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Kyle Tran Myhre

@guantesolo

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aka Guante. Half of Secret Rivers. Poet, activist, etc. Minneapolis.

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When people ask me what I “do” for a living…

I’ve never had the best elevator pitch for my work, partly because it moves/shifts depending on context and collaboration. But I figured I’d set up these three pinned posts to try to capture some of what I do, especially for new connections here. Check out the other two next to this one for a deeper dive into how/why to book me, and a bunch of my most-shared quotes.

Photo on p.2 by @adambubolzphoto. Alt-text embedded. A photo of KTM/Guante performing at the Target Center, surrounded by a sea of people, projected up onto the big screen. Plus the text “intro.” by @guantesolo

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2 years ago

In some ways, what I do is pretty straightforward: I’m a writer and performer; I… write stuff and perform it. But my actual job is a little harder to explain. My background is in facilitation and pedagogy, so most of the time, I’m *not* being booked to just show up and read poems; most of the time, my work is about using art as a doorway into dialogue. The poems are just starting points, excuses to more deeply explore issues related to agency, identity, narrative, power, and beyond.

I don’t think of what I do as a replacement for other kinds of trainings or workshops—it’s more a supplement. Because if we’re talking about issues like consent, healthy masculinity, disrupting white supremacy, bystander intervention, allyship, privilege & power, etc., there’s no one-time, check-the-box program (arts-based or otherwise) that’s going to be enough. So I think a diversity of tactics, approaches, and experiences is valuable, and an arts-based program can be a powerful (and even subversive) way to take concepts that are too-often presented as abstract or intellectualized and “zoom in” on them in order to make them more concrete.

Even though all that is the bulk of my work these days, I’m also very open to more straightforward gigs: for example, a drop-in virtual class visit during a high school ELA poetry unit, or hosting a writing workshop and student open mic during orientation week at a college. Lots of room for creativity. Get in touch via the “booking” page at my website, found via the link in my bio.

Photo by @adambubolzphoto. Alt-text embedded. A photo of KTM/Guante performing with both hands on a standing microphone, plus the word “booking.” by @guantesolo

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2 years ago

Figured a good introduction to my work might be a bunch of quotes from poems and songs I wrote, accompanied here by visuals from a few of the very talented artists I’ve been able to work with over the years.

Please feel free to share (and please also always credit the artists).

Cover photo by @jordanaltergott
p.2-4: @nataliehinahara
P.5: @fontlove
P.6: @ishatheartistt
p.7-9 : @hellodollywho
P.10: UTM
P.11-13: @marcheries
P.14: @mr_seemore_art

And beyond those specific shout outs, a note of thanks to all the visual artists, designers, tattoo artists, and vandals who have used my words to make new stuff. Keep sharing.

Oh and I always feel compelled to say: that photo is from a performance at the Fiske Planetarium in Boulder. It’s not, like, a weird canva background or something, haha.

Alt text embedded. A photo of KTM/Guante performing at the Fiske Planetarium, holding a mic, surrounded by stars. Plus the word “quotes.” by @guantesolo

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2 years ago

Aside from a few personal updates, I write a bit about this moment: Trump's attacks on Minneapolis and Ilhan Omar, narrative interventions, and why I choose to vote even when voting is never enough.

Direct connection in my bio. the text "on art, voting, and taking action beyond both: new post at my free newsletter - guante.ghost.io" + multiple images of KTM performing, his zine library, and a calico cat with an "i voted early" sticker taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota by @guantesolo

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2 days ago

Reposting @beanpiepoet, art by @seanlimmn, lots of local orgs supporting this. taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota by @guantesolo

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5 days ago

“They expect us to be quiet because they would be. They expect us to be scared of our neighbors because they are cowards.”

New draft. taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota by @guantesolo

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8 days ago

I won't repost his words here, but if you haven't seen it, the president tried to incite violence against Somalis in Minnesota today. It's so easy these days to let his garbled rambling fly by; he’s been saying completely off-the-wall stuff for a decade now, and responding to every new outrage here wouldn’t be useful. But I do think we lose something when we become used to it. Because it's bigger than him. For anyone who needs to hear this: Especially during election season, make note of those who want to blame all our problems on immigrants and refugees, on trans kids, on poor people. They scapegoat those with less power in order to protect their own. taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota by @guantesolo

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9 days ago

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11 days ago

I’m still away from social media for a bit, but wanted to share this ground-level perspective from Kate Manne at Cornell. Find the whole piece via the #RecommendedReading button in the “latest” link in my bio.

*EDIT* - this specific article wasn't paywalled, but looks like it is now. I've added a few other useful reads to the list that should be accessible.

