Pankake Poetry

So here's a quiz: in what city last night did a poetry reading at a University outdraw, by a considerable margin, the audience attending a public discussion about journalism in the Trump era featuring a prominent Washington Post writer?
In Minneapolis, of course. one more reason why I love this town.
Bao Phi was this year's Pankake Poetry reader at the University of Minnesota. (At first I thought the Pankake was a sort of hipster misspelling of pancake, and that the event might feature actual pancakes or something of that nature, but it turns out the reading series is held in honor of Marcia Pankake, a retired U librarian and poetry enthusiast who founded the series.) I've been lucky enough to hear Phi perform, because it's much more than just a reading, before. His poetry is urgent, at times uplifting, at times fueled by rage. He explores the experience of growing up in a working class neighborhood of Minneapolis as an Asian immigrant and the many alienations that confront immigrants and their children. His poetry ranges from tender to fiery, and he takes his audience on a ride to some unsettling places. I heard echoes from Whitman an other outsider voices. I can't wait to hear him again and delve into his new collection from Coffee House press, Song I Sing.