On August 20, master of jazz, R&B, and Latin music, Dr. Emmett Goods, returns to City of Asylum for a lively performance highlighting his rich musical background and lifetime of experience for the final Kente Summer Madness concert of 2026! Reserve your FREE tickets at https://bit.ly/4yPqjgX

Thursday Night Jazz: Kente Summer Madness Presents the Dr. Emmett Goods Quintet - City of Asylum

Master of jazz, R&B, and Latin music, Dr. Emmett Goods returns to City of Asylum for a lively performance highlighting his rich musical background and lifetime of experience.

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We are excited to share that City of Asylum Co-Founder Diane Samuels has been named a Window Keeper by PA Humanities. This award recognizes Pennsylvanians whose work strengthens communities through the humanities. Congratulations, Diane, on this well-deserved recognition! https://bit.ly/4wxNtqB

PA Humanities announces 30 new Window Keepers nominated by individuals across Pennsylvania - PA Humanities

These Pennsylvanians representing 21 different counties were nominated by people in their own communities who have seen firsthand the difference they make in the places they call home. The public call for nominations remains open through July 31.

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On August 19, Balafon, a 10-piece ensemble with a passion for “dancing out loud,” performs music from Guinea and other areas of West Africa with beautiful costuming, powerful movement, and spirited song at Alphabet City. RSVP today at https://bit.ly/4wE3KKS

World of Music: Balafon (West African Drumming & Dance) - City of Asylum

A 10-piece ensemble with a passion for “dancing out loud” performs music from Guinea and other areas of West Africa with beautiful costuming, powerful movement, and spirited song.

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8/18: Filmmaker Jose Muniain, photographer Lynn Johnson, and writer Amy S.F. Lutz ("We Walk: Life with Severe Autism") share their creative projects, centering on the stories of people living with profound autism, as part of our On Topic: America at 250 series. RSVP today at https://bit.ly/3RrfRLW

On Topic: America at 250 — Profound Autism in America with Lynn Johnson, Amy S. F. Lutz & Jose Muniain - City of Asylum

Filmmaker Jose Muniain, photographer Lynn Johnson, and writer Amy S.F. Lutz ("We Walk: Life with Severe Autism") share their creative projects, which all center on the stories of real people living with profound autism.

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8/13: In a tribute to the myriad ways jazz builds and becomes community, lifelong friends and iconic musicians Paul Thompson, David Throckmorton, Paul Wells, and Thomas Wendt explore themes of connection both within and beyond the making of music. RSVP at https://bit.ly/4hvaUfx

Thursday Night Jazz: Bassist Paul Thompson Explores the Bass-Drum Connection with Drummers (& Best Friends) David Throckmorton, Paul Wells &...

In a tribute to the myriad ways jazz builds and becomes community, lifelong friends and iconic musicians perform at City of Asylum.

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"If, like me, you’re suffering from a World Cup hangover...there are remedies you can turn to." Read Anderson Tepper's 'A Guide to International Soccer Books (For Those in World Cup Withdrawal)' in the Pittsburgh Review of Books and RSVP for our upcoming World Lit program: https://bit.ly/4pyUnJq

A Guide to International Soccer Books (For Those in World Cup Withdrawal) - Pittsburgh Review of Books

On Monday, July 27 at 7pm, Anderson Tepper will be in conversation with Dimitry Elias Léger as part of City of Asylum’s World Literature Series.

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8/9: Author of National Book Award finalist "I Hotel," Karen Yamashita, shares her new novel illuminating the lives of laborers, artists, scholars, informants, and activists who, over three generations, defined the Japanese American community post–Pearl Harbor. RSVP today at https://bit.ly/3RsZ4bk

World Literature: Karen Tei Yamashita’s “Questions 27 & 28” with Anderson Tepper - City of Asylum

Author of National Book Award finalist I Hotel shares a new novel illuminating the lives of laborers, artists, scholars, informants, and activists who, over three generations, defined the Japanese American community post–Pearl Harbor.

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TONIGHT: Lifelong percussionist and Pittsburgh-based bandleader Steve Ippolito, trumpeter Adam Bleil, and bassist Denzel Chismar-Oliver bring experimental, improvisational electronic-jazz fusion sound to the Alphabet City stage for en entirely unique performance. RSVP at https://bit.ly/4fCK4kh

Thursday Night Jazz: Steve Ippolito's Minimalist Improvisational Roots Sounds - City of Asylum

Lifelong percussionist and Pittsburgh-based bandleader Steve Ippolito joins forces with Adam Bleil and Denzel Chismar-Oliver.

