IN HONOR OF GENNY LIM
WHEREAS, Genny Lim was born a second-generation Chinese-Chukchi
American in 1946 in San Francisco where she grew up to become an
award-winning poet, playwright, journalist, editor, performer, and
activist, bringing needed attention to Asian history, cultural
expression, and social justice issues; and
WHEREAS, Genny Lim is the author of five poetry
collections—Winter Place, Child of War, Paper Gods and Rebels, KRA!,
and La Morte Del Tempo and of two anthologies of Senior Asian
American memoirs-From Both Shores and Window: Glimpses of Our
Storied Past, and her work is included in numerous other
anthologies; and
WHEREAS, Genny Lim co-edited and co-translated for the
ground-breaking book Island: Poetry and History of Chinese
Immigrants on Angel Island (1980) with Him Mark Lai and Judy Yung
and sparked national attention to the long forgotten history and
poems inscribed on the detention barrack walls by Chinese
immigrants, poems that represent the first literature and protest
poems by Chinese Americans; the book received the American Book Award;
and Genny Lim is the author of the award-winning play Paper Angels, a
historic drama set on Angel Island, the first Asian play to air on
PBS's American Playhouse in 1985, and has been produced throughout the
U.S., Canada, and China, and the author of the play Bitter Cane, and
founder of the experimental theater company Paper Angel Productions,
now known as Theater XX; and
WHEREAS, Genny Lim is the author of the award-winning play
Paper Angels, a historic drama set on Angel Island, the first
Asian play to air on PBS's American Playhouse in 1985, and has
been produced throughout the U.S., Canada, and China, and the
author of the play Bitter Cane, and founder of the experimental
theater company Paper Angel Productions, now known as Theater XX;
and
WHEREAS, Genny Lim has integrated her poetry vocals with
contemporary jazz in live performance and served as the San
Francisco Jazz Poet Laureate (2017-2019) and her poetry vocals have
been featured on three records/CDs: Devotee with music by Francis
Wong, Immigrant Suite with music by Jon Jang Sextet, and Arkaeology
with music by Herbie Lewis and Francis Wong; and
WHEREAS, Genny Lim has performed extensively in the Bay
Area—Watershed Ecology and Poetry Festival, Lit Quake, SF Jazz
Center, San Francisco International Arts Center, Japan Peace Plaza,
Asian Art Museum, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, CounterPULSE, Bird
and Beckett, Herbst Theater as well as nationally in New York and
Seattle and in international poetry festivals in Italy, Caracas,
Venezuela and Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina; and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: On January 23, 2022, the 19th
Annual Berkeley Poetry Festival honors Genny Lim with its Lifetime
Achievement Award for the truly valuable creative and community work
that she has accomplished.
Jesse Arreguin, Mayor