poetry

Knock-Off [Bao Phi] by EMW Bookstore

Bao Phi is a Vietnamese American spoken word artist, writer and community activist living in Minnesota. A two-time Minnesota Grand Slam champion and a National Poetry Slam finalist, Bao Phi has appeared on HBO Presents Russell Simmons Def Poetry, featured in the live performances and taping of the blockbuster diasporic Vietnamese variety show Paris By Night 114: Tôi Là Người Việt Nam, and a poem of his appeared in the 2006 Best American Poetry anthology. His poems and essays are widely published in numerous publications including Screaming Monkeys and Spoken Word Revolution Redux. He has also released several CDs of his poetry, such as the recently sold-out Refugeography to his newest CD, The Nguyens EP. A short story of his, Revolution Shuffle, appeared in the landmark anthology Octavia’s Brood: Stories from Social Justice Movements, AK Press, 2015.

 

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To Fall In Love With A Straight Boy [Suty Komsonkeo] by EMW Bookstore

Is like watching a bad romantic comedy
Except he is the protagonist
And you are the best friend
Who is faking a clap as he kisses the girl
The girl you just met a week ago

The one he's barely talked about
In any of his conversations
And you think
About those late nights
The sky a sparkling blanket
And the city an empty bedroom
And he begins to strip down his walls

#poetry
#queer #love #heartbreak

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Year of Humility [Kai Huang] by EMW Bookstore

Congratulations, new students and family members. You have finally made it. Congratulations to you. You were selected based on your demonstrated ability to acquire knowledge. We sincerely hope that you continue to demonstrate said ability and we are proud to inform you that any accomplishments you may or may not make in the field of knowledge acquisition during the course of your quote career will become classified as the exclusive private property of this private institution and that you will smile and shake hands amicably with the frontline suit-and-tie representatives of our undisclosed commercial quote research interests and that you will be reimbursed handsomely for your quote work and that your reward will not come merely in the form of individual wealth or prestige, but that indeed you will be effectively ensuring the social and economic well-being of your loved ones for the next several generations to come, thereby perpetuating the way things ought to be, no? The way things have always been, yes? We as a private institution of higher earning (I mean, higher learning) are happy to assist you in your quest for owning class status in twenty-first century American society. Congratulations once again, new students and family members. Now go out there and BE SOMEBODY.

#spokenword #poetry
#education #institution #college #china #childhood #memory

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