In 2007, I applied to the Kundiman retreat for the first time. I was 24 and living in New York City with three roommates. Almost 40% of my income went to rent. I was hustling, trying to be my full artist-activist self, and trying to find support for my writing.
When I got accepted to the Kundiman retreat, I was thrilled. Days later, when I still hadn’t confirmed my intent to attend and received a follow-up email, I took the risk of replying with the truth. I couldn’t afford the cost of room and board. I came from a low-income family. I was just getting by, and I didn’t have savings.
The response was incredible. Sarah Gambito let me know that a donation had been secured for a room and board scholarship for me. Money was no longer an obstacle. To this day, my heart is filled with gratitude for the opportunity the scholarship provided me. I still remember the conversations I had with Myung-Mi Kim, Joseph O. Legaspi, Prageeta Sharma, and Patrick Rosal. I met a community of Fellows that I have kinship with to this day.
It was a beautiful and affirming space—the kind that leaves you feeling more free than you did when you got there. I struggled to write often then, as I struggle to write often now. Each time I returned to Kundiman, it helped me get unstuck. Because no matter how stuck I felt, I knew I needed to write. Kundiman knew it, too.
From getting my MFA—which was a dream come true—to the honor of helping shape the vibrant community that is Kundiman as Retreat staff, Kundiman continues to be tied to some of my most meaningful milestones as an Asian American writer. Supporting scholarships to Kundiman is supporting low-income writers and artists in accessing a life-long transformative opportunity.
— Dulani, Kundiman Fellow and scholarship recipient
We want to ensure that the Retreat is financially accessible for our 2023 Fellows. To help support this goal, you can donate at kundiman.org/donate. All funds will go directly toward need-based scholarships for Kundiman Fellows. So far we have 251 donors to our campaign. We’d love to have 49 more donors—at any amount—in the next few days to reach our goal of 200 donors. Kundiman has always been built upon community, and we’d love to have a wide reach of participation from our community as we fundraise for these scholarships!