Poet In Bangkok

In Episode 15, Colin and Donald speak to arts journalist Kaewta “Ann” Ketbungkan recorded at the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Center a few weeks after the passing of His Majesty--the much beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej. During our talk with Ann, she walks us through an art exhibit honoring the late monarch. She explains how art can allow a society to grapple with crisis while depicting how she inherited her passion for the humanities. She discusses her role at Khaosod English as a lifestyle reporter and her desire to make the "hard stuff" easier to understand. She talks about using discussions about existing art, culture and film, to more safely explore the politics of Thailand and gives an example of how an interview helped her process the 2016 Thai Referendum using The Lord of the Rings and The Shawshank Redemption. She touches on the hierarchies of Thai art circles and delves into the risks of making art when laws limiting freedom of speech carry grave consequences. And Ann gives America advice on how to de