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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261013T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261013T203000
DTSTAMP:20260909T185320Z
CREATED:20260904T154025Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260909T185320Z
UID:11493-1791918000-1791923400@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:World Literature: Georgi Gospodinov's "The Man with Many Names" with Angela Rodel and Anderson Tepper
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Phelia Barouh. Photo Courtesy: WW Norton \nFrom the International Booker Prize–winning Georgi Gospodinov comes a volume of his finest short stories gathered over three decades. Exhibiting a world-renowned author at his most playful and profound\, The Man with Many Names captures the peculiarities of existence across forty tales set in and around his beloved Bulgaria\, in and around this fading world. \nThe Man with Many Names echoes boldly through time and place\, all while remaining uncannily attuned to the profound nature of human connection—how one person’s single gesture can ripple through another’s life like fate. Masterfully translated by Angela Rodel\, this is another wildly inventive contribution from “one of the indispensable writers of our times” (International Booker Prize Jury). \nJoin Georgi Gospodinov and Angela Rodel in conversation with Anderson Tepper on October 13. \nYou can purchase a copy of The Man With Many Names at the City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Author:\nGeorgi Gospodinov is the recipient of the International Booker Prize and the Premio Strega\, among many other accolades. He lives in Sofia\, Bulgaria. \nAbout the Translator:\nAngela Rodel won the International Booker for translation and has received honors such as the PEN Translation Fund Grant. She lives in Sofia. \nAbout the Moderator:\nAnderson Tepper is a guest curator of PEN America’s World Voices Festival and a longstanding member of the Brooklyn Book Festival’s Literary Council and international committee. Formerly of Vanity Fair\, his writing on books and authors has appeared in The New York Times\, The Los Angeles Times\, The Atlantic\, and World Literature Today\, among other publications. Anderson also serves on City of Asylum’s Advisory Board. \nAbout Your Visit:\nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \n  \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/world-literature-georgia-gospodinovs-the-man-with-many-names-with-angela-rodel-and-anderson-tepper/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/many-names2.webp
ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T203000
DTSTAMP:20260727T142712Z
CREATED:20260727T142712Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T142712Z
UID:11129-1792090800-1792096200@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Alton Merrell Trio Presents the Life & Music of McCoy Tyner
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Alton Merrell \nThis performance from the Alton Merrell Trio explores the life\, music\, and artistic development of legendary jazz pianist McCoy Tyner. Tyner was a five-time Grammy Award-winning American jazz pianist and composer known best for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet.  \nThrough historical discussion\, musical analysis\, and live performance demonstrations\, audience members will gain insight into the social\, cultural\, familial\, spiritual\, and musical influences that contributed to Tyner’s unique artistic voice and lasting impact on jazz. This lecture-performance draws extensively on the research Dr. Alton Merrell conducted to earn his PhD in Jazz Studies.  \nFeatured musicians: \nDr. Alton Merrell: piano \nJeff Grubbs: bass \nDavid Throckmorton: drums \nAbout the Artist: \nDr. Alton Merrell is an internationally acclaimed pianist\, Hammond B-3 organist\, composer\, and educator whose artistry blends jazz\, gospel\, classical\, pop\, and rhythm and blues. He has performed and taught throughout the United States\, Europe\, Asia\, and the Caribbean\, collaborating with legendary artists including Dee Dee Bridgewater\, Benny Golson\, Christian McBride\, Delfeayo Marsalis\, and many others. A member of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra\, Merrell has also appeared with major orchestras and ensembles nationwide. A gifted composer and recording artist\, he leads The Alton Merrell Trio and released the acclaimed album Withholding Nothing on the Grammy Award–winning MCG Jazz label. Merrell is the lead instructor and founder of the Minstrel School of Music\, an innovative global education platform\, and serves as an adjunct professor at Duquesne University and the Community College of Allegheny County. He holds a PhD in Jazz Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-alton-merrell-trio/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ALTON-MERRELL-10152026.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261018T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261018T160000
DTSTAMP:20260909T193924Z
CREATED:20260908T130902Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260909T193924Z
UID:11516-1792335600-1792339200@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:On Topic: Anand Gopal's "Days of Love and Rage" with Benjamin Case
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Leonor Grave. Photo Courtesy: Simon and Schuster. \nFrom Pulitzer and National Book Award finalist Anand Gopal comes Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution\, an epic and enthralling account of six Syrians fighting for a better world\, in the tradition of classic works by Philip Gourevitch and Katherine Boo. \nAnand Gopal immerses you in the world of a single city in the throes of revolution\, and lays bare the danger that inequality poses to democracy. But this book transcends the particulars of one terrible conflict to tell the broader story of rising authoritarianism in our times. Days of Love and Rage has the force\, sweep\, and artistry of a great novel\, and is ultimately a story of our enduring human need for dignity and hope. \nYou can purchase a copy of Days of Love and Rage at the City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Author:\nAnand Gopal is a writer for The New Yorker. He is the author of No Good Men Among the Living and writes about democracy\, inequality\, and conflict. \nAbout the Moderator:\nBen Case is a local organizer and writer. He is research assistant professor at the Center for Work and Democracy and is the author of Street Rebellion: Resistance Beyond Violence and Nonviolence. \nAbout Your Visit:\nThe 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. \n  \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/on-topic-anand-gopals-days-of-love-and-rage-with-benjamin-case/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Anand-Gopal.webp
ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261019T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261019T200000
DTSTAMP:20261007T164523Z
CREATED:20260908T125659Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261007T164523Z
