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Home » Programs » Page 2
LitFest 2025: Black Womanhood in Pittsburgh with Yona Harvey & Tahirah J. Walker

LitFest 2025: Black Womanhood in Pittsburgh with Yona Harvey & Tahirah J. Walker

Poet Yona Harvey and scholar Tahira J. Walker explore what it means to be a Black woman living in a city deemed most unlivable for them. The pair will discuss their respective works and the intersection of history, community, marginalization, ...
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LitFest 2025: Books From My Country You Should Know with Olena Boryshpolets (Ukraine), Bertony Louis (Haiti), Anouar Rahmani (Algeria) & Mukhtar Shehata (Egypt)

LitFest 2025: Books From My Country You Should Know with Olena Boryshpolets (Ukraine), Bertony Louis (Haiti), Anouar Rahmani (Algeria) & Mukhtar Shehata (Egypt)

What are we missing when we limit the literary canon to American works? In this reading and discussion, City of Asylum Writers-in-Residence share the books and writers from their home countries—Algeria, Egypt, Haiti, and Ukraine—that made an impact on their ...
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LitFest 2025: Trans/Nonbinary Ecopoetics in the Garden with Julian Talamantez Brolaski, Aaron El Sabrout & imogen xtian smith

LitFest 2025: Trans/Nonbinary Ecopoetics in the Garden with Julian Talamantez Brolaski, Aaron El Sabrout & imogen xtian smith

Poets Aaron El Sabrout, imogen xtian smith, and Julian Talamantez Brolaski take to the Alphabet Reading Garden for a poetic exploration of trans and nonbinary ecologies and understanding one’s own ecosystems ...
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LitFest 2025: Translation Slam (Ukrainian) with Author Volodymyr Rafeyenko & Translators Mark Andryczyk, Dominique Hoffman & Halyna Hryn

LitFest 2025: Translation Slam (Ukrainian) with Author Volodymyr Rafeyenko & Translators Mark Andryczyk, Dominique Hoffman & Halyna Hryn

Writer-in-Residence Volodymyr Rafeyenko has supplied a 600-word essay in Ukrainian to be translated by Mark Andryczyk, Dominique Hoffman, and Halyna Hryn. In this program, Mark, Dominique, and Halyna go head-to-head to defend their revealed translations. Who will come out on ...
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LitFest 2025: Bringing the Classics to Today with MacArthur Genius Anne Carson ("Cassandra Float Can," "Antigonick")

LitFest 2025: Bringing the Classics to Today with MacArthur Genius Anne Carson (“Cassandra Float Can,” “Antigonick”)

Anne Carson, one of the most celebrated classicists of our times, will participate in staged readings from her works "Cassandra Float Can" (based on Aeschylus’s "Cassandra") and "Antigonick" (based on Sophokles’s "Antigone") ...
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30 Programs found.

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  • May 2025
  • Tue 20
    May 20 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT

    The Role of Music, Art & Journalism in Political Dissent

    Alphabet City Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Mai Khôi, Khaled Harara, Nazeeha Saeed, and Yasmine El Baramawy discuss how they use their creative practices to advocate for human rights and creative freedom of expression

    Tue 20
    May 20 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm EDT

    TWIST: Building Empathy Through Literature with Colum McCann

    Foerster Student Service Center Auditorium 839 Ridge Ave SSC 360, Pittsburgh, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream TicketsBuy the Book

    Award-winning Irish novelist, Colum McCann discusses his nonprofit work and upcoming empathy-building novel 'Twist."

    Free
    Tue 20
    May 20 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm EDT

    Jazz Poetry 2025: Jerome Jennings & iLL Philosophy, Carly Inghram, Montaser Abdel Mawgoud, Bo Mima, Ethan Pullman

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Jazz musician Jerome Jennings and his group iLL Philosophy perform in a signature jazz poetry collaborative, improvisational concert and reading.

    Wed 21
    May 21 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am EDT

    Bridges – City of Asylum Pittsburgh Creative Summit Welcome Ceremony

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    To officially kick off the Bridges – City of Asylum Pittsburgh Creative Summit, we’ll welcome guests from across the globe to Alphabet City for a morning of performances, readings, and special presentations from guest speakers from Pittsburgh and all over the world.

