street home buy stuff links mic get bao bio calendar resume dream journal gallery guestbk works poetry audio photo Write Bao at info@baophi.com. Welcome --------------------------------- THURS 11.08 Refugeography SOLD OUT (sort of) Dear friends and supporters, As of November 6, 2007, I am almost out of copies of Refugeography. Because Omnidisc, the original manufacturer, basically ran off with about $2,000 of my money, and because it's a double CD that I tried to sell at a cheaper price, the costs of printing more copies is prohibitive. So, for at least the time being, Refegeography is sold out, until I somehow find more money to print more. If you've purchased a copy prior to this date, don't worry, I have enough to honor your order and the CD is probably on its way to you right now. If you are reading this and still want a copy, I have approximately 50 left - but they'll most likely be burned copies. You'll still get the same quality CD, the CD's full color booklet and everything, but it won't be plastic wrapped. If you still want one, I'll probably sell it to you at a discount. If so, inquire directly to baophi@gmail.com I want to thank everyone for supporting Refugeography and the labor of love that it's been. It couldn't have happened without you. Until then, I'm touring with Giles Li and Kiwi on the Beats Rhymes and Rice tour and also as a solo artist. Lots of shows coming up all over the country - so please look for me. Peace, Bao --------------------------------- MON 10.01 Nightwatch: Spoken loudly Big up to Tom Horgen, for being a man-of-color at the major paper and not ignoring us, and for this article. --------------------------------- FRI 09.01 The BAP Friends, I received my two complimentary copies of the Best American Poetry 2006 in my mail yesterday (in which one of my poems is included). Okay most of you already know that the prestigious series selects a different guest editor every year and they read through hella (like thousands) of poems and they pick their favorite 75 and this year former US poet laureate Billy Collins saw my poem in Michigan Quarterly and picked it blah blah blah... well, funny thing is, that little voice in me said, you know, they probably made a mistake and when the books come, your poem will not be included or they'll start a new section for the series called "Poems That Suck" and yours will be in there. You know, the happy sunny thoughts that I am known for. Anyway I got my copies and my poem is in there. So even if it's a mistake they can't take it back. SUCKERS! If you get a chance, take a look at it next time you're in a book store - if for nothing else, read Billy Collins' hilarious and sharp introduction to the book, and i'm not just saying that because he mentions me twice - it really is a fun and refreshing read regarding poetry. I've read some of the poems in the anthology, and a lot of them are shameless, bawdy, and full of character, lots of fun to read - perfect company for me to be in. I'm sure a lot of the established poets are going to have a field day ripping this particular volume of BAP to shreds. Oh well, check it out before someone forces a recall or something. And before you ask, no, I don't get any royalties from sales. Dang. There goes my dream of finally fixing the alignment on my car. Bao p.s. special thanks to Rebekah Linh Collins and Barbara Tran for publishing 'Race' in the Michigan Quarterly Review in the first place. --------------------------------- THURS 08.31 The Bay Bay area fam, thanks again – it seems fitting that the first big Nguyen series show happened in the Bay at Locus. What a great crowd, it felt really great to read the poems there. And thanks to those of you who took the time out to come through, to hang out, eat and catch up, it’s been too long. Y’all know I almost moved there a year ago? It’s been the closest I’ve ever been to moving out of MN. I hope I see y’all sooner rather than later. Included in this email is a lovely pic by David Huang (like my ‘vintage’ Jane Kim shirt?) and links to hella pictures taken of my show and the trip to the Bay: David Huang’s pics Andre Bao Nguyen’s pics My pics Minnesotans, if you have free time on labor day, catch me reading Nguyen poems at the Artists Quarter. Info below! Bao p.s. Bay Area people, vote for Jane Kim! --------------------------------- FRI 02.03 Bao gets BAP'd! I got an unexpected call today informing me that Billy Collins, this year's guest editor for the Best American Poetry series (and U.S. Poet Laureate 2001-2003), selected one of my poems, Race, to be included in Best American Poetry 2006 to be released this Fall. Usually the guest editor reads and selects