A TRIBUTE

MAY 11, 2024

The Book Of MAY

NEW YORK, NY

EST. 1994

Not a birthday party. A tribute. ​

The Book Of MAY is a tribute ​exhibition/gallery recognizing May ​Vutrapongvatana's 30 years of life. ​The multimedia exhibit explores ​May's impact as an attorney, fitness ​inspiration, fashion icon, and ​modern-day sex symbol.

The Book Of MAY presents hundreds of ​archived objects, including original ​documents, never-before-seen photos, ​and artifacts from every facet of ​May's life.

THE BOOK OF MAY

introduction

for may, life was always about having a little delusion ​and a whole lot of ego. and that same delusion and ego is ​what led her to create, produce, and curate an entire ​exhibit around her life.

there's no doubt that those who have come across may ​(whether they are obsessed with her or they cannot stand ​her) will always notice one thing - her authenticity. ​despite what the world has subscribed to asian folks, fat ​folks, and women, may stands true to one person and one ​person only - herself.

the purpose of this exhibit is to showcase that life ​truly is not about how much you can accomplish or how ​extraordinary one has to be but to simply exist as your ​truest, most authentic self is enough.

THE BOOK OF MAY

i. meant to be a genius

on may 11, 1994, natchaya may vutrapongvatana was ​born in elmhurst hospital to chartree ​vutrapongvatana from nakorn sawan, thailand, and ​supadee mahasucon vutrapongvatana from bang phi, ​thailand (via LA). ​

natchaya means "meant to be a genius and a great ​influencer" and as a kid, may lived up to her name. ​by not being a shy kid and being able to read at ​three, may impressed many of her neighbors and ​excelled past many of her peers.

her parents had high hopes and expectations for ​their daughter - especially because she was the ​first member of the family to be born in the united ​states. for them, she was the manifestation of the ​"american dream."

significant dates and events

may 11, 1994: may is born.

~1996/1997: may gets kicked out of daycare in brooklyn heights ​because a (white) teacher pulled may aggressively and may bit ​her out of self-defense. the babysitters told her mom the ​school had a history of racism.

1997: may can fluently read by the age of 3.

june 22, 1997: may loses her only child status.

~1998/1999: may does the conan o’brien green screen nbc ​experience

june 1999: may graduates from jubilee episcopal preschool in ​chinatown, new york

THE BOOK OF MAY

ii. i love new york, how about you

from kindergarten to 8th grade, may went to a small ​catholic school in the lower east side where she ​excelled in school.

may was constantly told by her teachers that she needed ​to “learn to be more humble”. and it was here where may ​first experienced bullying from her (male) classmates.

nevertheless, she shined. because it was in this ​catholic school, may found her talents in public ​speaking -- winning first place three years in a row. ​her first winning speech had the line “i love new york, ​how about you” which shook the audience.

it was here where may knew, no matter what people had ​to say about her, she knew she could command a room.

significant dates and events

september 1999: may starts kindergarten at st. joseph school in two ​bridges, manhattan

2004: may’s class takes a weird field trip to staten island because no one ​has ever been there

2006: may has her first crush - edmund from narnia. this was the start of ​may’s love for toxic men

2006: becomes best friends with tiffany ortiz and bonded over their love ​of fangirling

spring 2006: may wins her first speech contest in the school division

fall 2008: may is elected student council president

march 2008: may gets accepted to (her mom’s) first ranked HS, she is seen ​as a failure to her dad because she did not get into stuyvesant or bk tech

spring 2008: may wins third place in the district division of the speech ​contest

june 2008: may graduates st. joseph school

tiffany ortiz speaks on knowing may in elementary ​and middle school

tiffany ortiz (accounting and ​budget extraordinaire, ​creative nail genius, icon) is ​one of may’s best friends. ​tiffany and may attended st. ​joseph school in two bridges ​from kindergarten to 8th ​grade. what bonded may and ​tiffany was may’s delusion ​that she was going to marry ​edmund from narnia (yes, her ​love for toxic men spans ​decades).

