Born in 1957 of Chinese parents in Jakarta, Indonesia, Lee learned early about loss and exile. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Lee’s parents escaped to Indonesia. In 1959, his father, after spending a year as a political prisoner, fled Indonesia with his family to escape anti-Chinese sentiment. After a five-year trek through Hong Kong, Macau, and Japan, they settled in the United States in 1964. Li-Young Lee is the author of four critically acclaimed books of poetry, his most recent being Behind My Eyes (2008). His earlier collections are Book of My Nights (2001); Rose (1986), The City in Which I Love You (1991) and the 1990 Lamont Poetry Selection. Lee’s honors include numerous fellowships, grants and awards. He lives in Chicago with his wife and their two sons.