poems that have been published in literary journals and magazines during the year - in my case, the Michigan Quarterly Review. So I had no idea I was even being considered to be included in the prestigious series, let alone that I had made the final cut. After reading thousands of published American poems, the Guest Editor selects 75 of the "best". I’m jazzed that Billy Collins selected one of my poems - though I’m sure that Harold Bloom will lambaste him for having bad taste once he sees my poem included. Anyway, I am a bit stunned by the unexpected honor, and also a bit tickled that I am to be included in a series I was forced to read during my college years. I hope this means I win the powerball next! Peace Bao p.s. you can check out the 2005 anthology here: www.bestamericanpoetry.com p.p.s. No, smartalecks, this is not one of those pay-us-to-print-your-poetry-in-a-nice-book scams --------------------------------- THURS 01.05 Shang-Hi! Ha, get it? Ehhhhh.... Hello from Shanghai, homies. You know, at restaurants here, they don't automatically serve rice with meals because of this Atkins carbohydrate shit? Can you believe it? Asian people not eating rice? Shit is f*cked up. Anyway, things are going great - the website is up and we'll be updating it with journal entries and sample video as we travel, so check it out at www.americalistening.com Some sample footage from our Mexico is already up, as well as our journal entries and a poem I wrote about Juarez. There is also my first journal entry about Shanghai so check that out if you're curious. I'll be updating my journal regularly, and the filmmakers hope to get some short sample videeo footage of Shanghai up before we leave for Paris, so definitely check the site often if you're into that type of thing. Which I know you are. Since y'all are fascinated with e'erthing I do. Yeah. Peace Bao p.s. the only artist i've heard in both Shanghai and Juarez? Lil' John. --------------------------------- WED 12.21 APIA community...you...COMPLETE...me! Heya all, so this mushy letter is *not* inspired by the Holiday season, I swear it! What actually inspired me is, I was contacted by a group of Asian American students who were doing their final project on APIA hip hop and spoken word, and they wanted to talk to a devastatingly handsome, talented, and well-liked artist in the community. Well, Ed was busy, so I agreed to meet them for coffee, where I forced them to buy me french fries. One of the last questions they asked me was, "do you think that you have made the APIA spoken word and hip hop community a better place than it was 5 or 10 years ago?" Now, somehow I was able to overcome my naturally conceited nature, and said, "no, I didn't make it better, we all did. Every one of us, every APIA spoken word artist, rapper, fellow artist, community organizer, activist, our families and friends, all the community members, we all have made it better." And I meant it. When she asked me that question, it reminded me how lucky I feel, how fortunate that we have this community. It used to be, when I went to another city or did a show somewhere, I hoped that there would be at least 1 Asian face in the crowd. Likewise, as an audience member I used to hope to see a face and hear a voice that somehow related to me and our community on stage. Nowadays, there doesn't seem to be a city or place where there isn't some connection, some group of APIA's doing their thing. Sure, we've had our differences and disagreements (and continue to have them), but who doesn't? And i'm not writing this to insinuate that we're all good, that we don't have a lot of work to do ahead of us, because we do. I'm just saying, I'm proud to be a member of this community, i'm glad of it, and i'm thankful. See, I made it through this email without making any self-deprecating, sarcastic comments! Now, let's all hold hands and sing 'we are the world' together. Oops. Well, close enough. Your biggest fan, Bao --------------------------------- MON 12.06 Thanks everyone for the support! Thanks especially to ANGRY ASIAN MAN, who doubtless had a hand in the flood of Refugeography purchases that have come in the last few days - check out his kind statement about my CD here (Scroll down to 12/01/05) I am involved in a documentary film tentatively called America Listening, and will be gone for the preliminary shoot in Mexico from Monday December 5 to Monday December 13. If you bought the CD before Sunday Dec 4th, I've already packaged and labeled your order, and great poet/community activist/cool homie Juliana will mail them off to you via Priority this week (my flight leaves at 5 in the morning Monday and the