his commitment to providing uncompromising artistic space.

This episode is hosted by Tony Williams and features guest Shin Yu Pai.

Curated HistoryLInk article set for this episode includes:

• The Dutchman (Seattle) by Shin Yu Pai
• Rock Music - Seattle by Clark Humphrey
• Women of Northwest Rock: The First 50 Years (1957-2007) by Peter Blecha

Additional HistoryLink resources for this episode:

• Crocodile Cafe: Seattle's Icon of the Grunge Rock Era by Peter Blecha
• Cobain, Kurt (1967-1994) by Peter Blecha
• Kurt Cobain posts a "Drummer Wanted" classified advertisement in Seattle's The Rocket on May 1, 1988. by Peter Blecha
• Nirvana debuts brand-new grunge-rock anthem "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at Seattle's OK Hotel all-ages club on April 17, 1991 by Peter Blecha
• Central Tavern and Saloon (Seattle) by Peter Blecha
• Seattle's "underground" hip-hop scene breaks out with big Exhibition Hall gig on August 17, 1984 by Peter Blecha
• KJR Radio (Seattle) by Peter Blecha

For more from Shin Yu Pai check out:

• https://shinyupai.com/
• Ten Thousand Things Podcast

Track List for This Episode

• Gary Mula – Maraca’s CL (2002?)
• Gary Mula – Don’t Mind (2002)
• Thrust – What Do I Have To Do (1978)
• Thrust –  Bombs Away (1978)
• Dumb Thumbs – Nothing Ever Lasts (2020)
• Nirvana – Blew (1989)
• Common Language – Cover Me (1989)
• Playerz on Wax – Down with P.O.W. (1991)
• Amateur Boyfriend – Deceiving (2004)
• Gary Mula – She’s The One (1998)
• Muckner – You Think You Know (2004)
• Gary Mula – Smoke Stack (2002)

To visit The Rabbit Box

• The Rabbit Box

For more Field Notes episodes and other HistoryLink podcasts visit the:

• HistoryLink.org Podcast Page

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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