Woodridge UIC Grad, DGN Alum Wins Fulbright

A Woodridge UIC grad and DGN alum is one of four in the country to receive a Fulbright to study in Thailand this year. 

Anothai Kaewkaen's Fulbright grant will cover the costs for an academic year at the College of Dramatic Arts at the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute and the Arporn Ngam Dance Theatre based in Bangkok, according to a UIC news release. 

Kaewkaen was an English major with a concentration in creative writing and an Asian-American studies minor at UIC. He will translate the Thai epic poem "Ramakien" during his time in the country. 

"The poem is a variant of a narrative tradition that originated in India, where it is a canonical text in Hindu literature," said Kaewkaen in the news release.

"With the spread of Indian traditions around southeast Asia, there are versions of the story throughout the region where it has been adapted into local cultures." 

It won't be his first time in Thailand. Kaewkaen was born in Bangkok and studied there in 2008. 

The following is taken from the UIC press release: 

"In pursuing the project titled, 'Translating the Ramakien: Thai Epic Poetry for the World,' Kaewkaen said he is fulfilling a childhood dream. 

'I first became interested in translating poetry when I read Robert Fitzgerald's version of 'The Odyssey' in high school,' said Kaewkaen, a 2007 graduate of Downers Grove North High School. 'He received a grant to produce his work in Greece and immerse himself in the sights and sounds of Homer. I wanted to do something similar with Thai literature.'

Kaewkaen's first attempt at Ramakien translations earned him first place in a scholarship competition as a high school senior. 

'Being bilingual, I was always translating from one language to another, whether pop songs or my parents' conversations,' he said. 'When I read 'The Odyssey,' I realized that translation, especially of verse, is an art form.'

Kaewkaen said his forthcoming translation work will address what he considers a lack of resources about Thai literature in English. He hopes the project will inspire cross-literary studies in the region and provide greater exposure to Thai theater, which uses the Ramakien as source material. 

As a student at UIC, Kaewkaen was an active member of the local Thai American community while maintaining a 3.90 GPA. Outside the classroom, he volunteers as a language tutor for children at the Thai Fine Arts and Cultural Institute of Chicago, where he takes classical Thai dance lessons. 

In addition, he served as arts management intern for the Silk Road Theatre Project in Chicago, which showcases playwrights of Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean backgrounds."