post office is closed today, Sunday). You can still buy the CD the week I am gone, just please be patient as I will not be able to send it until I get back. Thanks y'all and take care, Bao --------------------------------- TUES 11.08 Heya folks, sorry I haven't updated in a while, been really busy doing shows locally and out-of-state. I'll be in NYC for the next couple of days, then this weekend (Fri Nov 11 and Sat Nov 12), i'll be doing two separate shows at Stanford in the Bay Area. Holla! Also, I'm excited to be involved in a new documentary film, where I will get to travel the world and talk to people. First destination: Mexico in December. Take care y'all and thanks for the support! Love Bao --------------------------------- MON 08.01 Hello all, As most of you know, the National APIA spoken word summit is a completely grassroots undertaking and we need to raise funds. There are benefits and fundraising shows going on all over the country, so please help us do our part by supporting our local MN APIA artists and our benefit show. There will be a lot of talent on the mic, plus we will be selling a virtual chapbook (chapbook in PDF form) for $5 featuring works by local APIA artists so don’t miss it! Mark your calendars and please, help us spread the word. Bao For more information about the summit, visit: http://www.bostonprogress.org/summit/home.html HOMELAND INSECURITIES: Minnesota Asian American Writers on Place, Race and Personal History Thursday, August 11, 7 p.m. $5 - $10 sliding scale/suggested donation At the Loft, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis Co-hosted by Bao Phi and Julayne Eun Jin Lee Fine art by Chamindika Wanduragala Music by DJ Thuyet Nguyen Featuring performances by Mooks, David Mura, Shoua Lee, Sun Yung Shin, Tou Saiko Lee, Katie Leo, Ed Bok Lee, Bao Phi and others TBA Virtual chapbook will be on sale for $5, all proceeds will go to the Summit As the Asian American population in the United States grows into the 21st century, so to will awareness of their unique position in society as neither Black nor White, Native nor "Founding" Father, "All-American" nor foreigner. HOMELAND INSECURITIES: Asian American Writers on Place, Race and Personal History brings together Asian American writers from the Twin Cities for an evening of shared work and on-going dialogue around the evolving notions of Home, History, and Future. Co-hosted by Bao Phi and Julayne Smith, this literary event and fundraiser will include single pieces from local Asian American writers and performers responding to the concepts of "Home" or "Homeland". In addition, a new, collaborative performance piece (work-in-progress) on the concept of "Home/land" will be presented by author/performance artist David Mura and poet/playwright/spoken word artist Ed Bok Lee. All proceeds to be donated in equal part to the 2005 National Asian Pacific Islander American Spoken Word and Poetry Summit to be held this year in Boston, MA (August 18 – 21) and local, Minnesota-based Spoken Word artists who have not yet had an opportunity to attend the biennial conference. --------------------------------- REFUGEOGRAPHY: What the hell is Bao talking about?   ::: CLICK HERE ::: for notes regarding every track on the double CD plus more notes than you can ever hope to read! --------------------------------- For Immediate Release Contact Person: Lisa Fink, 612-822-2500 BAO PHI's REFUGEOGRAPHY RELEASED AT UPCOMING SHOW SASE: The Write Place announces that Minneapolis' own Bao Phi, winner of two Minnesota Grand Poetry Slams, will perform at a release show for his new CD, Refugeography, at the Open Book literary arts building, Friday, June 10; door at 7 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m., reception at 8:30 p.m. The show will include special guest performances, DJ, fine art on display and refreshments. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. At this show only, CDs will be available for sale at a discount price. For additional information, please call 612-822-2500. Refugeography, Phi's second CD, examines social justice and stories of Vietnamese/Asian Americans through Spoken Word. Produced by Larry Lucio, Jr. and featuring cover art by Chamindika Wandurgala and collaborations with Douglas Kearney, Dennis Kim, Emily Chang, Ed Bok Lee, Truth Maze, Seng Chen, Annelize Machado, Sister Mimi and Juliana Pegues, it includes a special bonus CD of live performances from around the country and B-sides. "It has been a long, difficult struggle to get this CD done. But it has also been a tremendous honor and privilege to both work with the incredibly talented artists that I admire, and receive support from