Also at that link: A zine I use in my work on college campuses to reinforce (and go beyond) what students get in one-time trainings. We *know* that one-time trainings are not enough. And in a political atmosphere where even getting those insufficient one-time trainings is more and more difficult, we have a lot of work to do. But it is work that can be done, and the zine shares a few examples of what it can look like.

I try to land on that point when I do consent programming: we can't minimize the scope of the problem, but we also shouldn't minimize the power of the advocates, survivors, activists, and organizers actively *doing* the work to address the problem every day. I am continually in awe of the staff and volunteers I get to meet in my work, and they're the ones who prove to me that change is possible if we fight for it.

Alt-text embedded. A quote: "What we need to demand from universities far and wide is clear: Cease to be a place where sexual assault is often subject to less punishment than protesting and plagiarism. Cease to be a place where the consequences for sexual assault victims are often greater than for the perpetrators. Begin to be a place where parents can send our daughters and be confident that they will be as safe as it is possible to be under patriarchy. And become a place where our sons are not initiated into rape culture." - Kate Manne, "What It Feels Like at Cornell Right Now" by @guantesolo

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17 days ago

First, thanks to everyone who attended and/or performed at the "Witness" launch - a truly special event for a truly incredible project. One more round of applause for editors @aritisonwrites and @ty_chapmn.

Beyond that note: I came back from my social media hiatus early because I had a flurry of stuff to promote: the "Witness" anthology launch, a free e-book sharing career tips and tactics for creative writers, a new zine, promo for our Porchfest gig, etc.

But the whole point of the hiatus was to finish a big writing project, and as is so often the case, that project is NOT done yet. So I may disappear again for a bit.

But find all that stuff and more via the "latest" button in my bio. Alt-text embedded. A photo of KTM performing at a lectern at the New City Center in Minneapolis in front of a big crowd. He is reading from “Witness: Poems to Address the Past, Present, and Future of Policing.” taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota by @guantesolo

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a month ago

I'm in this new anthology (edited by the incredible @aritisonwrites & @ty_chapmn, featuring art by @damondavis) ...but I would be recommending it even if I weren't.

It’s a poetry anthology “addressing the past, present, and future of policing," and beyond my own contribution, features poems from big names like @amandascgorman, @adalimonwriter, @danez_smif, and @jasonreynolds83, alongside locals and personal favorites like @junauda, @ollieschminkey, @baophi_writer, @kaokaliayang, @taiwanashambley, @bb_zhigaag, @alicegpaige, @sunyungshin, @mkdordiggsy, and *so many* more.

I apologize in advance that I’m not tagging even more people; there’s just a mindboggling lineup of poets in this book (see second image) and everyone brings something memorable.

If you’re a poetry reader, this is maybe already on your radar. But even if you DON’T think of yourself as a poetry fan, I’d still recommend this one. It’s technically labeled YA (young adult), which I think is actually a really good match with poetry—not just for young adult readers specifically, but for anyone who is curious about (or maybe even a little intimidated by) poetry. The work here is approachable, powerful, visionary, and inspiring. And the visual art is gorgeous and evocative.

And whether or not you like poetry, I also hope *abolitionists* check this out. In this work, culture matters. Story, art, expression, vision, coolness, and invitation all matter—and this anthology is overflowing with all that.

Just really grateful for everyone involved in this project. Info on the release celebration in the last slide, and a link to the book, reviews, and more are in the new post you can find via the “latest” button in my bio.

Alt-text embedded. a photo of KTM holding up a copy of "witness: poems to address the past, present, an future of policing." taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota by @guantesolo

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2 months ago

There's a cute cat at the end if you scroll through the carousel. Was away from social media for a while; a few random summer things:

1. Thanks @uptownporchfest (and @jn0420 for these photos) for having us. And an evergreen booking note: me and @mr_seemore are available as SECRET RIVERS for concerts, fundraiser, conferences, parties, seances, and beyond. Get in touch.

2. Thanks also to @buckslam_mn for the dollar. If you’re a poet in the Twin Cities and are looking for a high-energy (yet still welcoming) opportunity to share your work, check them out. It was my first time slamming in over ten years! In proper slam fashion, I was *not* the best poet but I did win. I would be more self-conscious about that but the prize is only a dollar, which I think is a good balance of the competition element with the sharing/fun/community element.

3-4. Thanks also to @augsburguniversitymfa for having me as a guest speaker at your summer residency. Happy to bring that same presentation to other programs - get in touch!

5. My mobile zine library keeps growing and growing. Find the latest one (and all of them) via the “latest” button in my bio.

6. My next gig, and one that I will talking more about as the date approaches because it’s an incredible project.

7. Cat.

Alt-text embedded. two photos of Secret Rivers performing at uptown porchfest (KTM on the microphone, See More Perspective on an MPC/loop pedal behind him). KTM's shirt says "borders are imaginary; people are real" taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota by @guantesolo

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2 months ago