U Sam Oeur Reading

A Bi-Lingual Reading in Khmer and English by U SAM OEUR from his highly acclaimed book Sacred Vows. In 1975, U Sam Oeur and his family along with 2.8 million citizens of Phnom Penh were driven out of the city by the Khmer Rouge. During the next four years, the family survived life in six different concentration camps.

Sacred Vows retells the recent terror of Cambodia and the beauty of its culture. A survivor of the Pol Pot regime, Oeur hopes to inspire young Cambodians to reacquaint themselves with their heritage and make it once again vibrant.

Using myths, stories, prophecies, and history of the tradition as ironic counterpoint to Cambodia's present-day situation, Oeur foretells freedom's imminent return. Unlike the monotone chanting style of Khmer poetry, Oeur's style is distinct in its operatic and emotionally charged qualities. Sacred Vows is a mesmerizing call to freedom.

Author’s biography
U Sam Oeur grew up in a Cambodian farming family. After studying in the US, he served in the Cambodian government, becoming part of the Cambodian delegation to the United Nations. When Pol Pot assumed power in 1975, Oeur, along with his wife and son, survived the killing fields in six forced-labor camps by feigning illiteracy. A devout Buddhist, he now lives in Texas, where he is translating the poems of Walt Whitman into Khmer.

This reading is sponsored by Tin Fish, Manoa: A Pacific Journal of International Writing, the UH-M Center for Southeast Asian Studies, and the UH-M Department of English. It is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact the Department of English (956-3085).

Event Sponsor
Department of English, Manoa

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