the community, both locally and nationally," says Phi. "Bao Phi's words will kick your ass. The undefeated champion of the Macalester Cultural House Poetry Slam, two-time winner of the Minnesota Grand Slam Championship, and a featured performer on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, Bao has distinguished himself as a heavy-hitting spoken word artist and poet laureate." -Grace Rodriguez, Rice Addict Bao Phi has been engaged in the art of performance poetry since 1991. He remains the only Vietnamese American man to have made it into the National Individual Poetry Slam Finals. He was the first Vietnamese American man to be featured on HBO's Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry Jam. He has been published in numerous anthologies and his poetry is forthcoming in the Michigan Quarterly Review. Phi's essays have appeared in the national Asian American magazine Monolid. He has performed as a featured artist at venues across the country, from the Nuyorican to Stanford University. Phi continues to tour around the country to critical acclaim. This CD release party, sponsored by SASE: The Write Place and the Minnesota State Arts Board, will be followed by CD release parties in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Austin and other cities TBA. More information at www.baophi.com. About SASE: The Write Place SASE: The Write Place is the literary arts organization that believes everyone can be a writer. Dedicated to helping people of all ages and abilities find their voice and get their voice heard, SASE (pronounced "sassy") strives to effect change through writing by offering a variety of community programs, such as residencies in k-12 schools and social service agencies, grants, workshops, mentorships and readings, and houses the only poetry-specific library in Minnesota. For more information about SASE, call 612-822-2500 or visit www.saseonline.org. --------------------------------- WED 03.09 Dear VASCON One, All you Vietnamese/Asian American folks are beautiful and wonderful - thanks for the great time, the real Texas Barbeque, the discussions and the kind words and the dancing and the partying and all that other great stuff. It was also an honor to share the stage with so many talented and inspiring Vietnamese/Asian American artists - let's all do it again, shall we? And here is a small group picture, I think most people had already left by this time but here it is anyway: --------------------------------- TUES 02.01 HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAO!!! [brought to you by webmaster tsou and the bamboo girls] --------------------------------- TUES 12.28 poetry hunk is now king of mass transit poetry Yo, first they select one of my poems for city buses, now they pick five of my pieces for the new art kiosks at the light rail systems here in Minneapolis. I now declare myself the King of Mass Transportation Poetry. I am going to come up with a special dance for my new coronation, maybe even get myself a little crown and go crazy with the BeDazzler on it. There's a link below to a short audio clip - it's a supershort poem modified from an older poem, cuz i'm a hack. ::: listen here ::: --------------------------------- FRI 11.5 Hey folks, seems like a lot of people are down. Yeah, about the elections, but of course a lot more than that. Too much to even mention, it seems patronizing for me to even try. So I follow my gut, and my gut has been gravitating to one of my favorite songs, by the late great Sam Cooke. Thought the lyrics might resonate with y'all, too. -Bao I was born by the river In a little tent oh and just like the river I've been running ever since It's been a long, long time coming But I know a change gonna come Oh, yes it will It's been too hard living But I'm afraid to die I don't know what's up there beyond the sky It's been a long, long time coming But I know a change gonna come Oh yes it will I go to the movies, and I go downtown Somebody keep telling me, Boy don't hang around It's been a long, long time coming But I know a change gonna come Oh yes it will Then I go to my brother I say brother help me please But he winds up knocking me Back down on my knees There's been times that I thought I wouldn't last for long But now I think I'm able to carry on It's been a long, long time coming But I know a change is gonna come Oh, yes it will -Sam Cooke, A Change Is Gonna Come --------------------------------- SAT 10.29 Go Vote. And if you're in San Francisco, VOTE JANE KIM FOR SCHOOLBOARD, and if you know people who can vote in SF, please pass the word... www.janekim.org --------------------------------- WED 10.20 Hey lovely