Lee's animated performance drew more than 100 students, staff and faculty members to his two appearances.

Lee’s book, "Real Karaoke People," won a 2006 PEN/Beyond Margins Award and a 2006 Asian American Literary Award-Members' Choice Award. Other awards for Lee’s work include support from the Jerome Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Loft Literary Center, SASE, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

“His book successfully blends his experiences as a Korean-American immigrant with experiences he has observed and imagined to create a polyphonic masterpiece,” says ARCC English Faculty Member Kate Kysar. “For ARCC students, the poems opened doors to new cultural awareness.”

ARCC’s English Department and the Faculty Development Committee sponsored Lee's visit. Faculty and Visiting Authors Committee members, Patty Wheeler-Andrews and Scott Stankey were instrumental in bringing Lee to the Campus. Three more visiting authors are scheduled in the visiting author series during the 2007-2008 school year.

For more information about upcoming author visits and other events at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, visit www.AnokaRamsey.edu/news/.