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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260818T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260818T203000
DTSTAMP:20260810T142319Z
CREATED:20260618T193101Z
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UID:10963-1787079600-1787085000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:On Topic: America at 250 — Profound Autism in America with Lynn Johnson\, Amy S. F. Lutz & Jose Muniain
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credits: Mark Knobil\, Annie O’Neill.  \nPhoto Courtesies: Amy Lutz\, Jose Muniain\, Lynn Johnson. \nWhen we watch the news\, or shows like The Good Doctor and The Big Bang Theory\, we are shown an often stereotyped snapshot of what autism spectrum disorder “looks like” and how folks who live with autism move through the world. But this is only a snapshot.  \nWith great care and a lens firmly rooted in humanity\, this On Topic program welcomes filmmaker Jose Muniain\, photographer Lynn Johnson\, and writer Amy S.F. Lutz to share their respective creative projects\, which center on the real stories of people living with profound autism. Jose and Lynn collaborated on the photodocumentary Living With Profound Autism\, which will be screened during the program\, and discussed as a companion piece to Amy’s book We Walk: Life with Severe Autism.  \nWe Walk features a collection of beautiful and raw essays\, in which Amy writes openly about her experience as a mother of a now twenty-one-year-old son with severe autism. Her emotion and empathy drive through each page and challenge commonly held ideas that define autism either as a disease or as neurodiversity. We Walk is inspired by her own questions: What is the place of intellectually and developmentally disabled people in society? What responsibilities do we\, as citizens and human beings\, have to one another? Who should decide for those who cannot decide for themselves? What is the meaning of religion to someone with no abstract language? Exploring these questions\, We Walk directly—and humanly—examines social issues such as inclusion\, religion\, therapeutics\, and friendship through the lens of severe autism. \nAll four programs in City of Asylum’s limited On Topic: America at 250 series include a FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY. The first 25 pre-registered attendees who arrive at each program will receive a free copy of the book. The remaining five copies will be given out based on live audience participation at the program\, and a chance drawing through social media.  \nAbout the Artists: \nLynn Johnson photographs the human condition. Lynn has worked for LIFE and Sports Illustrated\, has published 40 feature stories in National Geographic Magazine\, and is a National Geographic Society Explorer. She is the recipient of awards and grants\, including the Robert F. Kennedy Award and the Chris Hondros Fund. She has been a Pulitzer finalist on two occasions. More importantly\, on occasion\, there is an opportunity to teach the work of both art and life\, based on the belief that the power of photographs can change everything from hearts to history. \nAmy S.F. Lutz‘s writing about severe autism has been featured on many platforms\, including Psychology Today\, The Atlantic\, Slate\, and Spectrum. Her first book\, Each Day I Like It Better: Autism\, ECT\, and the Treatment of Our Most Impaired Children\, was published in 2014\, and her second book\, a collection of essays called We Walk: Life with Severe Autism\, was published by Cornell University Press. She is a founding board member of the National Council on Severe Autism (NCSA). She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children. \nJose Muniain is originally from Bilbao\, Spain. For the last 25 years\, he has been based in Pittsburgh\, Pennsylvania\, and he has worked as a director and producer on a range of national and international projects. Jose’s professional path in Europe and the US has fluctuated between commercial and independent projects\, both of which have received international awards. For independent films\, Jose looks for collaboration with artists who work in different mediums\, seeking to be challenged both as a director and as a viewer. Jose is particularly drawn to projects that explore the creative process and focus on issues of social justice. In 2006\, he produced and directed the feature-length conceptual documentary An Independent Portrait\, which deals with the creative process and focuses on painter Felix de la Concha and filmmaker Robert Young. The documentary received the Audience Choice Award at the Three Rivers Film Festival. Jose has also received recognition for other short films\, including #Cake (2017)\, which deals with the issues of eviction and mental health\, and Garbage (2019)\, a film about race in the US\, which was shown at the New York City Independent Film Festival and won awards at the Portland Short Festival\, the Miami Independent Film Festival\, the Cortada International Film Festival and BasqueBOK in Bilbao\, Spain. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays\, but there will be a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks following the program. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/on-topic-profound-autism-with-lynn-johnson-amy-s-f-lutz-jose-muniain/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ON-TOPIC-PROFOUND-AUTISM-08182026-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260819T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260819T203000
DTSTAMP:20260810T141019Z
CREATED:20260626T154132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260810T141019Z
UID:10985-1787166000-1787171400@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:World of Music: Balafon (West African Drumming & Dance)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Balafon \nBalafon was born in Washington D.C. in 1997\, out of the passion for dance that Kadiatou Conte shared with her core of dedicated students. Approaching dance as a way to share the joy of African arts and offer culturally responsive health and wellness\, the performance company was involved in youth and community engagement while also mastering classic dance styles often shared on the Kennedy Center stage. \nBringing Mama Kadiatou’s theatrical flair gained from years touring with Guinea’s national dance company\, and her desire to break the mold as one of the few women-led directors of an ensemble\, Balafon skillfully blends the classic traditions of West African culture with contemporary arts and social consciousness. Elaborately colorful costumes\, heart-stirring live music\, and high energy movement captivate\, inspire and energize audiences from all backgrounds and walks of life. \n \nFeatured Performers: \nFode Camara\nYamoussa Camara\nChiekh N’Dong\nMedoune “Papa Dame” Gueye\nKwabena Opare Agyeman\nAnthony Mitchell\nChrisala Brown\nEbony Castaphney\nKya Conner N’Dong\nLinsey McDaniel \nAbout the Artist: \nNow based out of Pittsburgh\, PA\, Balafon works in partnership with local artists\, alumni dancers from all over the country\, and master dancers and musicians from around the world. From school to communities to the theater\, Balafon programs offer ways for people of all generations\, backgrounds\, and physical abilities to discover a love for African culture and experience dancing out loud. \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-balafon-west-african-drumming-dance/
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/BALAFON-08192026.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260820T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260820T203000
DTSTAMP:20260529T153744Z
CREATED:20260529T153744Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260529T153744Z
UID:10887-1787252400-1787257800@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Kente Summer Madness Presents the Dr. Emmett Goods Quintet
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Kente Arts Alliance \nDr. Emmett Goods is a Pittsburgh native who comes from a very rich musical background. He is an alumnus of the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts\, where he flourished under the instruction of drummer Roger Humphries\, and then further developed with the support of the legendary trombonist Steve Davis. \nEmmett has performed with a wide variety of musicians from jazz to R&B\, like Dr. Billy Taylor\, Wycliffe Gordon\, The Four Tops\, Aretha Franklin\, and Gladys Knight. What many fans of Emmett don’t know is that Latin music is a specialty of his as well. He has performed with many of the Latin world’s musicians\, such as Kevin Caballo\, Tony Vega\, and his own band\, THE LATIN JAZZ PROJECT. As an educator\, Emmett began his successful teaching career as a private instructor\, teaching trombone and piano.  \nDr. Emmett Goods is the impressive recipient of a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies (Hartt School of Music)\, Master of Music in Jazz Studies (Georgia State University)\, and a Doctor of Music Arts in Trombone Performance (West Virginia University). These accomplishments highlight just a small part of what is already an illustrious career.  \nAbout the Presenter: \nThis program is presented in partnership with Kente Arts Alliance\, an African American arts organization whose mission is to present high-quality arts of the African Diaspora. \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-kente-summer-madness-presents-dr-emmett-goods/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/KENTE-SUMMER-MADNESS-08202026.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260823T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260823T160000
DTSTAMP:20260812T195839Z
CREATED:20260626T172812Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260812T195839Z
UID:10990-1787497200-1787500800@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Artist in Exile: Mukhtar Shehata’s "Makaki de Afrika" (Egypt) with Translator Melissa Krawczyk
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesies: Mukhtar Shehata and Melissa Krawczyk. \nThe City of Asylum Artist in Exile series continues this August with a reading and discussion of the forthcoming English translation of Mukhtar Shehata’s novel Makaki de Afrika (The African Monkey)\, between the author and Arabic-to-English literary translator Melissa Krawczyk. The work is structured as a multi-generational mystery blending Brazilian\, Syrian\, Polish-Jewish\, and West African Muslim threads—exploring slavery\, religious syncretism\, exile\, inherited trauma\, and the porousness of identity across diasporas.  \nMakaki de Afrika follows Farida Noah\, a Syrian-Brazilian woman in her fifties living in the mountain town of Santo Antônio\, Brazil\, who works at a social services office and carries the weight of a fractured\, multi-religious family history. Born in Aleppo to a Ba’athist Syrian father and a Polish-Jewish mother who fled Europe after WWII\, Farida grew up caught between her Muslim paternal heritage and her mother’s Jewish identity\, eventually leaving Syria for Brazil as a teenager after her father’s infidelity destroyed her parents’ marriage. \nWhen a young Egyptian-Nubian graduate student named Muhamed Mostafa arrives in Santo Antônio to research the history of enslaved African Muslims in Brazil\, Farida is struck by his resemblance—in looks and even his name—to Mostafa Abdel Rahman\, an Egyptian man she loved and lost in Cairo decades earlier. Together with her closest friend Camila\, an anthropologist of African descent\, they discover a cache of 19th-century manuscripts written in Arabic by “Alfa\,” an enslaved Hausa Muslim from West Africa who survived the 1835 Malê slave uprising in Salvador\, Bahia\, and later encountered a real historical figure\, the visiting Sheikh Abd al-Rahman al-Baghdadi\, who came to minister to Brazil’s enslaved Muslim population. The novel interweaves Farida’s psychologically fraught present (her mother’s terminal illness\, Muhamed Mostafa’s mysterious degenerative illness\, eerie premonitions and “déjà vu” connecting him to Alfa’s lost descendants) with the historical manuscripts being translated chapter by chapter. \nThis program is followed by a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees.  \nAbout the Author: \nMukhtar Shehata is a novelist and ethnographer from the Egyptian Delta whose work explores social change\, class\, gender resistance\, and urbanism in rural Egypt. He has published more than 15 books in Arabic\, including novels\, short stories\, and research papers. His book Diary of an Arab in the Land of the Samba won the 2019 Ibn Battuta Award for Travel Literature. Mukhtar graduated from the University of Bahia in Brazil and works as a Research Scholar in the Department of Languages\, Cultures\, and Applied Linguistics at Carnegie Mellon University. He has been a Writer-in-Residence at City of Asylum Pittsburgh since August 2024. \nAbout the Moderator: \nEman Elnemr is an Egyptian historian and academic with a PhD in the Philosophy of Modern and Contemporary History from Tanta University\, Egypt. She is the author of The Egyptian Theatre from the Nahda to the 1919 Revolution\, which was awarded Best Book at the Cairo International Book Fair in 2020\, as well as several research papers and articles published in diverse journals and platforms. In the 2021–2022 academic year\, she was a fellow in the EUME Postdoctoral Research Program in Berlin. Her research centers on processes of social modernization in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Egypt\, with particular attention to the formation of discourses on art\, conduct\, gender\, family\, and class. Her upcoming book\, Licentiousness and Modernization: On Discourses of Public Morality in Egypt\, 1869–1930\, will be published in Cairo by al-Kotob Khan in 2026. \nAbout the Translator: \nMelissa Krawczyk is a freelance Arabic-to-English literary translator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Arabic Language and Culture from PennWest California University\, a Certificate in Middle Eastern Language and Culture from UCLA Extension\, and a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute\, and has excelled in graduate-level Arabic translation coursework at Kent State University. She brings more than 20 years of experience studying and working with Modern Standard Arabic to her translation work and has also studied Spanish\, French\, German\, and American Sign Language. Melissa has worked with Iraqi refugees\, tutored Arabic students\, and conducted spoken English assessments for a government agency requiring ILR Level 5 speaking proficiency. She has traveled to Egypt\, Dubai\, and Qatar. Her reading interests span science fiction\, fantasy\, medical thrillers\, and historical fiction\, and she closely follows developments in medicine\, science\, and technology. Melissa is currently translating Makaki de Afrika by Mukhtar Saad Shehata\, Amin Al-Alawani by Faycel Lahmeur\, and E.S.P. by Ahmed Khaled Tawfik. \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/artist-in-exile-mukhtar-shehata/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MUKHTAR-SHEHATA-08232026.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260824T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260824T210000
DTSTAMP:20260715T180506Z
CREATED:20260715T174906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260715T180506Z
UID:11090-1787598000-1787605200@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:PGHwrites: Pittsburgh Poetry Collective's Steel City Poetry Slam
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Pittsburgh Poetry Collective \nCan’t get enough of the Steel City Slam? Neither can we!  \nThis August\, City of Asylum welcomes back longtime friends and partners at Pittsburgh Poetry Collective for another rowdy night with their poetry slam league. The slam is a poetry competition where individuals present and perform original works of poetry to an audience staged as an interactive show. And we do mean interactive—the audience can respond to the poets or the judges in any way they see fit. Audience members are encouraged to snap\, clap\, boo\, or cheer (respectfully) at the conclusion of every poem\, during scoring\, or even during the poem. \nThe slam and its accompanying interactive elements place a dual emphasis on writing and performance\, encouraging poets to focus on what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. Poets receive a numerical score for their work based on the poets’ content and performance from judges typically selected from the audience. \nFor more information (including rules and other ways to participate)\, visit the Pittsburgh Poetry Collective website.  \nComplimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be available at the program for all participants and attendees.  \nAbout the Artist: \nThe Pittsburgh Poetry Collective exists to celebrate the power of your voice. They make and hold space for self-expression and identity exploration via spoken word communities\, poetry slams\, writing and performance workshops\, and poet showcases. They believe that poetry heals\, speaks\, connects\, and shares our experiences\, similarities\, and differences. They welcome all individuals regardless of gender identity or racial identity\, background\, class\, sexual orientation\, national origin\, religion\, ethnicity\, lifestyle\, age\, and disability. By participating in Pittsburgh Poetry Collective events\, actively or inactively\, you agree to welcome these individuals as well. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/pghwrites-pittsburgh-poetry-collectives-steel-city-poetry-slam/
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/Pittsburgh-Poetry-Collective-08242026.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260825T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260825T200000
DTSTAMP:20260812T200211Z
CREATED:20260709T183309Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260812T200211Z
UID:11040-1787684400-1787688000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:On Topic: America at 250 — Motherhood in America with Jamilah Lemieux ("Black. Single. Mother.")
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Jamilah Lemieux. \nNo one ever said parenthood is easy (and meant it)\, but racial\, gender\, and societal dynamics have made it clear that some caretakers will hit more roadblocks than others. Many new mothers have the privilege of admiration from wider society\, but author and celebrated cultural critic Jamilah Lemieux is here to say this is not the case for everyone—particularly not for single Black mothers.  \nWith her signature candid\, humorous\, and sometimes biting takes\, Jamilah suffers no fools while also courageously revealing the scars of her own parenting journey and search for self-acceptance in a world that hates “baby mamas.” With a particular verve and relatability—honed in her many years among Black Twitter’s most prominent voices—she centers the complex reality of Black single motherhood. \n“[Black. Single. Mother.] is funny and beautiful and insightful and sentimental and sharp and soft and will teach you things…If you’re the kind of person who reads books or…has a mother\, you’ll love this book.”—Michael Harriot\, New York Times bestselling author of Black AF History \nBlack. Single. Mother. combines riveting personal essays\, infused with whip-smart cultural and historical analysis\, with 21 intimate first-person testimonies from a spectrum of Black single mothers. A long-overdue offering in celebration of the American matriarch most often maligned\, Black. Single. Mother. sets out to inspire a new cultural and community dialogue about this powerful figure as one profoundly deserving of love\, support\, and respect. \nYou can purchase a copy of Jamilah’s book\, Black. Single. Mother.\, 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. \nAll four programs in City of Asylum’s limited On Topic: America at 250 series include a FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY. The first 25 pre-registered attendees who arrive at each program will receive a free copy of the book. The remaining five copies will be given out based on live audience participation at the program\, and a chance drawing through social media.  \nAbout the Author: \nJamilah Lemieux is a writer\, cultural critic\, and pioneering Black feminist blogger whose work has helped shape modern conversations about race\, gender\, and media. She first gained national recognition for her influential digital commentary on Black women’s lives and representation\, and went on to become a leading voice in contemporary feminist discourse. Jamilah has written for major publications including Vanity Fair\, Ebony\, Essence\, and the Los Angeles Times\, and her work has appeared across television\, podcasts\, and national media platforms. Known for blending sharp cultural analysis with personal insight\, she continues to challenge stereotypes and expand the public conversation about Black womanhood\, motherhood\, and social justice.  A native of Chicago\, she resides in Los Angeles\, where she co-parents her teen daughter\, Naima. \nAbout the Moderators: \nDamon Young’s debut memoir\, What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays (Ecco)\, won the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Damon is also a founder of the culture blog Very Smart Brothas and was a contributing columnist for The Washington Post Magazine\, a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times\, a columnist for GQ\, the creator and host of the Crooked Media podcast Stuck with Damon Young\, and was the inaugural Writer-in-Residence at the University of Pittsburgh’s David C. Frederick Honors College. His anthology\, That’s How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor (Pantheon)\, celebrated its paperback release on June 9\, 2026. \nTahirah J. Walker is a writer and teacher whose work explores the intersections of Black womanhood\, community\, and expression. She holds a doctorate in rhetorical studies and currently serves as chair of the Department of Community Engagement and Leadership at Point Park University in downtown Pittsburgh. Her work is influenced by the brilliance and insight of Yona Harvey\, Brian Broome\, Deesha Philyaw\, Damon Young\, Tony Norman\, Kendra Ross\, and INEZ. Tahirah endeavors to reflect the vibrant and unapologetic voices that make Pittsburgh feel like home. She is a two-time recipient of the Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh grant\, an honor that continues to shape and support her creative projects. Tahirah cherishes her family roles\, especially those of mother and partner. She believes in exercising the power of joy as resistance. Despite this fullness of heart\, she is still processing the tragic day when Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour stop in Pittsburgh was canceled. She has moved forward with grace\, sarcasm\, and a healthy amount of self-care items from her favorite shop\, Plants for Skin. Tahirah has lived in and around Pittsburgh for over 25 years. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/on-topic-america-at-250-motherhood-in-america-with-jamilah-lemieux/
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/ON-TOPIC-JAMILAH-LEMIEUX-08252026-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260827T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260827T203000
DTSTAMP:20260812T130225Z
CREATED:20260626T175646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260812T130225Z
UID:10994-1787857200-1787862600@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Roger Humphries Big Band Plays the Music of Horace Silver
DESCRIPTION:Roger Humphries’ 10-piece band honors and celebrates the late\, great hard bop pianist and composer Horace Silver. In 1964\, Roger went to New York to join the Horace Silver Quintet. While with Silver\, Roger recorded three albums: Song For My Father\, Cape Verdean Blues\, and Jody Grind\, with Song for My Father (1965) taking its place as one of the most legendary albums of our time.  \nHorace Silver was the heart of the hard bop era\, helping to form the influential Jazz Messengers and composing many blues and gospel-flavored songs that have become part of the jazz canon\, including “Lonely Woman\,” “Song For My Father\,” “Señor Blues\,” “The Preacher\,” “Nica’s Dream\,” and “Peace.” His piano playing was heavily rhythmic\, driving his musical colleagues to greater heights in their solos. Learn more about Horace Silver in his National Endowment for the Arts profile.  \nFeatured Musicians: \nAnita Levels: vocals\nYoko Suzuki: alto sax\nLou Stellute: tenor sax\nJoe Scheller: baritone sax\nRon Horton: trumpet\nJoe Herndon: trumpet\nReggie Watkins: trombone\nMax Leake: piano\nDwayne Dolphin: bass\nRoger Humphries: drums \nAbout the Artist: \nRoger Humphries was still a toddler when his family first discovered his early talent for playing drums. He began playing professionally at 14\, and within two years\, he was leading his own group at Carnegie Music Hall. Music critics rate Roger as one of the most exciting percussionists in the business. He has provided the rhythmic beat for such greats as Ray Charles\, Horace Silver\, Richard “Groove” Holmes\, Stanley Turrentine\, James Moody\, Lee Morgan\, Dr. Billy Taylor\, Benny Green\, Lionel Hampton\, Coleman Hawkins\, Clark Terry\, J.J. Johnson\, Dizzy Gillespie\, and countless others. After playing with various groups around the country\, ace drummer Roger Humphries decided to organize his own group in 1972\, which he calls RH Factor. \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-roger-humphries-big-band/
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/ROGER-HUMPHRIES-08272026.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260831T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260831T203000
DTSTAMP:20260626T182333Z
CREATED:20260626T182333Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260626T182333Z
UID:10997-1788202800-1788208200@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Tony Buba & Marcus Rediker Present: "Becoming Benjamin Lay"
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Marcus Rediker \nCity of Asylum is delighted to host this screening of Becoming Benjamin Lay\, a new documentary from director Tony Buba and historian Marcus Rediker. The film explores the life and ideas of an unknown radical Quaker dwarf abolitionist who demanded an end to slavery almost 300 years ago. At the center of the film is the prize-winning play Marcus wrote with Naomi Wallace\, The Return of Benjamin Lay. In this film adaptation\, actor Mark Povinelli embodies the visionary Lay\, challenging us to live with courage and conviction in dark times\, bringing a forgotten hero back to modern public memory. \nYou can purchase Marcus Rediker and Naomi Wallace’s The Return of Benjamin Lay\, at City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Artists: \nTony Buba has made over 40 films\, including four feature films exploring working-class issues in and around his hometown since 1974. Tony began his career with The Braddock Chronicles\, a dozen short documentary portraits of the stubborn signs of life in a dying mill town. His Mon Valley Trilogy was purchased by the Carnegie Museum of Art and is part of their permanent collection. Tony’s work has been showcased in one-person shows at the Museum of Modern Art\, the Whitney Museum of American Art\, the Anthology Film Archives\, the Carnegie Museum of Art\, and more than 100 other museums and universities. He has received fellowships from the NEA\, AFI\, and the Rockefeller and Guggenheim Foundations. His many awards include Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award and Pennsylvania Media Artist of the Year. \nMarcus Rediker is Distinguished Professor of Atlantic History at the University of Pittsburgh. He has written or edited 17 books\, including The Many-Headed Hydra (2000\, with Peter Linebaugh); The Slave Ship (2007); The Fearless Benjamin Lay (2017); and Freedom Ship (2025). His writings have won numerous awards and been published in 20 languages worldwide. He wrote The Return of Benjamin Lay with Naomi Wallace. He has also created four graphic novels with David Lester and a children’s book with Michelle Markel and Sarah Bachman. He has produced two documentary films with Tony Buba: Ghosts of Amistad in 2014 and now Becoming Benjamin Lay. For more information\, visit www.marcusrediker.com. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/tony-buba-marcus-rediker-present-becoming-benjamin-lay/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/BENJAMIN-LAY-08312026.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260901T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260901T203000
DTSTAMP:20260702T175354Z
CREATED:20260702T175354Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260702T175354Z
UID:11014-1788289200-1788294600@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Double Life)
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 September\, Story Club PGH reveals alter egos one by one\, as storytellers tackle the theme Double Life. \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-presents-story-slam-double-life/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/STORY-CLUB-2026-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T200000
DTSTAMP:20260724T150905Z
CREATED:20260724T150905Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T150905Z
UID:11113-1790103600-1790107200@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:World Literature: Andrea Bajani’s "The Anniversary" (Italy) with Anderson Tepper
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Adolfo Frediani. Photo Courtesy: Other Press. \nCan you leave your family behind? Can you slam the door\, walk down the stairs\, and decide never to see them again? Can you ever escape the grip of your origins? \nOne of Italy’s most notable contemporary novelists\, Andrea Bajani\, faces these questions head-on in his Strega Prize–winning novel\, L’anniversario (The Anniversary). This September\, Andrea and City of Asylum Advisory Board member Anderson Tepper dive into this subtle yet heartrending portrait of an abusive marriage in patriarchal Italy and a son’s liberating decision to cut contact with his parents. \n“[L’anniversario is] a book that confronts the purity of fact\, the tyranny of memory\, and the totalitarianism of family like no other.” —Jhumpa Lahiri \nCelebrating one decade since he last saw his parents\, a son reflects upon the family dynamic he escaped 10 years prior. With time and space\, he finally feels able to tell their story. The Anniversary is his eloquent account of a family devastated by a father’s violence and the woman who silently accepts him; of an airless relationship\, unsettled only by the ringing of a telephone\, a visiting classmate\, or a friend soon pushed away. It is the story of a son possessed by the irrepressible desire to be free: to be himself\, to live his own life\, to open up to others without fear of reprisals. The Anniversary is a reminder of both the power of stepping away from toxic cycles\, and of the fallout that can stick with us when we do.  \nThis program will be followed by a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees. \nAbout the Author: \nAndrea Bajani was born in Rome in 1975. He is the author of many award-winning novels\, including If You Kept a Record of Sins and The Book of Homes. The Anniversary received Italy’s highest literary award\, the Strega Prize\, in 2025 and will be published in more than twenty-five countries. Bajani is currently a writer in residence at Rice University in Houston\, Texas. \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-andrea-bajani/
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/ANDREA-BAJANI-09222026.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260928T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260928T200000
DTSTAMP:20260817T142421Z
CREATED:20260609T215347Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T142421Z
UID:10922-1790622000-1790625600@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Artist in Exile: Fatimah Asghar’s "Daughter of the Mountains: Poems of Heartbreak and Homecoming"
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Ciera Dunbar. Photo Courtesy: Penguin Random House. \nIn an interview with The Adroit Journal\, Jazz Poetry 2024 poet and author of the collection If They Come For Us\, Fatimah Asghar\, shared a glimpse into the ache in their heart: “The best imaginary museum I’ve never visited would be a museum dedicated to my parents and my family\, in Kashmir. I’m an orphan\, and my family was forced to migrate from Kashmir during the Partition of India\, which led to the subsequent creation of Pakistan. I’ve always longed to know more about my family\, my culture\, and my parents. I’d love a place\, one single place\, where I could walk in and gain all that knowledge.” \nFatimah’s sophomore collection\, Daughter of the Mountains: Poems of Heartbreak and Homecoming\, navigates the reality that tears them away from this imaginary museum\, and how they have learned to survive and build something new in its wake. In it\, Fatimah unweaves residual grief and reckons with their relationship to Allah\, to long-estranged but deeply loved kin\, to the landscape of their ancestors\, and to love itself. The result is a tender\, searching collection of meditative poems that grapples with multiple facets of fulfillment and breaks open notions of faith to ask how an alienated daughter can find love and a home in the world. \nWith wisps of humor\, imagery that is as beautiful as it is startling\, and powerfully disruptive formal invention\, this is an intimately lyrical and explosive collection from one of the most compelling voices of our time. \nYou can purchase a copy of Fatimah’s book\, Daughter of the Mountains\, at City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Author: \nFatimah Asghar\, author of If They Come for Us\, is a poet\, filmmaker\, educator\, and performer. They are the writer and co-creator of Brown Girls\, an Emmy-nominated web series that highlights friendships between women of color. They were also a co-producer on Ms. Marvel for Disney + and wrote the episode “Time And Again.” Along with Safia Elhillo\, they are the editor of Halal If You Hear Me\, an anthology that celebrates Muslim writers who are also women\, queer\, gender-nonconforming\, and/or trans. \nAbout the Moderator: \nShimul Chowdhury (she/they) is a multimedia artist\, maker\, and creative technologist. In her practice\, she is most interested in creating participatory works or experiences that initiate and invite dialogue with the audience. Shimul centers her own lived experiences as a Muslim US American in her work\, aiming to create and build community and solidarity with participants and viewers. She uses her background in new and digital media as well as her lifelong passion for fiber and textile craft to create such works. Shimul is also Art Director for MIPSTERZ\, a Muslim arts and culture collective currently investigating Muslim Futurism\, and a member of the Y9 Future Memory track of the New Museum’s NEWINC incubator. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays\, but there will be a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks following the program. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/artist-in-exile-fatimah-asghar/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/FATIMAH-ASHGAR-07282026.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T200000
DTSTAMP:20260724T160256Z
CREATED:20260724T160256Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T160256Z
UID:11116-1790708400-1790712000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:World Literature: Eduardo Halfon’s "Tarantula" (Guatemala) with Anderson Tepper
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: David Herranz. Photo Courtesy: Bellevue Literary Press. \nEduardo Halfon\, a recipient of the Guatemala National Prize in Literature\, presents his latest book\, Tarantula\, translated from the Spanish by Daniel Hahn. Tarantula is a novel about individual and collective inheritance and violence; about memory\, trauma\, connection and estrangement. Winner of the Prix Médicis Étranger\, Eduardo’s new work asks what it means to be a Jew living in the long aftermath of the twentieth century\, and how the past lives on in the present. \nIn 1984\, Eduardo and his younger brother\, living in exile for several years in the United States\, travel back to their native Guatemala to attend a Jewish children’s camp in a remote forest of the highland mountains. They no longer know their homeland. They barely speak the language. Their parents had insisted that they spend a few days at the camp to learn not only ways of survival in the wild\, but also ways of survival in the wild for Jewish children\, which\, they have been told\, is not the same. Upon their arrival\, they are met with the promise of adventure. But early one morning\, they are roused from bed and forced to play a sinister game they can’t afford to lose. \nMany years later\, Eduardo\, now a father himself and living in Berlin\, happens upon a former campmate in Paris who connects him to Samuel Blum—the counselor who kept a snake in his pocket\, had what a young Eduardo took for a tarantula crawling down his arm\, and offers no apologies for the camp’s disturbing methods. \nYou can purchase a copy of Eduardo’s book\, Tarantula\, 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: \nEduardo Halfon is the author of The Polish Boxer\, Monastery\, Mourning\, Canción\, and Tarantula. He is the recipient of the Guatemalan National Prize in Literature\, International Latino Book Award\, Edward Lewis Wallant Award\, and Berman Literature Prize\, among many other honors. A citizen of Guatemala and Spain\, Halfon was born in Guatemala City\, attended school in Florida and North Carolina\, and has lived in Nebraska\, Spain\, Paris\, and Berlin. \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-eduardo-halfon/
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/EDUARDO-HALAFON-09292026.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260930T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260930T203000
DTSTAMP:20260708T152957Z
CREATED:20260708T152957Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260708T152957Z
UID:11032-1790794800-1790800200@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:World of Music: Las Áñez (Colombian Folk\, Pop & Electronic Fusion)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Andrés Garzón. \nPrepare to be hypnotized by the musical stylings of sibling duo Las Áñez. The Áñez twins’ music is designed to be performed live with a loop pedal and small instruments\, in a minimal yet enchanting concert style. Their shows include songs from their four award-winning albums\, which have captivated audiences in ten countries across the Americas and Europe with their unique blend of folklore and the avant-garde.  \n \nThis program is presented as a part of Songs in the Key of She\, a new concert series taking place in Chicago\, New York\, and Pittsburgh that features and celebrates women musicians and composers from around the world. Produced by the Chicago-based nonprofit Torito Arts in collaboration with City of Asylum\, the series aims to combat the underrepresentation of female musicians in the male-dominated music industry. Songs in the Key of She is a platform in which talented women in music share their creativity and stories with new audiences.  \nThis engagement of Las Áñez is made possible in part through the Performing Arts Global Exchange program of Mid Atlantic Arts.  \n  \nAbout the Artist: \nThe Áñez sisters are Juanita and Valentina Añez Rothmann. Both sisters sing on all their songs\, half of which are composed and arranged by each of them\, and they are the producers of their first three albums. Juanita plays the cuatro and percussion\, and Valentina is a pianist and percussionist. Their albums include Silbidos (2017)\, Al Aire (2017)\, Reflexión (2020)\, Paralelas (2023)\, and\, most recently\, Duálismo Magico (2026). \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-las-anez/
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/LAS-ANEZ-09302026.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T210000
DTSTAMP:20260724T185036Z
CREATED:20260724T185036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T185036Z
UID:11122-1791226800-1791234000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Reel Q Film Festival Presents: An International Queer Film Screening
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: City of Asylum. \nGet ready for film festival season!  \nEach October\, Reel Q hosts a nine-day film festival in Pittsburgh\, PA\, celebrating LGBTQ films from across the world. Now in its 41st year\, Reel Q is Pittsburgh’s longest-running film festival\, the fifth oldest LGBTQ+ film festival in the United States\, and the sixth oldest in the world. Reel Q programs approximately 20 locally first-run LGBTQ-themed full-length films and 50 to 60 short films ranging from comedies\, dramas\, and documentaries. City of Asylum is thrilled to host one such screening this October\, with a to-be-announced film fans are sure to love.  \nReel Q’s mission is to increase the availability and accessibility of queer film in Pittsburgh\, and this program features international cinema centering queer characters. Previous screenings have shown films such as Finlandia (Mexico)\, Happy Together (Hong Kong)\, and The Queen of My Dreams (Pakistan/Canada). \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \nShare this:
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/reel-q-film-festival-2/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Reel-Q-06182025-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T203000
DTSTAMP:20260727T135339Z
CREATED:20260727T135339Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T135339Z
UID:11127-1791313200-1791318600@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Things Left Unsaid)
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 October\, Story Club says everything you wish you could as storytellers tackle the theme Things Left Unsaid.  \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-presents-story-slam-things-left-unsaid/
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261011T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261011T160000
DTSTAMP:20260730T194631Z
CREATED:20260730T194631Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T194631Z
UID:11177-1791730800-1791734400@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Artist in Exile: Mongane Wally Serote (Poet Laureate of South Africa)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Wally Serote \nThis August\, City of Asylum is honored to welcome South African Poet Laureate and celebrated author Mongane Wally Serote to discuss his literary oeuvre and experience as an activist and author. Additionally\, Mr. Serote will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Soweto rebellion\, sharing notes about his friendship with the activist Steve Biko and other members of the Black Consciousness Movement—and drawing parallels to the Black Power Movement and Black Lives Matter Movement in the USA. \nThis program will be followed by a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees. \nAbout the Author: \nExiled South African poet and novelist Mongane Wally Serote grew up under apartheid in Sophiatown\, now a white suburb of Johannesburg. Politically active\, he was held without trial in solitary confinement for nine months under the regime’s Terrorism Act. Serote was barred from reentering South Africa in the late 1970s after earning an MFA at Columbia University while on a Fulbright scholarship. He lived in Botswana before settling in London. One of the Soweto “township” poets\, Serote writes poems that speak directly to social activism and resistance. His numerous poetry collections include Yakhal’inkomo (The Cry of Cattle at the Slaughterhouse\, 1972)\, No Baby Must Weep (1975)\, Third World Express (1992)\, and History Is the Home Address (2004). His novels include To Every Birth Its Blood (1981) and Revelations (2011). Serote’s honors include the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa\, the Ingrid Jonker Poetry Prize\, and the Chilean government’s Pablo Neruda Award. He has also served as a member of the South African Parliament. \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/artist-in-exile-mongane-wally-serote/
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/Serote-PHOTO-COURTESY-Wally-Serote.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261012T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261012T200000
DTSTAMP:20260817T131856Z
CREATED:20260727T145330Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T131856Z
UID:11132-1791831600-1791835200@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:PGHwrites: grace (ge) gilbert's "Holly" with Diana Khoi Nguyen