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This August 5, welcome Pittsburgh-based folk band, Bealtaine. With roots in Irish and Scottish folk music, as well as deft navigation of genre and musicianship, Bealtaine keeps traditions alive while borrowing influences from the modern world. RSVP today at https://bit.ly/4fneMNa

World of Music: Bealtaine (Celtic Folk) - City of Asylum

With roots in Irish and Scottish folk music, Pittsburgh-based folk band Bealtaine keeps traditions alive while borrowing influences from the modern world.

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Legend and 40-year veteran of the funk scene, Kaleta, and the members of the Super Yamba Band light up the stage in this 2023 performance with a groove-filled night of Afrobeat and psychedelic funk. Watch the full performance at https://vimeo.com/899273689

[2023.07.19] Getting Into the Groove with Afrobeat Legend Kaleta & Super Yamba Band

https://cityofasylum.org/program/getting-into-the-groove/

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8/2: Welcome Varun Ravindran, 7D & Dade Lemanski, Viii Dorsey & Drew Collins, trē seguritan abalos, and Jenna Peng for a collection of collaborative presentations in sound and language, featuring local improvisers, poets, and performers from across Pittsburgh. RSVP today at https://bit.ly/455sfnU

PGHwrites: "unmade place" (Sound-Text Experiments) with Varun Ravindran, 7D & Dade Lemanski, Viii Dorsey & Drew Collins, trē seguritan abalo...

A collection of collaborative presentations in sound and language, featuring local improvisers, poets, and performers from across Pittsburgh.

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The Great Pittsburgh Book Crawl starts THIS WEEKEND, promising 9 straight days of books, coffee, and amazing bookstore discoveries across Southwestern PA! We're thrilled to be participating again, so stop by and get your passport stamped at City of Asylum Books on July 18–26. https://bit.ly/4wAu6wE

On July 30, Thomas Wendt, beloved percussionist in the Pittsburgh jazz scene and frequent flyer on the Alphabet City stage, shows his versatility and expressive drumming prowess in the second installment of the Kente Summer Madness series. RSVP today at https://bit.ly/4gy4Ger

Thursday Night Jazz: Kente Summer Madness Presents Thomas Wendt Quintet Celebrates Thad Mosley - City of Asylum

Kente Arts Alliance presents percussionist Thomas Wendt performing a concert to honor Thad Mosley at City of Asylum.

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This month, we said a fond farewell to Writer-in-Residence Volodymyr Rafeyenko as he begins a fellowship at Harvard's Scholars at Risk Program. "Volodymyr has a special way of preserving humanity and humor," said Residency Manager Catherine Skolnicki. "We wish him and his wife Olesia all the best."

Legal proceedings against Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul’s mayor and a leading opposition figure in Turkey, continued last week. Earlier this year, he was named the 2026 recipient of the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award, which recognizes leaders who defend democracy. Read more: https://bit.ly/3RwmxrY

Istanbul mayor faces 2,000+ years in prison as local democracy crumbles, EU warns

Turkey’s local democracy under siege: dozens of mayors detained, opposition weakened, millions of voters affected. International observers call for justice as trials unfold.

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On 7/28: Award-winning author of “If They Come For Us,” Fatimah Asghar, uses their sophomore collection of meditative poems to pursue one question: Exiled from ancestral homelands, how can one find a place for themself in the world? Reserve your FREE tickets today at https://bit.ly/4y0cbRB

Artist in Exile: Fatimah Asghar’s "Daughter of the Mountains: Poems of Heartbreak and Homecoming" - City of Asylum

Fatimah Asghar, award-winning author of “If They Come For Us,” shares their sophomore poetry collection at City of Asylum.

