Antonio Cortez Appling is the founder of The Definitive Soapbox and The Long Beach Poetry Slam, two cornerstone institutions in the Long Beach literary and spoken word community. A poet, teacher, restaurateur, and community builder, Appling founded The Definitive Soapbox on September 11, 2009 with the vision of creating a safe and welcoming space where poets, musicians, and storytellers could gather to speak openly, heal publicly, and build community through art. What began in the back room of a local sandwich shop evolved into the longest-running spoken word open mic in the Long Beach area and a defining cultural space for generations of artists.

Born in Ohio and raised in San Diego near the Tijuana border, Appling brings an Afro-Latino perspective shaped by community, movement, and storytelling. His experiences hosting open mics in San Francisco during the early 2000s inspired his approach to cultivating artistic spaces rooted in authenticity and belonging. Over the past fifteen years, he has become a vital force in the local arts ecosystem, helping shape a new generation of poets and performers through mentorship, platform-building, and radical consistency.

In addition to his literary work, he is the owner of The Nest: A Brunch Joint in Bellflower, California.