The greatest resistance isn’t always external. Sometimes it’s the quiet doubt that asks, “Who am I to write this?” For celebrated poet and author Mai Der Vang, the only way forward has been to write anyway.

A Pulitzer finalist in 2022 (for Yellow Rain) and a recipient of every writing award you could ever think of (seriously), Mai Der is known for her searing, genre-defiant poetry that bridges personal identity and political memory. The daughter of Hmong refugees, her work examines inherited trauma, ecological collapse, war, and exile—often by dismantling the accepted narrative and reassembling it through a personal lens.

On this episode of The Resistance, Mai Der opens up about the courage it takes to be a poet, the discipline required to stay with uncertainty, and the weight of writing not just for herself but sometimes for a community long silenced. She also shares the formative moments of her writing life and the permissions that unlocked her voice in the first place.

Mai Der Vang is not only an accomplished writer, but she’s also a gracious and deep well from which we can all draw inspiration and encouragement.

VISIT: Mai Der Vang