Thirii Myo Kyaw Myint's 'Names for Light' Challenges Immigrant Memoir Conventions

Published by Graywolf Press, Thirii Myo Kyaw Myint's memoir, 'Names for Light: A Family History,' employs a fragmented narrative style to challenge traditional immigrant storytelling. It intricately interlaces family history through poetic fragments spanning generations. Myint portrays her grandfather, a lieutenant in the Burmese Independence Army, who, during a pivotal battle that claimed the lives of many of his soldiers, is shown preoccupied with cooking. Eschewing Western ideals of heroic escapes, Myint recounts her solitary childhood recesses in the U.S. The memoir shifts perspectives, incorporating third-person accounts. It explores themes of identity, belonging, and origins, reflecting Myint's skepticism towards conventional immigrant literature and memoirs.