THE BOOK OF MAY

iii. ahead of her time

on october 24, 2011, UN day, may's high school was selected to host ​the UN secretary general. may's essay on her advocacy work with ​YWCHAC on sex education was chosen by the UN, making her one of ​two student speakers at the event. the UN was OBSESSED and chose ​to interview may.

but the students hated it. may was not a well liked person at her ​high school. the reason? the predominately white, wealthy students ​and the insecure male students hated seeing a fat woman of color ​with just a little bit of confidence succeed. so basically ​patriarchy and white supremacy.

may’s best friend and saving grace, kierra, would say that may was ​“ahead of her time in high school.” at a time when self love and ​fat liberation were still foreign topics, may was sure of herself. ​even as a teenager, she knew who she was and what she wanted from ​life -- and if that made others feel threatened, so be it.

significant dates and events

september 2008: may starts high school at nest+m, meets kierra ​bannister in health class, becomes friends for life

may 2009: may does her first model UN conference, she never ​took it seriously, it was only a venue to meet hot guys

july 2009: may starts work as a youth advocate at the young ​women of color hiv/aids coalition

october 24, 2011: may is chosen to represent nest+m and spoke ​at the UN day event welcoming then UN secretary general ban ​ki moon

january 2012: may gets into college - picking NYU poly (now ​tandon)

may 2012: prom at central park boathouse

june 2012: may graduates nest+m

kierra bannister speaks on knowing may in HS

kierra bannister (marketing ​whiz, co-founder of big scoops ​ice cream, icon) is one of ​may’s best friends. they met ​at nest+m high school in 2008 ​when they were freshmen ​placed in a health class with ​all seniors. they bonded over ​their love for boy bands (one ​direction) and celebrity ​gossip. sixteen years later, ​they’re still the best of ​friends and yes, they still ​fawn over zayn malik.

kymsha henry speaks on may’s time at YWCHAC

kymsha henry is the co-​director of the young women of ​color HIV/AIDS Coalition ​(YWCHAC), an organization ​dedicated to organizing to ​bring equitable sex education ​and resources in nyc, ​particularly for young Black ​and brown women. At 14, may ​worked her first job as a ​youth advocate/organizer for ​YWCHAC and she credits YWCHAC ​for being her first foray into ​policy and advocacy.

iv. i want the d with the j in front

may’s parents, particularly her father, always wanted her to be a ​doctor. may was able to get into a pre-med program at NYU. for the ​first time in her life, may made her father proud. but then after ​failing out of pre-med, may had to make a pivot in her career -- ​should she persist on the pre-med track or continue to disappoint ​her father and do something else? may decided to be the family ​disappointment.

after some reflection and listening to j.cole’s the autograph on ​repeat, may decided to go to law school and pursue a policy career. ​why? being bullied forced may to question why the world worked the ​way it did. people who are bullied are not bullied out of nowhere -​- it comes from power and people are marginalized due to ​prejudices. and may wanted to change that.

law school was not easy. being the first to do something is always ​difficult and being in a predominately white environment (are we ​seeing a pattern here??), gave may severe anxiety and depression. ​despite everything, may did law school her way -- showing up to ​class with her iconic winged eyeliner, dark lipstick, and raunchy ​mouth so people knew she was present and here to stay.

significant dates and events (college)

september 2012: may starts college at nyu-poly, she was a biomolecular ​science major with a pre-med concentration. it was the first time she ​made her dad proud.

january 2013: may attends a random girl’s (jarin khan) birthday party, ​she becomes her best friend (hi bebe!)

december 6, 2013: may has second thoughts about pre-med, goes to a ​government job fair in DC with jarin

january 2014: may fails out of pre-med (becoming the family ​disappointment) and pursues a career in policy through a pre-law track

2014: may begins taking classes at nyu (wash. sq. campus). she meets ​aria mickenberg (who eventually becomes one of her best friends) at an ​art history class.

december 2015: may graduates college (one semester earlier than ​expected)

significant dates and events (law school)

february 2016-june 2016: while may works in retail in ​between schools, she gets rejected to all but one law school ​(this triggers may’s deep depression for the next four years ​(unearthing childhood traumas)

august 2016: may begins law school at new york law school

march 2018: may runs for student bar association president ​of her law school, the only POC to run for the position (she ​unfortunately lost)

may 2019: may graduates law school

october 2019: may passes the bar exam

jarin khan speaks on her experiences with may at nyu ​and may’s decision to switch from pre-med to pre law

jarin khan (engineer, may’s eating partner, ​may’s life partner, may’s running partner ​(soon)) is one of may’s best friends. she ​attended nyu tandon (was nyu poly) with may ​from 2012-2015. they met when may crashed ​jarin’s birthday lunch but since then they ​have become inseparable. jarin was one of ​the first people who supported may when she ​made the decision to switch from pre-med to ​pre-law, with the two of them skipping ​school to go to DC for a random government ​job fair. This same trip, they bought ​chinese food, chicken nuggets, and fried ​chicken on the bus back. They continue (to ​this day) to eat 3 lunches and 3 dinners in ​one meal.

someone convince jarin to go running with ​may so they can run a 5K together. thanks.