UID:11511-1792436400-1792440000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:On Topic: Navigating Crises with Raj Panjabi (Safer)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Dr. Raj Panjabi\nWhen crisis hits—a sudden illness\, a global disruption\, or a career upheaval—our instinct is to retreat. Yet decades of research prove that our greatest protection isn’t isolation\, it’s connection. \nFrom high-stakes decisions in the White House Situation Room and hospital emergency room to dramatic shocks of violence and illness his family struggled with in their own living room\, Dr. Raj Panjabi has navigated humanity’s most precarious moments. Now\, he translates hard-earned wisdom into a step-by-step roadmap. Through gripping storytelling and cutting-edge science\, Safer: A Playbook – Turning Fear into Action and Crisis into Community reveals the eight practical “plays” to protect what matters most at home and work. \nJoin Dr. Raj Panjabi in conversation at City of Asylum. \nYou can purchase a copy of Safer at the City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Author:\nRaj Panjabi\, MD\, is one of the world’s leading experts in health care\, public policy\, and pandemics. He has spent the last two decades on the ground studying epidemics and community health around the globe and creating groundbreaking strategies to keep us safer in increasingly dangerous times. Dr. Panjabi is on faculty at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He served in the Biden-Harris Administration (2021-2023) in roles focused on pandemic response and public health. As White House Senior Director and Special Assistant to President Biden\, Panjabi served as the top pandemic and health official at the National Security Council. \nAbout the Moderator:\nKatie Booth is a writer and collaborator whose work has appeared in The Believer\, Harper’s Magazine\, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern\, and elsewhere\, and has received fellowships from the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Library of Congress. Her first book\, The Invention of Miracles: Language\, Power\, and Alexander Graham Bell’s Quest to End Deafness\, was a New York Times editors’ choice\, a finalist for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography\, a finalist for the British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding\, and runner-up for the Mark Lynton History Prize from the Columbia School of Journalism and the Neiman Foundation of Harvard. She grew up in a mixed hearing/deaf family. \nAbout Your Visit:\nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/on-topic-navigating-crises-with-former-white-house-national-security-council-director-dr-raj-panjabi/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Dr.-Raj-Panjabi.webp
ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261020T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261020T203000
DTSTAMP:20260923T010033Z
CREATED:20260826T162948Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260923T010033Z
UID:11455-1792522800-1792528200@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Artist in Exile: Olena Boryshpolets’ "Bride"
DESCRIPTION:City of Asylum presents the premiere of the musical-poetic performance Bride.\n“Writing the poem Bride was a logical continuation of exploration of the feminine principle\, the role of the modern woman in society\, her strength and powerlessness\, and her potential spheres of influence on the world’s disheartening events. The poem Bride will allow the reader to see the world through the eyes of others and understand motivations different from their own. The events of the poem will serve as a kind of archive and\, in a way\, a mirror of human decisions and their consequences. A mirror that not only provokes but also forces reflection.” – Olena Boryshpolets \nOlena Boryshpolets: poem author\, performance director\nJake Grefenstette: editor\nMarta Krechkovsky: violin \nAbout the Author: \nOlena Boryshpolets is originally from Odesa\, Ukraine. They say you can leave Odesa\, but Odesa will never leave you. Thus\, Olena brought Odesa with her when she came to Pittsburgh and is ready to share this incredible city with all of us. Olena is a poet\, writer\, journalist\, actress\, cultural manager\, and author of the short story book Ukrainian Detox\, the book of poetry Orpheus and Eurydice in New York\, and the long-form poem New Calypso. Olena is also a member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine\, a co-founder of the public organization Creativity Without Borders\, and a member of PEN America. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022\, Olena traveled to Poland\, where she spent a year acting in the Polish-Ukrainian play Life in Case of War. Olena is currently a Research Scholar at Chatham University and was a Research Scholar at the University of Pittsburgh from 2023 to 2026\, and has been a Writer-in-Residence at the City of Asylum Fellowship for Ukrainian Writers since 2023. \nAbout the Reading Artists: \nElijah Russell (he/him) is a senior at Chatham University studying for a BFA in Creative Writing with a minor in Art History. He primarily writes fiction and poetry\, and hopes to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing. When avoiding his writing projects\, he indulges in his many crafting hobbies\, YouTube\, or bothering his very old cat. \nRemmy Goyette (they/them) is a senior at Chatham University double-majoring in English Literature and Policy Studies. They hope to attend grad school next year studying English\, with a focus in Modern American Literature. When they aren’t reading or writing\, you can probably find them quilting or spending time with their cat. \nMaya Walker studies Creative Writing\, Cultural Studies\, Spanish\, and Latin American Studies at Chatham University. You can find her in the nowhere land between her hometown of Baltimore and new home of Pittsburgh or anywhere with a book in hand. \nAbout Your Visit: \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/artist-in-exile-olena-boryshpolets-the-bride/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/bride-web-image.png
ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261022T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261022T203000
DTSTAMP:20260727T152158Z
CREATED:20260727T152158Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T152158Z
