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Bao Phi

バオ・フィ

Bao Phi

Pen Names: Bao Phi（Used as his published name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam
Nationality
Vietnam, United States
Languages
English, Vietnamese
Residence History
Phillips neighborhood, Minneapolis, Minnesota → Minnesota, United States (residence)

Career

Occupations
poet, writer, spoken word artist, community activist, program director, arts & culture program officer
Active Years
1990-
Affiliations
The Loft Literary Center, McKnight Foundation (Arts & Culture program)
Influenced By
Diane Glancy (encouraged him to pursue creative writing)

Education

Minneapolis South High School
Period: 在学期間不明（1990年代初頭に高校でスピーチ活動）
Country: United States
Began performing poetry as a member of the high school speech team
Macalester College
Degree: 学士
Period: 在学期間不明
Country: United States
Encouraged to pursue creative writing by Native American literature professor Diane Glancy

Awards

Caldecott Honor
2018
Work: A Different Pond
Organization: American Library Association
Result: Honor
Charlotte Zolotow Award
2018
Work: A Different Pond
Organization: Charlotte Zolotow Award Committee
Result: Winner
Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature (Best Picture Book)
2017
Work: A Different Pond
Category: Best Picture Book
Organization: Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
Result: Winner
Minnesota Book Award (Picture Book)
2018
Work: A Different Pond
Category: Picture Book
Organization: Minnesota Book Awards
Result: Winner
Minnesota Grand Poetry Slam
Organization: Local slam poetry organizers
Result: Winner（複数回）
Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant
2012
Organization: Minnesota State Arts Board
Result: Grant
Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant
2015
Organization: Minnesota State Arts Board
Result: Grant

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Sông I Sing

2011 Poetry (many pieces suitable for spoken word)

A collection of poems focusing on modern Vietnamese-American life, with many pieces well suited for spoken-word performance.

immigrant experienceidentityfamilymemory

Thousand Star Hotel

2017 Poetry

A collection exploring community and personal memory and the experiences of immigrants through poetry.

communitymemoryimmigration

A Different Pond

2017 Children's literature (picture book)

A picture book depicting a Vietnamese immigrant father and son who go fishing early in the morning, quietly portraying generational ties, immigrant experience, and family bonds.

familymemory of immigrationvalue of everyday life

Bibliography

  • Sông I Sing (Poetry, 2011)
  • Thousand Star Hotel (Poetry, 2017)
  • A Different Pond (Picture book, 2017)
  • My Footprints (Children's book, 2019)
  • Hello, Mandarin Duck! (Children's book, 2019)
  • Refugeography (CD, 2005)
  • Surviving the Translation (Chapbook)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
spoken-word influenced colloquial and rhythmic expressionconcise, emotionally resonant poetic style
Recurring Motifs
immigrant memoryfamily bondsurban landscapestrauma and reconciliation

Legacy

Bao Phi is a poet and writer who has voiced Vietnamese-American experiences across spoken-word stages and children's literature, contributing to community literary development and multicultural expression. His picture book 'A Different Pond' received multiple awards, and he has had significant influence in spoken-word and youth education.

Academic Societies

  • Kundiman (faculty/workshop involvement)

In Popular Culture

  • Poem selected for the Minneapolis/Saint Paul 'Poetry in Motion' program (displayed on city buses)

Trivia

  • One of the first Vietnamese-American men to appear on HBO's 'Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry'.
  • Worked more than 20 years at The Loft Literary Center and created the spoken-word series 'Equilibrium'.
  • 'A Different Pond', illustrated by Thi Bui, received a Caldecott Honor and multiple children's literature awards.