Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series Presents: Frost Medal Winner Mei-mei Berssenbrugge with Diana Khoi Nguyen

Photo Credit: Kelly Writers House staff. Photo Courtesy: New Directions, Diana Khoi Nguyen.

One of America’s foremost poets, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge is associated with the poetry of the New York School, and her work is noted for its interdisciplinary nature—often drawing from phenomenology, science, nature, and visual art. This October, the prolific artist will visit City of Asylum for a reading and conversation with fellow poet Diana Khoi Nguyen. 

This program is presented in partnership with the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series, which is directed by Diana at the University of Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series brings notable writers to Pittsburgh every year. The series is free and open to the public and features contemporary writers with extraordinary talent in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Past presenters include George Saunders, Maxine Hong Kingston, Gay Talese, Richard Ford, John Edgar Wideman, John McPhee, Dan Chaon, Lucille Clifton, Anne Carson, Mark Doty, and Michael Ondaatje, among others.

This program will be followed by a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees. 

About the Artist:

Born in Beijing, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge is the author of fourteen books of poetry. Her latest collection A Treatise on Stars was shortlisted for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. She is the recipient of the Bollingen Prize for Poetry, the Mary McCarthy Prize for public engagement and in 2026, The Frost Medal. Her collaborations include works in theater, dance, music, and the visual arts. Her work with George Lewis and The Crossing Choir received a Grammy Award in 2025. She lives in northern New Mexico and Maine.

About the Moderator:

Diana Khoi Nguyen is the author of Root Fractures and Ghost Of. A Kundiman and MacDowell fellow, she teaches in the MFA programs at Randolph College and the University of Pittsburgh.

About Your Visit: 

The in-house restaurant, Cucina Alfabeto, is open for brunch from 9:30 to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.