UID:11135-1792695600-1792701000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: James Johnson III's Nature-Inspired Original Compositions (with Strings)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: James Johnson III. \nAfter fusing jazz and hip hop this spring with his new group\, The Soup Session\, drummer and composer James Johnson III continues to take leaps of connection with a project three years in the making. This time\, he invites us into a world where traditional jazz\, the bounty of nature\, and the allure of strings meld into one dynamic suite of sound. This performance presents a suite of original compositions\, teaming up a trio of strings and a traditional jazz quintet for a nature-inspired evening of innovation.  \nAbout the Artist: \nJames Johnson III began playing the drums at the age of five in his hometown of Pittsburgh\, Pennsylvania. Johnson attended CAPA\, Pittsburgh’s high school for the creative and performing arts. It was there that he came under the mentorship of the drummer Roger Humphries. Upon graduating high school\, James was invited to tour with jazz legend Ahmad Jamal. With Ahmad\, James performed all over the world\, appearing in major jazz venues such as Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. As a member of the Ahmad Jamal trio\, James has also appeared at major festivals such as the Cully Jazz Festival in Switzerland\, the North Sea Jazz Festival in South Africa\, and the Dublin Jazz Festival. James has also performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis\, George Coleman\, James Moody\, Sean Jones\, Monty Alexander\, Mulgrew Miller\, Russell Ferrante\, Bob Mintzer\, Kenny Werner\, and Hubert Laws. In addition to his performance schedule\, James currently serves on the music faculty at the Afro American Music Institute\, University of Pittsburgh\, and Chatham University. His second solo album\, Between\, was released in 2019. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-james-johnson-iii/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/JAMES-JOHNSON-III-10222026.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261026T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261026T200000
DTSTAMP:20260908T123044Z
CREATED:20260908T123044Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T123044Z
UID:11506-1793041200-1793044800@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:On Topic: Hope in Healthcare with Theresa Brown ("The Cost of Care: How Four Nurses Put Patients First in a Profit-Driven System")
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Jeff Swensen \nTheresa Brown worked as an oncology nurse for years before finally burning out\, but instead of leaving the healthcare system behind entirely\, she set out to find places where it’s actually working. This richly drawn portrait of four nurses in four different sectors of our broken healthcare system reveals where solutions are actually possible—to make care about people rather than profits. \nJoin Theresa in conversation with Neal Bisno. \nYou can purchase a copy of The Cost of Care at the City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Author:\nTheresa Brown\, RN\, author of the New York Times bestseller The Shift\, has been a contributor to the New York Times. Her writing appears on CNN.com and in the American Journal of Nursing\, the Journal of the American Medical Association\, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She has been a guest on MSNBC Live and NPR’s Fresh Air. Her first book was Critical Care\, and during what she calls her past life\, she received a PhD in English from the University of Chicago. She lectures nationally and internationally on issues related to nursing\, health care\, and end of life. \nAbout the Moderator:\nNeal Bisno is International Executive Vice President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)\, uniting over 2 million healthcare\, public\, and property services workers across the United States\, Canada\, and Puerto Rico. Prior to his election as International EVP in 2016\, Neal served as President of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania\, the state’s largest union of nurses and healthcare workers. Neal has helped lead successful campaigns to organize thousands of nurses and healthcare workers\, ban mandatory overtime for Pennsylvania’s healthcare workers\, and expand Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians.  Neal lives with his partner on Pittsburgh’s North Side. \nAbout Your Visit:\nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/on-topic-hope-in-healthcare-with-theresa-brown-the-cost-of-care-how-four-nurses-put-patients-first-in-a-profit-driven-system/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Theresa-Brown.webp
ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261027T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261027T210000
DTSTAMP:20260312T181523Z
CREATED:20260223T170726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260312T181523Z
UID:10567-1793127600-1793134800@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:PGHwrites: Andrew Swensen & Yan Pang's "Shelter" (Musical Theatre Production)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Andrew Swensen \nThis special PGHwrites program features a staged performance of Andrew Swensen and Yan Pang’s Shelter\, building off the showcase held at City of Asylum last fall. Shelter tells the story of scars carried from childhood into adulthood\, exploring how they distort our vision of ourselves and damage our relationships\, but also ultimately create the challenges by which we claim our strength and achieve self-determination.  \nPaige\, our protagonist\, takes a journey through a series of memories\, traveling with her childhood self through her past. Her life telescopes into an unhealthy mix of self-serving selflessness and psychological isolation\, a well-wrought “shelter” that she has constructed from the pain of life. She emerges on the other side when she confronts her own role in what she has become\, releases her blame toward her mother\, and opens herself to the prospect of a genuine\, balanced connection to another.  \nAbout the Artists: \nAndrew Swensen (Book and Lyrics) began work on Shelter in 2020 and has had the remarkable good fortune to work with composer Yan Pang since 2023 in order to bring this musical to life. When not writing musicals\, Swensen serves as a faculty member at the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University\, working in the MFA program Writing for the Stage and Screen and in the Department of Cinema\, and he is the Executive Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh. Past creative projects include being the co-author and lyricist of the musical The Golden Door; the co-writer\, producer\, and executive producer of the film Journey to Normal; and the executive producer of the film In Service. His professional background includes work with a variety of nonprofit organizations\, spanning performing\, visual\, and narrative arts. Previously\, he held faculty positions at Brandeis University\, Hamilton College\, Wellesley College\, and Western Michigan University\, and his teaching and research have spanned narrative and aesthetic theory\, comparative cultural studies\, literature\, and film. \nYan Pang (Composer) began working with librettist Andrew Swensen in 2023 on Shelter and has found incredible reward in creating the musical voice and vision for this work. As this work comes to life\, she is so grateful to have the opportunity to share the work with audiences. Pang’s career has spanned the roles of a composer\, performer\, educator\, and scholar\, with work exploring the range of possibilities in intercultural music creation. Her compositions blend Chinese folk traditions with Western operatic and music-theater forms to explore themes of resilience\, solidarity\, and immigration. Her works have been featured in international collections and competitions\, including For Archie\, Nowhere Home\, and The Others (Contemporary Music Score Collection\, UCLA). She is also the songwriter and music director of the album Glory Times (China Science & Cultural Audio-Video Publishing House). As a performer and composer\, Pang has worked regularly in performance-based and collaborative contexts\, including performing original compositions for MIXTAPE Dance in collaboration with choreographer Jason “J-Sun” Noer and music director Stefon “Bionik” Taylor. Pang holds a faculty position as Assistant Professor of Music at Point Park University\, where she teaches a range of courses in support of programs in theater\, musical theater\, and dance.  \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/pghwrites-andrew-swensen-yan-pangs-shelter-musical-theatre-production/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Shelter-White.png
ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261028T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261028T203000
DTSTAMP:20260820T171406Z
CREATED:20260727T183247Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260820T171406Z
UID:11141-1793214000-1793219400@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:World of Music: Christopher Mark Jones' "Montréal Encore” (Encore) (French Songs)
DESCRIPTION: Photo Credit: David Graham. Photo Courtesy: Christopher Mark Jones \nChristopher Mark Jones returns with a celebration of his French-language album Montréal Encore\, premiered with his collaborator Bernard Pozier at City of Asylum in March of 2023. This concert features selections from that album and mix-ins by Québécois\, French Caribbean\, and Parisian singer-songwriters—the likes of Boris Vian\, Michel Rivard\, Louis Aragon\, and Henri Salvador. \n \nFeatured Musicians: \nChristopher Mark Jones: vocals\, guitar\nBrad Yoder: vocal harmonies\, guitar\, saxophone\, glockenspiel\nMark Perna: bass\nEric George: African djembe and hand cymbals\nMatt Siegler: piano and accordion\n \nAbout the Artist: \nChristopher Mark Jones draws from folk\, country\, blues\, jazz\, and r&b sources to stage his literate folk-rock meditations. Using diverse points of view to narrate and critique life and love in uncertain times\, he invites listeners to think\, feel\, and dance. Recorded and live arrangements leave space for his musical co-conspirators to both express their personalities and honor the host creation. Listeners hear echoes of “Greg Brown’s pacing and a Lyle Lovett attitude” (Ben Shannon)\, as well as of John Prine\, Bruce Coburn\, and Darrell Scott. Between careers as a basketball player and French professor\, Christopher busked in Paris\, toured the UK\, Denmark\, and Holland\, and played New England clubs. He now tours and streams solo from Pittsburgh\, PA\, and plays regionally in formats varying from solo to full band. Looking for the Light (2021) is his sixth recording of original folk/roots songs\, while Montréal Encore (2022) is a French-language recording created in collaboration with the poet Bernard Pozier. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/world-of-music-christopher-mark-jones-montreal-encore/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/CHRISTOPHER-MARK-JONES-10_28_2026.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261029T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261029T203000
DTSTAMP:20260727T192824Z
CREATED:20260727T192824Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T192824Z
UID:11144-1793300400-1793305800@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Stephen Philip Harvey Octet's "Mythos" (Album Preview)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Stephen Philip Harvey \nMusic has the power to transport us somewhere larger than life\, to create legendary worlds where we are able to connect to forces greater than ourselves. After a 2023 performance at Alphabet City with their grounded\, nature-inspired album\, Elemental\, the Stephen Philip Harvey Octet returns this fall to entrance audiences with their latest project\, Mythos. This concert offers a preview into the world of Mythos—an album of original compositions inspired by African diaspora mythology\, sure to bring some magic back into the world.  \nFeatured Musicians: \nStephen Philip Harvey: tenor sax\, compositions \nChris Coles: alto sax \nTommy Lehman: trumpet  \nReggie Watkins: trombone \nDan Bruce: guitar \nTheron Brown: piano \nJordan McBride: bass \nDaniel May: drums \nAbout the Artist: \nStephen Philip Harvey is an award-winning saxophonist\, composer\, and bandleader whose music blends jazz tradition with cinematic storytelling and contemporary Black American music. His latest album\, Multiversal: Live at Bop Stop (2025)\, has been praised by DownBeat as “instrumental jazz fireworks” and by UK Vibe as “a bold\, super-powered live album.” Harveyleads several ensembles\, including SPHJO\, SPH8\, Sphinx\, and SPH+2\, and serves as Music Director of Delmarva Public Media. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-stephen-philip-harvey-octet/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SPH8-10292026.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261101T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261101T150000
DTSTAMP:20260930T211840Z
CREATED:20260729T164445Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260930T211840Z
UID:11161-1793541600-1793545200@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Germany on Campus Presents: The Power of Translation – German American Cultural Exchanges with Lin Hierse & Translator Jon Cho-Polizzi
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Lin Hierse and Jon Cho-Polizzi \nWhat brings people to today’s Berlin? What makes them stay? For some\, the city is a place of refuge\, from war and persecution\, bigotry or boredom. For others\, it’s the history or the nightlife or the broad green spaces that attract them—or haunt them. A few are just born there.  \nThis book launch introduces American audiences to Berlin Babel\, a collection of 14 short stories by Berliners on what brings people to Berlin and what makes them stay. Newly translated into English\, this anthology is the first-ever international anthology of contemporary writing on Berlin. It is presented as part of the annual Germany on Campus series hosted by the University of Pittsburgh’s German Department and sponsored by the German Embassy. This year’s theme is “German-American Relations: Past\, Present and Future – The Pittsburgh Story.”  \nBuilding on a tradition of collaboration with the embassy for previous “Germany on Campus” series\, the German Department at the University of Pittsburgh presents a “Germany on Campus” program for the Fall of 2026 which entwines the rich historical German roots of Western Pennsylvania with today’s close ties between our region and Germany. Through the regional lens\, they aim to highlight an important aspect of our transatlantic relationship: the role close German-American relations have played in generating prosperity for both nations and peace. Hence\, the sequence of events is designed to consider how we can build on the post-1945 strength of German-American relations to ensure a mutually beneficial future. To this end\, the German Department\, in collaboration with the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Programs and the European Studies Center\, will present a total of four events and one exhibit. \nBerlin Babel presents short stories by writers originating from Syria\, Turkey\, China\, the UK\, the US\, the Netherlands\, Spain\, Russia\, Germany\, Italy\, and India. From Arabic to Italian to Yiddish\, the stories are beautifully translated from eight different languages\, capturing life in Berlin with all its despairs and joys while uniting a wide range of perspectives. With contributions by Odai Al Zoubi\, Carla Berges\, Leon Craig\, Ulrike Draesner\, Linda Farata\, FENG Yurui\, Lin Hierse\, LJ Kessels\, Natasha Podlyzhnyak\, Nainy Sahani\, Jake Schneider\, Meral Şimşek\, David Wagner\, and Jane Yager\, Berlin Babel is an anthology designed for all those who already love the city\, and for anyone curious to discover it. \nThis program will be followed by a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees. \nAbout the Writer: \nLin Hierse is a prolific author\, journalist\, poet\, and public intellectual. With a background in Asian Studies and Human Geography\, she is a longtime contributor to several major German journals and periodicals; she wrote the biweekly column “Poetical Correctness” in taz from 2020-2023. Her acclaimed autofictional debut novel Wovon wir träumen [What We Dream Of] was published in 2022 and follows the interconnected stories of three generations of women whose lives are ruptured and reunited through the experience of migration and life in the Chinese diaspora. It was followed in 2024 by her sophomore novel Das Verschwinden der Welt [The Disappearing World]\, a novel that chronicles the life of an aging tenement building in the outskirts of Shanghai: a one-time refuge for peasants from the Chinese countryside\, it later became home to Jewish refugees during WW2\, and new urban milieu following the Cultural Revolution\, before falling into forgetfulness and disrepair with the rapid gentrification of the 21st-century city. A translation of her short story\, “KTV Girl” appeared in the recent English-language anthology Berlin Babel. \nAbout the Translator/Moderator: \nJon Cho-Polizzi is an award-winning literary translator and Assistant Professor of German at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Jon received a concurrent PhD from UC Berkeley in German and Medieval Studies in 2020. His work highlights the diversity of contemporary German literature at the intersections of migration and multilingualism. Jon’s translation of Fatma Aydemir’s Djinns received the Society of Author’s 2025 Schlegel-Tieck Prize; his translation of Max Czollek’s De-Integrate: A Jewish Survival Guide for the 21st Century received the 2024 Helen and Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize. His translation of Ralph Tharayil’s Roll Back the Mountains is forthcoming with Seagull Books. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe 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. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/germany-on-campus-presents-the-power-of-translation/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/BERLIN-BABEL-2.webp
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261103T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261103T203000
DTSTAMP:20260730T161231Z
CREATED:20260730T161231Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T161231Z
UID:11165-1793732400-1793737800@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Ties That Bind)
DESCRIPTION:Since 2022\, it’s been our pleasure to partner with Story Club (created by the former producers of The Moth Pittsburgh) for their monthly nonfiction storytelling series\, Story Slam. Together\, we aim to showcase a diverse range of voices and create a space for stories that resonate across backgrounds\, perspectives\, and experiences. Each month\, we welcome open-mic storytellers to the stage to share six-minute tales that tackle a preselected theme. This November\, Story Club PGH talks connections you just can’t shake with the Story Slam theme Ties That Bind.  \nEach month\, the top storyteller\, as voted by viewers\, will win a free City of Asylum t-shirt. Learn more here or sign up for an open mic slot at the slam. Not interested in storytelling but still want to participate? Try joining a judging team and help decide the winners instead! \nAbout the Host: \nAlan Olifson is an award-winning humor columnist and comedian and was the regular host of Pittsburgh’s monthly Moth StorySlams. He created the acclaimed storytelling series Wordplay at Bricolage Theater and now produces the new storytelling/talk show Speakeasy at Arcade Comedy Theater. His book\, Manchild: My Life without Adult Supervision\, from Six Gallery Press\, is available wherever you buy books—hopefully somewhere local. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house bar at Cucina Alfabeto will be open for drinks only. Seating in the restaurant and bar is available on a first-come\, first-served basis. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/story-slam-ties-that-bind/
LOCATION:PA
CATEGORIES:Other
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/STORY-CLUB-2026-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261105T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261105T203000
DTSTAMP:20260731T134711Z
CREATED:20260731T134614Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260731T134711Z
UID:11180-1793905200-1793910600@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Paul Thompson Quintet Celebrates the Music of Jaco Pastorius
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: David Roth \nThis November concert at City of Asylum welcomes Paul Thompson\, one of Pittsburgh’s greatest jazz bassists and disciple of the bass-drum connection\, for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jaco Pastorius’ eponymous debut album.  \nJaco Pastorius\, recognized by many as the man who revolutionized how the bass guitar is played\, was a drummer before he ever picked up a bass. In high school\, fate intervened\, and Pastorius became the bassist in the soul cover band\, Las Olas Brass. The rest was history. Throughout his illustrious career\, Pastorius built a reputation as a highly regarded American jazz bassist\, composer\, and producer\, widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential bassists of all time \nFeatured Musicians: \nScott Boni: sax \nJoe Sheehan: piano \nPaul Thompson: bass \nGeorge Heid III: drums \nAbout the Artist: \nPaul Thompson has been playing bass professionally for over 30 years\, including recording and touring stints with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Recent playing credits include Hubert Laws\, Geri Allen\, Michael Feinstein\, and Bob James. Currently\, he can be seen playing around the Pittsburgh area with Salsamba!\, THOTH Trio\, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra\, in pit orchestras at the Byham and New Hazlett Theaters\, or performing with some of our city’s rich jazz community. An active educator\, Paul currently teaches Jazz Bass at Duquesne University and West Virginia University and is an Adjunct Instrumental Music teacher at his alma mater\, Pittsburgh CAPA 6–12 Performing Arts School. More at: http://www.youtube.com/pdbass  \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-paul-thompson-quintet-2/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/PAUL-THOMPSON-08132026.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261108T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261108T160000
DTSTAMP:20260922T202317Z
CREATED:20260922T201408Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260922T202317Z
UID:11635-1794150000-1794153600@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:PGHwrites: Almost Perfect Press Presents "What a Book is For"
DESCRIPTION:Photo credits: Ruby Waldo\, Centa Schumacher\, Karen Lue\nIf I asked you “What is a book for?”\, you might also ask: What is a book anyway? What is reading? What is writing? What is publishing? What is a story? What is knowledge? What is language? On November 18\, we will ask (but not answer) these questions and more. \nIn partnership with Almost Perfect Press\, City of Asylum presents “What a Book is For”—an hour-long reading/performance/game show/panel talk exploring what a book is and can be\, from the perspective of writers\, readers\, publishers\, distributors\, and performers. The event will be moderated by Jenna Peng and will feature writers Dani Lamorte\, Emma Honcharski\, and Almost Perfect Press owner Brent Nakamoto. \nThe program is accompanied by a new chapbook from Almost Perfect Press\, featuring writing and images from all of the presenters. The book will be available for sale or attendees can bind their own copy at a hands-on workshop following the program. \nAbout the Artists:\nBrent Nakamoto is a Queer\, Japanese-American\, and Buddhist artist with a background in painting and drawing\, printmaking\, photography\, and book arts.  He currently lives and works in Pittsburgh\, PA. He is the Program and Marketing Coordinator for Brew House Arts\, where he manages the Distillery Emerging Artist Residency. He has taught at the University of Pittsburgh\, Carnegie Mellon University\, and the Community College of Allegheny County\, and has facilitated workshops at the Carnegie Museum of Art\, Contemporary Craft (PA)\, Poster House (NY)\, and Peter’s Valley School of Craft (NJ). He has shown work nationally and internationally\, including in California\, Saint Louis\, New York\, Pittsburgh\, Helsinki\, and Kolkata\, and his work is included in the University of Maryland Art Gallery permanent collection. In 2022\, he curated “Plain Silk\, Uncarved Wood\,” an exhibition of eight Asian-American artists living in Pittsburgh\, and in 2026 he curated “Stuck in Saṃsāra\,” an exhibition exploring themes from the Lotus Sutra. His critique of the 58th Carnegie International was published by Bunker Review in 2023. He is the owner and operator of Almost Perfect Press\, a curatorial and publishing project specializing in hand-bound\, small-batch publications featuring emerging writers and artists. \nDani Lamorte is a Pittsburgh-based artist who writes\, performs\, and makes photographic images. His first book\, Nobody’s Psychic\, was published by the University Press of Kentucky in fall 2025. \nEmma Honcharski is an artist\, writer\, and creative strategist in Pittsburgh\, PA. Motivated by bringing people together to experience delight\, she is a co-founder and co-director of the Pittsburgh Art Book Fair. Before receiving her MBA and MA in Food Studies from Chatham University\, she co-founded and collaboratively published Dinner Bell Mag\, a food writing and art publication\, from 2019 to 2023. In 2025\, she was named in Pittsburgh City Paper’s People of the Year. She currently serves on the board of Diamond Beach’s Brilliant Float Club\, cultivating community on the Allegheny River. \nAbout the Moderator:\nJenna Peng writes poetry and criticism\, often both at the same time. Her writing circles otherness\, closeness\, and aloneness\, compelled-repelled by the kinds of things we do to-for each other. She indulges in writing about writing\, thinking about thinking\, not knowing about knowing\, and is in search of a Center for Stray Thought. As part of the collective Jenn E. Zhang (with other half Elina Zhang)\, she co-curates Read-Shifting Web\, an Asian diasporic reading room\, and co-teaches Anti-Ante-Auntie-Seminars\, writing workshops in response to art shows. Across her practices\, she is intent on learning how to play well with others. \nAbout your Visit: \nThe 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. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/pghwrites-almost-perfect-press-presents-what-a-book-is-for/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Almost-Perfect-Press.webp
ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261112T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261112T203000
DTSTAMP:20260731T141422Z
CREATED:20260731T141422Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260731T141422Z
UID:11182-1794510000-1794515400@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Two of Anything's New Compositions (with Audience Participation!)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Joseph Wyman. \nThis November\, City of Asylum welcomes Patrick Breiner’s trio of exciting Pittsburgh musicians—who welcome audience participation—for a performance full of brand new music! Two of Anything’s compositions are inspired by the work of artists such as Henry Threadgill\, Anthony Braxton\, John Zorn\, and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. Reserve two (or three or four!) of tickets and come support new music in Pittsburgh! \nFeatured Musicians: \nPatrick Breiner: compositions\, saxophone\, clarinet\, bass clarinet \nAntonio Croes: keybird piano\, harmonium\, melodica \nMark Micchelli: grand piano\, preparations \nAbout the Band: \nTwo of Anything’s current status is two of piano. Also sometimes two of melodica. But! Two of Anything could be two of something else. Or\, perhaps\, one each of many different things. Three of musicians. Four of ears. Six of hands.  \nAbout the Artist: \nPatrick Breiner is a saxophonist\, clarinetist\, and composer in Pittsburgh\, PA. He helped found the Tough Pill concert series\, held on third Thursdays at the Government Center\, which is rapidly approaching its three-year anniversary! Sonic collaborations include: Battle Trance (New Amsterdam / NNA Tapes) and VAX (pronounced “fasjsh”). In addition to his musical undertakings\, Patrick is sometimes a theater/dance/puppetry performer and collaborator. Patrick is a Vandoren Artist. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-two-of-anything/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/TWO-OF-ANYTHING-11122026.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261115T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261115T160000
DTSTAMP:20260914T131823Z
CREATED:20260908T145413Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260914T131823Z
UID:11500-1794754800-1794758400@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:International Poetry Forum Presents: A 60th Anniversary Celebration with Joel Dias-Porter and Jake Grefenstette
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Joel Dias-Porter \nJoin us as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the International Poetry Forum\, a local\, independent nonprofit organization dedicated to spoken poetry and poetry education. Founded by Dr. Samuel Hazo in 1966\, the International Poetry Forum has hosted hundreds of the world’s most celebrated poets and performers in its reading series and educational outreach programs\, including legends like Seamus Heaney\, Gwendolyn Brooks\, Mary Oliver\, James Earl Jones\, Grace Kelly\, and many more. \nThis in-person event will feature stories about the history of the International Poetry Forum from Jake Grefenstette\, president and executive director of the Forum\, as well as original poetry from Joel Dias-Porter (aka DJ Renegade). After presentations from Grefenstette and Dias-Porter\, all artists and attendees are welcome at a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks. \nAbout the Artist:\nJoel Dias-Porter (aka DJ Renegade) was born and raised in Pittsburgh\, PA\, and resides in South Jersey. The 1998 and 1999 Haiku Slam Champion\, his work has been featured in POETRY\, Best American Poetry 2014\, Callaloo\, Asahi Shimbun\, Ploughshares\, and anthologies Short Fuse\, Role Call\, Def Poetry Jam\, Poetry Nation\, and Catch a Fire. He is a Cave Canem Fellow and 1995 Furious Flower “Emerging Poet.” His collection Ideas of Improvisation is on Thread Makes Blanket Press (2022). \nAbout the Moderator:\nJake Grefenstette is president and executive director of the International Poetry Forum. Following undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Oxford\, Grefenstette received an M.Phil. from Peking University in Beijing\, an M.A. from the University of Chicago\, and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. Outside of the International Poetry Forum\, Grefenstette teaches English and philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University and is editor of the Carnegie Mellon University Press Poetry Series and Literary Translation Series. He lives in Pittsburgh with his family and their dog\, Frodo Waggins. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/international-poetry-forum-presents-a-60th-anniversary-celebration-with-joel-dias-porter/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Joel-Dias-Porter.webp
ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261117T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261117T200000
DTSTAMP:20260826T151658Z
CREATED:20260724T182240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T151658Z
UID:11119-1794942000-1794945600@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:World Literature: Jamaica Kincaid's "Putting Myself Together" (Antigua) with Anderson Tepper
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Bob Anderson. Photo Courtesy: Macmillan. \nMy ignorance was on my side. I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t know what to be afraid of. I did one thing\, I did another. I did what I now call crashing about. One day I started to write. \nThis November\, City of Asylum welcomes prolific author and essayist Jamaica Kincaid to share her PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay–winning collection\, Putting Myself Together. The collection features nearly 50 years of Jamaica Kincaid’s writing about gardening\, friendship\, and racism.  \nPutting Myself Together includes some of Jamaica’s earliest pieces from publications such as The New Yorker\, The Village Voice\, and Ms.\, proving what her admirers have always known: from the start\, she has been a consummate stylist\, and she has always been herself. \nFrom “Jamaica Kincaid’s New York\,” which narrates her move to the city from Antigua at the age of 16\, to the classic “Biography of a Dress\,” her cultural criticism\, and her original thinking about the meaning of the garden\, Kincaid writes about the world as she finds it\, imparting her own quizzical\, rapier-sharp response to whatever crosses her path. \nThe resulting collection is a brilliant\, trenchant\, hilarious self-portrait of the artist and a testament to how this inimitable\, self-created mind and spirit\, endowed with wit\, humor\, and fearlessness\, has become one of our greatest\, most original writers. \nYou can purchase a copy of Jamaica’s book\, Putting Myself Together\, at City of Asylum Bookstore. \nThis program will be followed by a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees. \nAbout the Author:\nJamaica Kincaid was born in St. John’s\, Antigua. Her books include At the Bottom of the River\, Annie John\, Lucy\, The Autobiography of My Mother\, My Brother\, Mr. Potter\, See Now Then\, and\, with Kara Walker\, An Encyclopedia of Gardening for Colored Children. She lives in Vermont. \nAbout the Moderator:\nAnderson Tepper is a guest curator of PEN America’s World Voices Festival and a longstanding member of the Brooklyn Book Festival’s Literary Council and international committee. Formerly of Vanity Fair\, his writing on books and authors has appeared in The New York Times\, The Los Angeles Times\, The Atlantic\, and World Literature Today\, among other publications. Anderson also serves on City of Asylum’s Advisory Board. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/world-literature-jamaica-kincaid/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/JAMAICA-KINCAID-11172026.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261119T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261119T203000
DTSTAMP:20260918T190402Z
CREATED:20260731T144546Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260918T190402Z
UID:11185-1795114800-1795120200@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Joe Sheehan Quartet’s Charts of Legendary Places (Inspired by Umberto Eco’s "The Book of Legendary Lands")
DESCRIPTION:Music for Distant & Fabled Lands\, presented by Joe Sheehan & Kinetic\, is a concert weaving together music\, maps\, and imaginary places. Inspired by Umberto Eco’s The Book of Legendary Lands\, as well as Sheehan’s love of maps\, the concert explores our ambition to chart the unknown and rediscover lost utopias\, as well as our darker impulses to partition the world into spaces to be conquered and ruled. \nThe concert premieres new jazz-influenced pieces inspired by or incorporating folk melodies from Brazil\, China\, Ireland\, and Uganda; new pieces about fabled lands such as Atlantis; and jazz classics connected to Iran and the Caribbean. Despite these distances\, both real and imagined\, we hope you leave feeling more deeply connected—to the past and present\, to performers and audience\, and to places familiar and far away. \nFeatured Musicians:  \nJoseph Seman: saxophone\, bansuri\, flute \nJoseph Sheehan: piano\, vocals \nDenzel Chismar-Oliver: bass \nJames Johnson III: drums \nAbout the Artist: \nJoseph Sheehan is a pianist\, composer\, and educator whose work lies at the intersections of jazz\, global folk\, and classical traditions. His music and performances seek to express wisdom\, humility\, openness\, and joy. At the heart of his work is the ensemble Kinetic\, a music collective he founded whose performances blend global folk traditions with modern jazz. The group has released two albums (Dances of Lake Volta and Songs of Lake Volta) interweaving Ghanaian folk song with original music composed by Sheehan. The recordings draw “magnificent connecting threads from classical music and contemporary jazz to the music of West Africa… buoyed by soaring melodies and infectious rhythms” (Textura.org) and “make a fascinating\, in-depth approach to a creative universe…a real treasure” (Sonagrama Magazine). Open to many paths of musical activity\, Sheehan has performed with jazz masters in Pittsburgh and beyond; traditional music experts from China\, Cuba\, Ghana\, Senegal\, and Uganda; classical ensembles and musicians; rappers and poets; and pop/R&B musicians. His piano playing is rooted in Pittsburgh’s historic jazz scene\, and his compositions are informed by immersive field research of folk music as well as university studies in classical composition. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-joe-sheehan-quartet/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/JOE-SHEEHAN-11192026.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261201T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261201T203000