    Wed 21
    May 21 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT

    Meet the Cities of Asylum Network

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Meet and hear the stories of the Cities of Asylum Network representatives from Ithaca, Pittsburgh, and Detroit.

    Wed 21
    May 21 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT

    Guantánamo: Mohamedou Ould Slahi & Larry Siems in Conversation with Adriana E. Ramirez

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Mohamedou Ould Slahi, Larry Siems, and Adriana Ramirez discuss creativity, resistance, the ongoing dark legacy of the prison camp in Guantánamo, and our never-finished, collective journey to freedom.

    Wed 21
    bridges summit bassam and rami
    May 21 @ 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm EDT

    An Interview with Bassam Aramin & Rami Elhanan, Co-Directors of the Parents Circle-Family Forum

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Author Colum McCann discusses forgiveness and understanding with Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan, as well as their lives since the release of Colum's "Apeirogon" and the current climate in Israel and Palestine.

    Wed 21
    May 21 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm EDT

    The Future of Publishing & Literature in Translation

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Hear experts in publishing literature in translation discuss the possibilities and realities of publishing and literature in translation.

    Wed 21
    bridges summit george packer
    May 21 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm EDT

    The Freedom of Expression Address by George Packer

    Foerster Student Service Center Auditorium 839 Ridge Ave SSC 360, Pittsburgh, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Award-winning author George Packer speaks on what it means to write in a world of increasing authoritarianism.

    Wed 21
    May 21 @ 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm EDT

    Philippe Ollé-Laprune on Mexico’s Casa Refugio

    Alphabet City Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    The director of Casa Refugio, Philippe Ollé-Laprune, joins us to talk about the importance of their work and screen a short documentary about one of their residents.

    Thu 22
    May 22 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT

    The Future of Philanthropy & Funding for Arts, Culture & Human Rights

    Center for Education, Innovation & Training (CEIT) 806 Ridge Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person Tickets

    This half-day program features three panel discussions with leaders of a number of important foundations and corporations from the U.S. and Europe doing life-changing philanthropic work

    Thu 22
    May 22 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT

    Protecting Freedom of Expression with Marianne Borgen, Sara Rose, Larry Siems & Patrick Fisher

    Center for Education, Innovation & Training (CEIT) 806 Ridge Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    City of Asylum welcomes Sara Rose, Larry Siems, and Marianne Borgen to discuss the important, front-line work of arts organizations to defend freedom of expression. 

    Thu 22
    May 22 @ 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm EDT

    Arab Voices in Exile

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Four City of Asylum and ICORN residents highlight their respective and collective journeys and resilience.

    Thu 22
    May 22 @ 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm EDT

    Translation Slam with Nevine Abraham, Elisabeth Jaquette, Nazeeha Saeed, Carla Nappi, Huang Xiang, Fan Fan & Emcee Michael Reynolds

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Renowned translators compete to see who can produce the best translation from the same source material.

    Thu 22
    bridges summit Aleksandar Hemon
    May 22 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm EDT

    Aleksandar Hemon: Language, Exile, & The Many Forms of Artistic Expression

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Bosnian-American author Aleksandar Hemon talks about language and exile, his love of football, and the power of music and storytelling.

    Thu 22
    May 22 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm EDT

    Jazz Poetry 2025: James Brandon Lewis Quintet, ft. Chad Taylor, Doralee Brooks, Huang Xiang

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Musician James Brandon Lewis and poets Huang Xiang, Doralee Brooks, and Haile Bizen present a jazz poetry concert of improvisational and collaborative performance.

    Fri 23
    May 23 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am EDT

    The Power of Public Art with Rania Mamoun & Diane Samuels

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Diane Samuels and Rania Mamoun will discuss their collaborative work, in conversation with Sylvia Rhor Samaniego. 