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: grace (ge) gilbert. \ngrace (ge) gilbert’s debut full-length collection\, Holly\, merges poetry\, memoir\, and visual art in an effort to recreate the author’s grandmother\, who was murdered in her home in 1976\, and to make sense of their ensuing relationship with their father\, who found his mother’s body when he was eleven years old. \nHaving never been told explicitly by their parents about her murder\, grace pieces together their grandmother’s story through fragments\, ephemera\, history\, and the imaginary\, looking past the spectacle of the murdered woman and into the things that come\, like ripples\, after. \nThis program will be followed by a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees. \nYou can purchase a copy of grace’s book\, Holly\, at City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Author: \ngrace (ge) gilbert (they/them) is a poet\, writer\, and collage artist. They received their MFA in poetry from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022\, where they now teach. They are the author of Holly (YesYes Books\, 2026)\, a hybrid image and text book about the 1976 murder of their paternal grandmother\, as well as three chapbooks. Recent work can be found in Kenyon Review\, Iowa Review\, the 2023 Best of the Net Anthology\, Pleiades\, Indiana Review\, Ninth Letter\, Adroit Journal\, and elsewhere. They teach hybrid collage and poetics courses at Brooklyn Poets\, Minnesota Center for Book Arts\, and other institutions. They are passionate about making the hybrid arts accessible to all. \nAbout the Moderator: \nDiana 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. \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-grace-ge-gilberts-holly-with-diana-khoi-nguyen/
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/GRACE-GILBERT-10_18_2026.jpg
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: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:20261025T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261025T160000
DTSTAMP:20260727T175810Z
CREATED:20260727T175810Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T175810Z
UID:11138-1792940400-1792944000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series Presents: Frost Medal Winner Mei-mei Berssenbrugge with Diana Khoi Nguyen
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Kelly Writers House staff. Photo Courtesy: New Directions\, Diana Khoi Nguyen. \nOne 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.  \nThis 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. \nThis program will be followed by a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees.  \nAbout the Artist: \nMei-mei Berssenbrugge was born in Beijing and grew up in Massachusetts. She is the author of thirteen books of poetry\, including Hello\, the Roses; Empathy; and I Love Artists. Her collaborations include Endocrinology with Kiki Smith and Hiddenness with Richard Tuttle\, as well as performances with Morita Dance Company\, Blondell Cummings\, and Davide Balula. In 2021\, she was awarded the prestigious Bollingen Prize for Poetry for her lifetime contributions to American Poetry and the Mary McCarthy Award in recognition of engagement in the public sphere. She lives in northern New Mexico and New York City. \nAbout the Moderator: \nDiana 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. \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/pittsburgh-contemporary-writers-series/
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/PGH-CONTEMPORARY-WRITERS-SERIES-10_25_2026.jpg
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:20260727T183247Z
CREATED:20260727T183247Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T183247Z
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 \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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261101T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261101T160000
DTSTAMP:20260729T164445Z
CREATED:20260729T164445Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260729T164445Z
UID:11161-1793545200-1793548800@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\, writing in both German and Chinese. With a background in Asian Studies and Human Geography\, she is a longtime contributor to several major German journals and periodicals. 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 follows the life of an aging tenement building in the outskirts of Shanghai. Hierse is also the author of numerous short stories and poems and edited the biweekly column “Poetical Correctness” in taz from 2020 to 2023. Her writings focus on issues of diversity in Germany\, migration and exile\, multilingualism\, BIPOC feminism\, the Chinese diaspora\, and the changing political and artistic landscapes of Central Europe. As a young\, charismatic public figure whose research spans Europe and East Asia\, Hierse provides a critical perspective on an oft-overlooked demographic in a contemporary Germany that is increasingly as oppressive as it is diverse. \nAbout the Translator/Moderator: \nDr. Jon Cho-Polizzi is a Collegiate Fellow and Assistant Professor of German at the University of Michigan. He received his PhD from UC Berkeley in the fields of German and Medieval Studies. His research focuses on contemporary literature\, literary translation\, migration\, poetry\, translingualism\, and radical diversity in the German-speaking world. Jon is the winner of the 2024 Helen & Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize. He lives and works between Michigan\, California\, and Berlin. \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/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/BERLIN-BABEL-11012026.jpg
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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
END:VEVENT
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:20261117T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261117T200000
DTSTAMP:20260724T182330Z
CREATED:20260724T182240Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260724T182330Z
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\, and See Now Then. She teaches at Harvard University and 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:20260731T144546Z
CREATED:20260731T144546Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260731T144546Z
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:Photo Credit: David Roth \nComposer and pianist Joe Sheehan was always fascinated by maps\, as they were a portal to dream about unknown places. After reading Umberto Eco’s The Book of Legendary Lands\, Joe knew he wanted to create new compositions inspired by some of his favorite fantasy\, mythical\, and legendary settings. In this transportive Thursday Night Jazz performance\, Joe and his quartet share the new project resulting from that inspiration: a suite of all-original compositions inspired by fictional legendary places\, including Atlantis and Taprobane.  \nFeatured Musicians:  \nJoseph Seman: saxophone\, bansuri \nJoseph Sheehan: piano\, percussion \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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