Paths of the Righteous: Marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day with Ari Mittleman

Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States

The Tree of Life tragedy led Ari Mittleman to write "Paths of the Righteous," which profiles eight individuals who have gone above and beyond for Israel and the Jewish people. As we mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day only a few days after this program, the stories of those shared in Ari’s book can inspire us all.

Reel Q Reel Stories: Jayro Bustamante’s Exploration of Family & Gay Subculture in Guatemala City

Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States

Reel Stories is a monthly film series dedicated to showcasing international queer cinema. Presented in partnership with ReelQ, January’s screening presents "Temblores," Guatemalan film director Jayro Bustamante’s deeply personal followup to his landmark debut, "Ixcanul."

Alphabet City Kids: Explore & Celebrate the Color Blue with Picture Book Author Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States

Discover a world of creativity and tradition through a picture book program with Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, author of "Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky." This program includes a story time, an interactive activity about color, and a book signing. Children and families are encouraged to wear the color blue in celebration of the program. 

Free Association Reading Series: Clare Beams, Jim Daniels, Lisa Slage Robinson, & Damian Dressick

Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States

The Free Association Reading Series is back for this year's second installment of intimate readings featuring exceptional local writers Clare Beams, Jim Daniels, Lisa Slage Robinson, and Damian Dressick. This series is co-curated by Pat Hart and Marc Nieson. 

Exploring Storytelling Through Puppetry with Koryū Nishikawa V, Tom Lee, & David English

Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States

Following their recent performance of "AKUTAGAWA," City of Asylum welcomes puppeteers Koryū Nishikawa V and Tom Lee, as well as Pittsburgh-based puppeteer David English, for an insightful conversation on the art of puppetry. This panel examines the ways in which puppetry can be a vehicle to express art and literature in addition to exploring cultural differences in the medium.

An Ode to Sappho with Selby Wynn Schwartz

City of Asylum @ Home

In her first visit to City of Asylum, Selby Wynn Schwartz shares her ode to The Poetess. Longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize, Selby’s debut novel, "After Sappho," connects a myriad of women inspired by the ghost of Sappho to wrest their freedom and desire from the page.

Bringing Sound to Silence with AppalAsia

Alphabet City 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, United States

Since the founding of AppalAsia in 2009, they have followed their passion for artistic collaboration between different cultures and disciplines beyond race, religion, and gender. In this performance, AppalAsia shares selections from a recent project in which the group was asked to develop original music for the 1919 silent film "Broken Blossoms."