THE BOOK OF MAY

v. fake it til you make it

after leaving pre-med, may had to figure out a plan fast. ​being a first generation kid of immigrants, you don’t get ​plan Bs or second chances -- you better strike a home run ​your first time. may knew from her work with ywchac that ​she was interested in some sort of advocacy. after ​finding some random government internship, may fell in ​love with city government and knew she had to find a way ​to get there.

throughout undergrad and law school, may interned in a ​variety of government and policy advocacy settings. and ​after some encouragement from her best friend, kierra, ​may shot her shot and hoped for the best and landed a job ​as a policy and budget director.

which is proof that sometimes with a little delusion and ​ego, you can get to where you want to be.

significant dates and events

july 2009: may begins her first job at the young woman of color ​hiv/aids coalition

june 2014 - august 2014: may has her first government internship at a ​new york city council member’s office, she helped start a condom ​distribution program at the office

september 2014 - december 2014: may interns at a congress member’s ​district office

june 2015 - july 2015: may interns with the thai embassy at their ​inaugural thai american national internship program

july 2015 - august 2015: may works as a policy intern with the ​manhattan borough president’s office

significant dates and events (cont.)

may 2017 - august 2017: may has her first legal internship with the brooklyn ​borough president’s general counsel (disclaimer: may was never a supporter of ​the former bk borough president. she just needed an internship.)

august 2017 - december 2017: may does her first legal clinic with the new ​york civil liberties union

june 2018 - august 2018: may interns with the ACLU in DC (one of the few non ​T-14 students to get this internship)

august 2018 - november 2018: may interns with the nyc council’s office of ​general counsel

january 2019 - may 2019: may does a clinical internship at the center for ​justice and democracy, getting to lobby in DC

january 2019 - may 2019: may does a legal externship at NYCLU’s education ​center

significant dates and events (cont.)

august 2019 - june 2020: may becomes a fellow at the center for ​nyc law

march 2020 - june 2021: may volunteers for three nyc council ​campaigns

january 2021 - december 2021: may works for vocal-ny as an ​organizer

january 2022 - ?????: may becomes a policy and budget director for ​a new york city council member

june 2035: may finds her “fiscal sponsor”, she gets to stay home ​all day and go to the gym

may 2042: may, tiff, kierra, and jarin start a commune together

anna muñoz speaks on interning with may at the ​ACLU washington legislative office in DC

in 2018, anna muñoz interned ​with may at the ACLU in DC. ​anna was part of the same ​internship class as may and ​may was fortunate to have ​anna be her desk buddy (we ​worked right next to each ​other). may interned for the ​racial justice project while ​anna worked for the ​immigrants rights project.

council member chi ossé speaks

on being may’s boss

chi ossé is the council ​member for the 36th district ​in the new york city ​council. he is also may’s ​boss (and occasional ​chipotle lunch buddy). as ​council member ossé’s policy ​and budget director, may is ​in charge of the district’s ​budget and the council ​member’s legislative ​portfolio.

arlean gillin speaks on working with may at the ​council district 36 office

arlean gillin is the deputy ​chief of staff for new york ​city council member chi ​ossé. arlean works with and ​shares an office with may. ​at the office, arlean and ​may work on partnership ​projects within the ​community - particularly the ​funding and formation of ​events and programming ​(wellness wednesday, bike ​day, holiday giveaways.)

vi. fight fight

in thai, there is a phrase “รู้รู้”(fight, fight) and it is a ​phrase to encourage resilience -- to fight to the end. and ​in boxing, they teach you to always throw every punch til ​the bell rings. and whether she’s in or out of the gym, may ​lives life to that phrase.

may started boxing for her mental health but ended up ​falling in love with the sport. she got her start in boxing ​at rumble (where she worked as a front desk coordinator for ​a year and a half) and continues to refine her training at ​haven boxing.

but boxing taught may more than just anger management and ​how to throw a good jab. it’s given her the mental fortitude ​and strength to carry on with life and to know that no fight ​is too big -- it was boxing that helped may through some of ​her toughest moments including her dog’s fight with cancer ​and her father’s fight with kidney and heart failure and his ​eventual passing.

