Giles Li

Giles Li came into the world in 1978 in Boston as the son of two Chinese immigrants. He is a founder of the Boston Progress Arts Collective and serves as Arts Coordinator at the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, working to provide arts education opportunities for members of the Chinatown community from toddlers to seniors. He sits on committees for the Chinese Progressive Association, Coalition for Asian Pacific American Youth, and the National APIA Spoken Word & Poetry Summit.

Although he first read his poetry on stage while still in high school, it was not until after he graduated from college that he began to call himself a writer. He formed the Asian American spoken word duo re: verse with Leah Taguba in 2000; they dropped their debut CD Regarding Verse in 2002. He is also featured on the Yemaya y Ochun concert CD, and appears on Bao Phi’s Refugeography and Yellow Rage’s Handle with Care. His poetry also appeared in the book The Quotable Rebel.

In 2007, Li joined forces with nationally-renowned performing artists Bao Phi and Kiwi (formerly of Native Guns) to form Beats Rhymes & Rice, a national tour of college campuses to challenge assumptions of Asian manhood and to address community issues. A portion of all tour proceeds are donated to grassroots API youth organizations in Boston, San Francisco, and the Twin Cities.

A firm believer in poetry as politics, his writing approaches serious topics from an emotional point of view. He draws inspiration from a wide range of influences, including Pablo Neruda, Stevie Wonder, Martìn Espada, Nellie Wong and De La Soul. He has performed all over the country at coffee shops, college campuses, and conventions. He has shared the stage with spoken word luminaries such as Louis Reyes Rivera and Willie Perdomo, respected performers such as Giancarlo Esposito and Pharoahe Monch, as well as legendary community leaders like Secretary Norm Mineta, Mel King, and Helen Zia.

Curricula and programs he has led or worked on have helped to secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for community groups across the country. His work has been included in courses at various colleges and universities, including New York University, Pomona College, and Wellesley. Li has also been quoted as an expert on Asian American community issues in many publications, including The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, and Oakland Tribune.

He wishes nobody ever got lonely.