friends, thought I would send you some links to pictures of my past week in the Bay. What more can I say? Wonderful people, some great shows - and the new poetry chapbook (which Doug designed beautifully) completely sold out! And... speaking of Doug's designs, I got my first ever tattoos while out in the Bay. Me and my friend Carolyn Tran went to a Vietnamese tattoo artist in San Jose, referred to us by our good buddy Tony Nguyen - he had gone there earlier to get his tattoo and was very happy, you can see his tattoo in the pic links below since he came with us to hang out! Yeah I know, I don't seem like a tattoo type of person, but I had my reasons - mostly it was an early birthday present for myself, a celebration that I will make it to 30 years of age, a sign of change and ongoing struggle not just to work for the community but the ongoing struggle to be a better person, to relearn Vietnamese (the writing is a Viet poem), the ongoing struggle to want to live and try harder and be better and sort out the mess of contradictions and beauty in my life. Sorry for writing such cheesy shit. Also my good friend Carrie Stark is in the pics, she just moved out from Minnesota to the Bay. Damn, the Twin Cities loses another cool person of color, but she's gonna be hella happy in the Bay. Anyway, just a reminder, if you know anyone who can vote in San Francisco, PLEASE ask them to vote Jane Kim for school board. I saw first hand this past week how she has inspired hundreds of people to work on this campaign with her, not because they're getting paid, but because they believe in something, they believe in what Jane stands for, and they're getting involved. Beautiful, y'all! Why can't politics be like that all the time?! You can read more about her and donate to the cause at www.janekim.org Sorry I have been so out of touch, I've been really really busy with a number of things... Okay, pictures by the very talented photographers David Huang and Jay Jao:   Caroline and Bao's tattoo session   Shows here and here   And on Jay's webpage, if you go here http://homepage.mac.com/jayjao/week.html you can see a really nice black and white slideshow of pics he took during Jane's fundraiser. Then scroll down to community events, 16Oct4, and click on "a" and "b" to see more pics. Peace and love Bao --------------------------------- THURS 9.23 Equilibrium Tribute: Asian American Renaissance Hello friends, just about to go to Texas for a big show/some workshops - but I wanted to ask y'all to PLEASE spread the word and make sure to support this last goodbye show to AAR. It's an organization that is near and dear to my heart. I turn 30 in a couple of months, a fact that has been making me reflect on a lot of things... AAR was one of the few places I could go as a young artist to get support, bond/debate with my fellow Asian artists and community members... and now we have to say goodbye. It's a really sad time - but we move forward in the hopes that pan-Asian artists will build towards the future. AAR may not have been as visible in the last few years as it used to be, but i'm hoping I can persuade y'all to remember the influence and importance of it as an organization - let's remember our history. We need your help to spread the word, and help us close gracefully. There will be a silent auction/garage sale type of thing as well as food and light refreshments. If you can't be there but would like to make a donation towards the closing of AAR, let me or Rose Chu know. I know, it's really hard to ask for money to help CLOSE an organization rather than support its growth and life, but that's the point we're at now. We were the only pan-Asian, multidisciplinary arts non-profit in Minnesota, so let's all come together and at least help the organization be remembered fondly and without any type of debt. If any of y'all were planning on getting me something for my 30th, just give to AAR instead/come to this show. It's really important. I want to say more, but the fact that AAR must close down makes me very angry, and very sad, so before I go off on something, i'll just stop here and ask again that you all help AAR out in any way that you are able. -Bao EQUILIBRIUM: TRIBUTE at the Loft presents Asian American Renaissance: 1992 - 2004 Saturday, October 9, 2004 At the Loft, Open Book 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis Light Reception at 7:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m. MC'd by David Mura and Valerie Lee Featuring performances and statements by Sandy Agustin, Juliana Pegues, Ka Vang, Bao Phi, Mu Daiko, Mai Neng Moua, Vidhya Shankar, and others TBA Music provided by DJ Maanav Thakore $5-$10 