Two Rivers Reading Series welcomes Bao Phi April 6

Photo credit: Charissa Uemura

February 23, 2016

The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Two Rivers Reading Series welcomes:

Poet Bao Phi
Wednesday, April 6
noon to 12:50 pm and 2 to 2:50 pm
Coon Rapids Campus Legacy Rm

Bao Phi will perform his collection of poetry, Sông I Sing and discuss his work. The presentations are free and open to the public.

Two-time Minnesota Grand Slam champion and National Poetry Slam finalist Bao Phi’s work has received rave reviews.

“Bao Phi wrestles with immigration, class and race in America at sidewalk level… in this song of his very American self, every poem Mr. Phi writes rhymes with the truth,” writes Dana Jennings of The New York Times.

"Anyone who has been lucky enough to experience his work knows he means to re-adjust our minds, unseat our comfortable assumptions, and teach our hearts to weep and sing. He is our grief-stricken brother howling, moaning, and wailing in remembrance of those who suffer because of inadequate representation. He is our ecstatic shaman, manifesting through his work the oldest sources of passion, imagination, and cosmic joy. Sông I Sing is a gift,” says acclaimed poet Li-Young Lee.

Currently, Bao Phi works as the Program Director of The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, where he manages various programs serving writers and creates and operates programs for artists of color. He continues to perform across the country, and remains active as an Asian American community organizer. His poems and essays are widely published, and he has also released several recordings of his poetry, including Refugeography and The Nguyens EP, which are available for digital download on baophi.com.

The Two Rivers Reading Series provides students, faculty, staff, and the public access to award-winning authors, poets, and playwrights each semester. Two Rivers Reading Series combines classroom learning with hands-on experience interacting with authors. This event is co-sponsored by the English Division and the Office of Diversity and Multiculturalism.

For more information about the Two Rivers Reading Series, contact Christopher McCarthy at Chris.McCarthy@anokaramsey.edu.

For more information about the Office of Diversity and Multiculturalism at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, contact Venoreen Browne-Boatswain at Venoreen.Browne-Boatswain@anokaramsey.edu.

For more information about the educational activities at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, visit AnokaRamsey.edu.