You Are Life

Author/father/narrator Bao Phi zestfully delivers poems he wrote for his child when anti-Asian sentiment in the U.S. escalated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Listeners will revel in his sparkling examples of Asian American culture and the creative people behind it. Gentle background music and vibrant sound effects, such as ebbing ocean waves and the cries of seagulls, excited voices during a dragon parade, and anti-immigrant protesters, add verisimilitude. Topics range from the ancient--ancestor worship and the scents of incense--to the modern--singing K-pop music in a parking lot. Phi's lively renderings of his short and contrasting poems will satisfy young listeners. Most compelling for an audience of all ages is Phi's admonition: "You are not a virus." S.G.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine