FLINT, Mich. — On a quiet weekday afternoon, Flint-based poet Vivian Kao can often be found walking through Buckham Gallery with a clipboard in hand. As the gallery’s writer in residence, she lets the artwork guide her. Sometimes it’s the colors, other times a memory stirred, that helps the poetry begin to take shape.
Kao moved to Flint in 2015, just before the water crisis drew national headlines. She and her husband, both recent Ph.D. graduates, were among the rare few in academia to land jobs in the same region.
Halfway through her residency, Kao said engaging with Flint’s artistic community, especially through the gallery exhibits, has deeply influenced her work. The experience has expanded and transformed her poetic approach.
Her most recent poetry collection, “Dear Mrs. River Dragon,” explores themes of identity, motherhood and displacement. Her perspective as a Chinese American living in a city that is predominantly Black and white helped shape the collection’s voice.
“I think some of the poems capture those early experiences of feeling a little alienated, feeling a little bit both invisible, but also hyper visible,” she said.
Back in 2015, Kao recalled, many international students passed through Flint without staying to build roots. Few lived within city limits, owned property, enrolled their children in school or became part of the day-to-day life of the community.
Her desire to fully engage with the city has shaped both her life in Flint and her evolving voice as a writer.
Kao’s writing draws from the confessional poetry tradition, influenced by poets like Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath and Sharon Olds, whom she credits with elevating personal stories of women. She said the challenge lies in balancing personal experience with broader social commentary.
“I want to write about things that speak to women and speak to mothers, especially minority mothers living in urban areas,” she said. “What makes confessional poetry so special is how it weaves the personal with the political. It is through the personal details that a larger picture emerges.”
Still, she’s careful not to let the work become overly political or preachy—something she says can take away from poetry’s magic.
Another part of her writing philosophy is accessibility. Kao said she writes with readers in mind who may not regularly engage with poetry.
“I always want to write for people who don’t necessarily feel included in the world of poetry,” she said. “People don’t always have a lot of practice reading poetry. I want them to feel like poetry is for them too.”
As a newcomer to Flint, Kao said she began as an observer, hoping to become a long-term community member. Over time, she got to know her neighbors, enrolled her children in school and started participating in local events, gradually shifting into a more active role.
“I always try to be an observer first and foremost,” Kao said. “I try to learn from other people’s experiences, especially those who’ve been here longer.”
Flint’s literary and visual arts scene, she added, is stronger than people might expect.
“I would say join us, because we have a really vibrant community of literary and visual arts. It is much more of a community than I think people realize.”
While art does not always provide a stable income, Kao said Flint’s lower cost of living, supportive environment and growing creative community allow her to focus on her craft without overwhelming financial pressure.
Poems from her residency will be available at Buckham Gallery at the end of the program, which runs through fall 2025. Proceeds will benefit the gallery.
Kao is also working on a second manuscript focused on her childhood and experiences growing up Chinese American, including themes of generational conflict and immigrant family life.
Her poetry remains grounded in lived experience and written for readers beyond academic circles.