suggested donation; no one turned away for lack of funds [ Founded in 1992 in the Twin Cities by David Mura and Valerie Lee, Asian American Renaissance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to Asian Pacific Americans in the arts. AAR was instrumental in changing the political and aesthetic landscape of the arts in Minnesota, supporting artists in a variety of different mediums and building community with every effort. Considering the AAR journals, cabarets, performances, artist regrant programs, community festivals film festivals, and summer youth programs devoted to Asian Pacific American artists, it is not difficult to imagine what the arts scene in the Twin Cities would look like without this important organization. Unfortunately, due to a changing climate and the harsh reality of funding for the arts, AAR will be forced to close her doors. The Loft, through its popular Tribute series, wants to make sure that such a valuable and beloved organization does not fade from our memories, and recognize the trailblazing efforts of this landmark organization. On October 9th, artists and community members old and new will celebrate and remember the importance of Asian American Renaissance while looking at the bright future of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts. Please join us for poetry, storytelling, music, dance, fine art, and a special closeout sale of AAR artifacts, arts and services by AAR supporters. ] --------------------------------- Hello everyone - the website will be updated soon. Look for more new poems, essays, and pictures! I've been busy writing, and was able to take quite a lot of time off and set aside a bunch of time to write, thanks largely to the Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Assistance Fellowship I won! Woo hoo! So i've been pushing in some new directions with the poems and writing. Thanks for your patience - look for updates soon soon soon. Love, Bao --------------------------------- Dear Equilibrium supporters and friends, two great shows next week! The great New Americans series continues at Intermedia Arts on Friday - combining film with performance poetry. Friday, we will continue the theme of families of color being refugees/immigrants, including an amazing short film featuring one of my favorite writers, Andrew Lam! Also, DO NOT MISS David Mura and Alexs Pate's show! They haven't done a show together in a while and we're all excited to see what they have for us. It's always a good show when just one of these guys in concerned - imagine them sharing the stage together! Please come support our wonderful local artists of color, and spread the word - we need to rely on alternative ways of getting the word out because, well, you know. I will provide the full details of the Intermedia show seperately - here is the info on David and Alexs! Saturday, June 5, 8 p.m. Equilibrium presents DAVID MURA and ALEXS PATE At the Loft, 1011 Washington Avenue South $5/$3 for students and Loft members www.loft.org How do politics effect art, and vice versa? What happens when ideas of race taught by the mainstream are internalized by people of color? Why are the emotional lives and relationships of men of color ignored or dismissed so readily? Award-winning writers Alexs Pate and David Mura will combine old and new work in a special collaborative reading and performance. Building on their past The Colors of Desire collaborative project, Mura and Pate offer a compelling alternate vision of being artists, men of color, and friends. As political statement and art, their show will be a provocative and utterly necessary statement seldom seen or represented in the mainstream. --------------------------------- Fri 11.28 I wanted to send a quick note about my latest adventures- so many good things to write about, so many good people to give props to - so very little time. So here instead are links to some pics to a couple of the shows...enjoy! Bao  photographer extraordinaire David Huang's pics of the Locus show (San Fran)  and David's pics of the Stanford conference/show  and Jason Jao's great pics of the Locus event (click on 19Nov03 LocusArts: Home) info For bookings, email bookings@baophi.com. For info or comments write   to info@baophi.com   or hit up the guestbook. Comments about the website? Email the   webmaster@baophi.com. Header photo by David Huang. Artwork by Chamindika Wanduragala. Site design by Chris Tsou. Hair and nails by Revlon. Thanks to all who contributed to this website in any way, shape or form - much love! If you wish to use material from this site for purposes that go beyond "fair use," please obtain permission from Bao. © 2006