Poet.  Performer.  Unabashed Scribbler.  Champion of Impossible Dreams, Lover of All Non-lucrative Trades.  Professional Appreciator of Beauty, Sommelier for Hire, Aspiring Bard and Yogi. 

KP Liles is the author of two collections of poems, Singing Back the Darkness (New York Quarterly Books) and Spring Hunger (Plain View Press).  Since publication of his debut book in November 2008, KP has traveled the country performing poems from Talkeetna, Alaska to Brooklyn, New York.  His work has appeared widely in literary journals, newspapers, and has been broadcast on Alaska Public Radio.

Born in 1976 in Woodstock, Illinois, KP earned a BA in Rhetoric from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, then wandered throughout Europe—occasionally paying his way by picking wine grapes for the likes of the legendary vintner Luciano Sandrone.  The call of the North proved irresistible while traversing Sweden.  When he returned stateside, he set out for Alaska, eventually landing onstage at Side St. Espresso (in Anchorage), reading poems at the request of friend and musician Tom Begich.  A lifelong love for language rekindled and an abiding passion for poetry blazed. 

KP returned to school for an MFA in poetry from the University of Alaska, understanding that the winter darkness should not be trifled with and that even poets should limit how much they talk to themselves.  He now lives in Manhattan with two wild girls—Haley and Tiggy (his cats).

KP says of his writing, “Poetry is my way of thinking, my way of being.  I connect to the world through language.  I expect my poems to share both my learning and my constant wonder with others.  I have great faith in Poetry, in its ability to supply dimension and color—if not meaningful experience—to our lives.  Poems help shape our imaginations.  They extend our vision and allow us to see with greater definition.  It is my sincere hope that my work encourages us all to live our lives more fully and to remake the world for the better.”