DTSTAMP:20260731T150615Z
CREATED:20260731T150615Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260731T150615Z
UID:11188-1796151600-1796157000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Slipped Through My Fingers)
DESCRIPTION:Since 2022\, it’s been our pleasure to partner with Story Club (created by the former producers of The Moth Pittsburgh) for their monthly nonfiction storytelling series\, Story Slam. Together\, we aim to showcase a diverse range of voices and create a space for stories that resonate across backgrounds\, perspectives\, and experiences. Each month\, we welcome open-mic storytellers to the stage to share six-minute tales that tackle a preselected theme. This December\, Story Club PGH takes on those moments when you lose it all with the theme Slipped Through My Fingers.  \nEach month\, the top storyteller\, as voted by viewers\, will win a free City of Asylum t-shirt. Learn more here or sign up for an open mic slot at the slam. Not interested in storytelling but still want to participate? Try joining a judging team and help decide the winners instead! \nAbout the Host: \nAlan Olifson is an award-winning humor columnist and comedian and was the regular host of Pittsburgh’s monthly Moth StorySlams. He created the acclaimed storytelling series Wordplay at Bricolage Theater and now produces the new storytelling/talk show Speakeasy at Arcade Comedy Theater. His book\, Manchild: My Life without Adult Supervision\, from Six Gallery Press\, is available wherever you buy books—hopefully somewhere local. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house bar at Cucina Alfabeto will be open for drinks only. Seating in the restaurant and bar is available on a first-come\, first-served basis. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/story-club-pgh-slipped-through-my-fingers/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Other
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/STORY-CLUB-2026-1.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261203T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261203T203000
DTSTAMP:20260731T152414Z
CREATED:20260731T152414Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260731T152414Z
UID:11190-1796324400-1796329800@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Mila Shadel Quartet Plays Jazzy Renditions of Joni Mitchell
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Brian Herman. Photo Courtesy: Mila Shadel. \nLifelong guitarist Mila Shadel shares her fully original arrangements of the music of Joni Mitchell\, one of her musical heroes. Joni Mitchell is one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of all time\, and has long been one of Mila’s favorite artists of all time. No matter what new music or new discoveries may come\, Mila always listens to and returns to Joni. She especially admires how Joni’s sound\, while always sounding like Joni\, has constantly evolved with the decades\, shifting seamlessly and fluidly between folk and jazz.  \nAbout the Artist: \nMila Shadel hails from Pittsburgh\, Pennsylvania\, and hasn’t put her guitar down since she first picked it up at the age of 10. She attended Duquesne University\, where she received her degree in Jazz Guitar performance. While she was there\, she started playing in the vibrant local Pittsburgh jazz scene\, which allowed her to get experience on the bandstand and to learn about the rich music history that the scene has to offer. Since her college days\, she has continued to work with some of the best jazz musicians in Pittsburgh and has started to lead her own groups at different venues. The music she plays in her shows reflects the classic jazz guitar trio sound\, often pulling from the discographies of George Benson\, Wes Montgomery\, Pat Martino\, Pat Metheny\, and Emily Remler. Her own compositions are heavily influenced by the musicians in her life and reflect her deep love for the music. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-mila-shadel-quartet-2/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Mila-Shadel-02122026.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261210T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261210T203000
DTSTAMP:20260731T154255Z
CREATED:20260731T154255Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260731T154255Z
UID:11192-1796929200-1796934600@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Lou Stellute Quintet (with Three Tenors!) Presents Something to Talk About
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Lou Stellute.  \nSaxophonist Lou Stellute leads two other saxophonists—Scott Boni and Ben Opie—and a rhythm section filled out by Paul Thompson and George Heid III in a program featuring multiphonics and completely improvised tunes\, sure to be a hit among fans of free jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman. The performance will feature three songs loosely based on jazz standards—you’ll think you know what’s coming\, and then the band will transform the tracks beyond recognition. After that\, all bets are off! The remaining tunes will be completely improvised. It is a celebration of being in the moment and creating in the moment\, a “very unique\, very exciting” performance Lou himself describes as exuding the “maximum amount of freedom.” \nFeatured Musicians: \nLou Stellute: tenor saxophone \nScott Boni: tenor saxophone \nBen Opie: tenor saxophone \nPaul Thompson: bass \nGeorge Heid III: drums \nAbout the Artist: \nLou Stellute is not only a favorite of City of Asylum audiences; he’s a Pittsburgh Jazz Legend (Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild) and winner of the Pittsburgh Players’ Choice Award who has been performing internationally\, composing for films\, and recording music for 72 years. He has worked in many legendary\, national jazz clubs such as the Blue Note\, Village Vanguard\, Lenny’s on the Turnpike\, and the Key Club. Currently with Roger Humphries & RH Factor\, with whom he has been playing for 28 years\, Lou Stellute is known for his big sound\, versatility\, and animated playing. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-lou-stellute-quintet/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/LOU-STELLUTE-12102026.jpg
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