many became sick or died from a yellow substance released from planes . American scientists ’ have countered that “ yellow rain ” was honeybees defecating en masse . Vang ’ s determination to write about “ yellow rain ” was further fueled when a Hmong friend and writer was ridiculed on a radio program for asserting that “ yellow rain ” was chemical warfare .

Vang uses archived and declassified documents in writing her poems and explores the silencing of a people who at the time did not have the capacity or means to stand up for themselves .

“ To try to challenge the official theory [ about “ yellow rain ”] was risky for me to do ,” Vang said .

The latest accolade for “ Yellow Rain ” came Sept . 19 – the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize , with a $ 25,000 cash award . She will save some of the money but also find a way to help her community and her parents .

Though she knows her parents were at times puzzled at her choice of careers she always felt their support .

“ I think my parents have always trusted me to do this work ,” Vang said .

Her first job as a writer was actually to help her parents , who relied on her to write correspondence for them in English . She learned the power of the written word after writing a letter for her father , a janitor , and his coworkers to their employer asking that they be given the breaks they were entitled to . The letter helped resolve the dispute .

“ At that point , I realized that writing had the power to change a situation ,” Vang said .

WINNER OF THE 2022 LENORE MARSHALL POETRY PRIZE

FINALIST FOR THE 2022 PULITZER PRIZE IN POETRY

FINALIST FOR THE 2022 PEN / VOELCKER AWARD FOR POETRY COLLECTION

FINALIST FOR THE 2021 LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR POETRY