MPR's Marianne Combs interviews poet and spoken word artist Bao Phi about his new book of poetry "Thousand Star Hotel," in which he reflects on his youth living in Minneapolis and discusses the legacy of trauma. This segment also includes excerpts from the book read by Phi.
Bao Phi has been a spoken word artist since 1991. He is a two-time Minnesota Grand Slam champion and a National Poetry Slam finalist. He has also appeared on the spoken word television series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO. His poetry book Thousand Star Hotel was nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.