    Fri 23
    bridges summit malta foundation
    May 23 @ 11:00 am - 3:00 pm EDT

    Tour the Malta Foundation’s International Art Collection

    11AM-12PM Tour12:30-1:30PM Tour2-3PM Tour

    Take an optional tour of the Malta Foundation’s extraordinary private collection of international artwork.

    Fri 23
    May 23 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT

    Borderlines with Teddy Cruz & Philippe Ollé-Laprune

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Acclaimed American architect and urbanist Teddy Cruz and French writer, documentarian, and cultural activist, Philippe Ollé Laprune discuss their groundbreaking work on the US/Mexico Border.

    Fri 23
    May 23 @ 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT

    The Big Sampsonia Way Cookout

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person Tickets

    In celebration of our growing global community, of the many places we learn to call home, and of the first-ever Bridges Creative Summit, we invite all our neighbors to an afternoon of food, music, and conversation.

    Fri 23
    May 23 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm EDT

    Frazé-Frazénko & The Happy Lovers

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    This evening’s performance from The Happy Lovers will accompany contributions and readings from other City of Asylum writers-in-residence and visiting ICORN residents.

    Fri 23
    May 23 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm EDT

    DJ Cielo – Also Known as Award-Winning Novelist, Aleksandar Hemon

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person Tickets

    A dynamic DJ set from DJ Cielo (known in the literary scene as Aleksandar Hemon) featuring Afro House and Organic House music.

  • June 2025
  • Tue 3
    June 3 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm EDT

    Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Unlikely Allies)

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    This June, bring your tales of friends to lovers, golden retriever and black cat friendships, and shockingly supportive grandparents learning about your alternative lifestyle.

    Thu 12
    June 12 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm EDT

    Cave Canem Presents: The 2025 Annual Faculty Reading at City of Asylum

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person + Livestream Tickets

    For over a decade, City of Asylum has hosted Cave Canem’s annual Faculty Reading each June, coinciding with their week-long retreat at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Pennsylvania. This year’s reading presents esteemed faculty and world-class poets A. Van Jordan, Matthew Shenoda, and Joy Priest.

    Mon 16
    June 16 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm EDT

    Writer-in-Residence: Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko, “Nothing is Under Control” (Book Launch)

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream TicketsBuy the Book

    A writer without a country. A city with no off switch. A memory that keeps looping back at the worst possible time. Don't miss this discussion of Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko's "Nothing Is Under Control."

    Wed 18
    June 18 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm EDT

    World of Music: La Muchacha y El Propio Junte (Colombian Folk Rock)

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    We are thrilled to welcome La Muchacha, whose discography features bold, fearless tracks that address the sociopolitical crises faced by the Colombian people.

    Sun 22
    June 22 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT

    PGHwrites: Marcus Rediker, “Freedom Ship” (Book Launch)

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream TicketsBuy the Book

    From the award-winning author of 2007’s "The Slave Ship," we celebrate the book launch of Marcus Rediker’s latest work: "Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea."

    Tue 24
    June 24 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm EDT

    Reel Q Presents: No Pride in Genocide

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Watch a screening of "I never promised you a Jasmine Garden" and seven other short films in this global film event presented by Queer Cinema for Palestine.

    Wed 25
    June 25 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm EDT

    World of Music: Hugo Cruz, “Voice of the Drums” Part I ft. Roger Humphries

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    Free In-Person TicketsFree Livestream Tickets

    Beloved Pittsburgh musicians Hugo Cruz and Roger Humphries communicate through the language of the drums, introducing Cuba to Pittsburgh by way of percussion.

    Thu 26
    June 26 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm EDT

    Thursday Night Jazz: Kente Summer Madness Presents Women Of Neo Soul: A Tribute to Angie Stone

    Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
    In-Person Tickets are AT CAPACITYFree Livestream Tickets

    This production will feature the powerhouse vocals of local Pittsburgh divas Anita Levels and Anqwenique paying tribute to the work of Angie Stone.

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About City of Asylum
City of Asylum builds a just community by protecting and celebrating freedom of creative expression.
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Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Phone: 412-435-1110
Email: contact@cityofasylumpittsburgh.org
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