City of Asylum
Giving Voice.
A reading and celebration of short fiction honoring 45 years of the Drue Heinz Prize, one of the most significant short fiction awards in the nation, with current and alumni prizewinners.
Philadelphia, Detroit, and Pittsburgh are three of the most important cities in jazz, each churning out an astounding number of jazz masters. Guitarist Randy Napoleon (Detroit), bassist Jeff Pedraz (Philadelphia), and drummer Thomas Wendt (Pittsburgh) come together in this concert to celebrate the storied jazz legacies of their hometowns.
From the minds of Andrew Swensen and Yan Pang, City of Asylum hosts a showcase of “Shelter,” the story of scars carried from childhood into adulthood, how pain can distort our perception and damage our relationships, and how we find our strength through it.
2006 Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai returns to City of Asylum to share her triumphant, deeply romantic, newly Booker Prize–shortlisted novel, “The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny,” in conversation with Anderson Tepper.
City of Asylum welcomes Deaf storytellers and poets KJ Johnstein, Val Wojton, Mj Shahen, NuNu Davis, and Lisa McBee for performances in American Sign Language (ASL) and Visual Vernacular (VV).
Zhang Yueran’s translated novel "Women, Seated" has become an undeniable hit among American audiences. But what does it take to bring Chinese literature to the US? In conversation with Anderson Tepper, editor Han Zhang and translator Jeremy Tiang will discuss the translation process and the importance of translated literature in America.
A dynamic discussion that will traverse hybrid and experimental poetic forms as well as the art, broadly speaking, of translation. Moderated by Michelle Gil-Montero.
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").
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 top?
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 respective literary scenes and that all US readers should add to their lists.
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, and resistance. In conversation with Damon Young.
Jazz Legacy Fellow and Pittsburgh legend Roger Humphries takes to the stage with the RH Factor for a collaborative, community-driven performance highlighting the true spirit of jazz.
Try though we might to plan for the future, something always comes up that we just didn’t see coming. This October, come ready to share (or judge!) stories tackling the Story Slam theme of The Unexpected.
City of Asylum hosts a film screening of global shorts as part of Reel Q’s 40th Annual Film Festival (the longest-running festival in Pittsburgh!)
Be it a physical weight or an emotional strain, we’ve all felt the pressure from time to time. This September, come ready to share (or judge!) stories tackling the Story Slam theme of Under Pressure.
Tony Campbell, Victor Garzotto, Dwayne Dolphin, and Roger Humphries pay tribute to legendary saxophonists Richie Cole and Eric Kloss in the final Thursday Night Jazz concert of the summer.
Drummer Hugo Cruz shines a spotlight on percussion with vocalist Chantal Joseph and an all-star lineup of local musicians to fuse traditional Cuban drums with classic jazz compositions.
Praised as a “gripping…lush and suspenseful summer read” (Al Dìa) with echoes of the pop culture phenomenon The White Lotus (Crime Reads), "The Grand Paloma Resort" grabs readers and refuses to let go.
A discussion and performance from master pianist Theron Brown, in conversation with Grammy Award–winning producer Kamau Kenyatta, on his expertly blended gospel and jazz album, "Spirit Fruit."
A film screening curated by Writer-in-Residence Rania Mamoun, highlighting filmmaker Reem Alghazzi’s feature-length creative documentary following the story of nine Syrian women’s escape from war.
Author Nina Sharma shares her debut memoir, “The Way You Make Me Feel: Love in Black and Brown,” a hilarious and moving story of her interracial relationship, told in essays.
Jevon Rushton shares his world, where rhythm becomes touch, melody becomes color, and every note tells a story in the final Kente Summer Madness concert of the summer.
Senegalese drummers Cheikh and Papa join Joe Sheehan’s Kinetic ensemble for a concert blending traditional Senegalese rhythms with modern American sounds.
City of Asylum Writer-in-Residence Volodymyr Rafeyenko discusses three of his works with his translator Mark Andryczyk, exploring the process of translation and the relationship between writer and translator.
Pittsburgh-based Latin jazz quintet and DC-based vibraphonist Chris Barrick honor a titan of Latin and Afro-Cuban jazz.
Whether it’s all about the destination, or all about the journey and what you built along the way, this August, Story Club Pittsburgh is all about connection.
This second installment of our On Topic series welcomes esteemed legal scholar Michelle Adams to explore class and race in a discussion of her new book, "The Containment: Detroit, the Supreme Court, and the Battle for Racial Justice in the North."
Etta Cox brings her incomparable stage presence and vocal prowess to Alphabet City to regale audiences with beloved jazz favorites and reimagined hidden gems.
Welcome an all-star lineup of some of Pittsburgh's best musicians, fusing classic jazz compositions with the Cuban drum tradition.
A film screening and panel discussion on how housing instability prevents children from receiving a formal education with filmmaker Jose Muniain, photographer Richard Sharum, and community health worker John Whigham.