significant dates and events

january 2020: may takes her first boxing class at church ​street boxing

end of january 2020: may’s friend, shelby, takes her to her ​first rumble boxing class in tribeca

january - march 2020: may begins a consistent workout routine ​at rumble (shoutout to noah floods and niki farahani)

march 2020 - september 2020: COVID hits, may does boxing at ​home workouts

july 2021: rumble brooklyn reopens for class, may gets hired ​as a front desk coordinator

august 2021: may’s beloved dog, nala, gets diagnosed with ​terminal oral cancer

significant dates and events (cont.)

october 2021: may’s father is diagnosed with stage 4 kidney ​failure

january 22, 2022: after five months of care, nala passes

january 2023: may’s father is hospitalized due to a heart attack

february 2023: may resigns from rumble because she had to take ​care of her dad

may 2023: may’s friend, gaby, opens haven boxing

may 12-14 2023: may flys to california to help her grandma (with ​dementia) argue with a nursing home

may 2023 to january 2024: may’s dad has a fall, landing him in a ​rehab center that may argued with every single week

january 26, 2024: may’s father passes

significant dates and events (cont.)

january 2024: fat girl tries premieres on youtube and ​tiktok

february 2024 - present : may works through grief and ​tightens her boxing skills at haven boxing

april 2024: may is contacted by a thai journalist who ​wants to feature may on her work with fat girl tries ​and her fitness career

may 2024: jarin starts running with may so they can ​train for a 5K together

danni alderson speaks on may as a boxer

danni alderson is a boxer ​instructor/trainer currently ​based in london, uk but lived ​in new york city for five ​years. three of those years ​were spent at rumble BK where ​may and danni worked. danni ​taught the tuesday and ​thursday 7AMs where may would ​go before work every week. ​danni also worked with may in ​private sessions outside of ​rumble.

nancy chen speaks on may as a boxer

nancy chen is a boxing and ​yoga instructor/trainer who ​hails from the west coast. ​nancy met may in 2021 when ​they first started working at ​rumble boxing in downtown ​brooklyn where nancy was a ​trainer and may was a studio ​coordinator, working the front ​desk. may took nancy’s classes ​while she was at Rumble, ​showing up at her 7AMs before ​work. nancy also worked with ​may in private boxing training ​sessions.

THE BOOK OF MAY

vii. i put the BK in BKK

may calls herself a “modern day sex symbol” and it’s not ​only because she won $10,000 from tinder. it’s about the ​confidence (or at least the guise of confidence) may has ​as a fat thai woman.

in thai culture, women are expected to be docile, to ​listen, to remain in the background, and are expected to ​look a certain way. may defies all of that. while others ​are their ancestors’ wildest dreams, may proudly refers ​to herself as her ancestors’ worst nightmare -- her ​elders will never accept her but she represents what was ​never possible for those who came before her -- the ​freedom to be unapologetically herself -- whether that ​is in her personality, her attitude, her work, her ​aesthetic. may truly is just may.

THE BOOK OF MAY

acknowledgements

The Book of May Team

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER + LEAD CURATOR: MAY VUTRAPONGVATANA

GUEST CURATORS: SUPADEE MAHASUCON VUTRAPONGVATANA, MITCH VUTRAPONGVATANA, JARIN KHAN, KIERRA BANNISTER, + TIFFANY ORTIZ 

EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT: ARLEAN GILLIN

COLLECTION: COURTESY OF THE VUTRAPONGVATANA FAMILY 

Special thanks

HOST: LOUPE STUDIOS

VIDEO CONTRIBUTORS: TIFFANY ORTIZ, KIERRA BANNISTER, JARIN KHAN, KYMSHA HENRY, ANNA MUÑOZ, CHI OSSE, ARLEAN GILLIN, DANNI ALDERSON, NANCY CHEN

WEBSITE PHOTOS: ANNIE KRONENBERG, JORDAN MACY, ARIA MICKENBERG, AND THE VUTRAPONGVATANA COLLECTION

IN MEMORY OF

CHARTREE TOM VUTRAPONGVATANA (1958 - 2024) 

HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ANNOYED AT HOW EXTRA HIS DAUGHTER IS FOR DOING THE MOST IN HAVING A WHOLE EXHIBIT DEDICATED TO HER. MISS YOU DAD. 

​

Disclaimer: This is a personal project solely inspired, not affiliated by the "The Book Of HOV" exhibit by Shawn ​"Jay-Z" Carter and produced by RocNation nor is this affliated with the Brooklyn Public Library system. This ​project is for personal not commercial use. No profits will be made from this project.