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Pipas, guzhengs, ouds, and more! In this 2022 concert, HarmoniZing, a Pittsburgh-based group with the aim of nurturing cross-cultural understanding through the arts, brings together musicians with many instruments for an evening of global voices and soaring music. https://vimeo.com/899296879

[2022.07.12] Global Voices Presented by HarmoniZing

https://cityofasylum.org/program/harmonizing-presents-global-voices/

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Starting 7/17, our friends at Quantum Theatre present "The Tempest." Shakespeare’s last play is Karla Boos’ swan song. She and cherished artists return to the Carrie Blast Furnaces to make a nature-filled version of a play offering intrigue, comedy, romance, and much more. https://bit.ly/4feR99p

Tempest - Quantum Theatre

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On July 29, Experimental electroacoustic collective Bombici brings uncommon time signatures, folk songs, dance music, and improvisational sounds to the Alphabet City stage for a vibrant World of Music concert. RSVP today at https://bit.ly/3T8YhN1

World of Music: Bombici (Mutant Balkan Dance Music) - City of Asylum

Experimental electroacoustic collective Bombici brings uncommon time signatures, folks songs, dance music, and improvisational sounds.

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Our On Topic: America at 250 series begins next week—and so does our book giveaway! 30 FREE copies of each program's featured book will be given to select attendees. Register for these upcoming programs for your chance to win today at https://bit.ly/4ftku0X

At the heart of City of Asylum is our Exiled Writer and Artist Sanctuary program. The Artist in Exile series shines the spotlight on current and former City of Asylum writers-in-residence, and opens up the stage to other exiled artists. Learn more and RSVP at cityofasylum.org/programs

Award-winning author of “If They Come For Us,” Fatimah Asghar, uses their sophomore collection of meditative poems to pursue the question: Exiled from ancestral homelands, how can one find a place for themself in the world? RSVP for free today at https://bit.ly/4y0cbRB

Artist in Exile: Fatimah Asghar’s "Daughter of the Mountains: Poems of Heartbreak and Homecoming" - City of Asylum

Fatimah Asghar, award-winning author of “If They Come For Us,” shares their sophomore poetry collection at City of Asylum.

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On July 12, City of Asylum welcomes author Sarah Valentine, whose new book pays long-overdue tribute to little-known Black woman cryptologists’ critical contributions to national security during the civil rights era. Joining her in conversation is author Tahirah J. Walker. https://bit.ly/4fUk8kJ

PGHwrites: Sarah Valentine’s "Decoding the Devil: Black Women Codebreakers and the Secret War Against Stalin’s Bomb" (Book Launch) with Tahi...

In a new work as groundbreaking as “Code Girls” and “Hidden Figures,” author Sarah Valentine unearths the true story of Black cryptologists’ critical contributions to national security during the civil rights era.

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In this reading from last summer, Center for African American Poetry & Poetics’ Dream Space Resident Nabila Lovelace shares a preview of new work at the conclusion of her two-week residency cohosted by City of Asylum and CAAPP. Watch the full performance at https://vimeo.com/1097602931

[2025.07.06.] Center for African American Poetry & Poetics Presents: Nabila Lovelace

We’re excited to share a reading from the Center for African American Poetry & Poetics’ Dream Space Resident Nabila Lovelace. This reading concludes Nabila’s two-week residency cohosted by City of Asylum and CAAPP.

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Beginning July 14, City of Asylum presents On Topic: America at 250, a four-part series exploring the American experience through literature and conversation while highlighting stories that have too often been overlooked. Learn more and RSVP for upcoming programs today at cityofasylum.org/programs

In this 2022 performance from TierrAdentro, the 5-piece band explores a rich trove of music, adding their own colors and textures and expanding the forms of songs while retaining their rhythmic essence and powerful poetry. Watch the full performance on our Vimeo page at https://vimeo.com/899953386

[2022.06.28] TierrAdentro: Music from Argentina

This is "[2022.06.28] TierrAdentro: Music from Argentina" by City of Asylum on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

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"This record covers a mixture of topics and emotions: protest songs and calls to action mingle with songs about love, nostalgia, loneliness and grief." Hear more from former Artist-in-Residence Mai Khoi ahead of her July 8 concert in this local music spotlight from Mike Palm: https://bit.ly/4v15o7D

This June, the ABA launched Shop Small for a Big Impact! When you shop at City of Asylum Bookstore, your support gives back to your community and to the international and multicultural artists behind all your favorite works in translation. Show your support today at cityofasylumbooks.org

TONIGHT: Percussionist James Johnson III has the chops AND the lifelong friendships with fellow musicians to bring a thrilling new sound to the stage: jazz-hip-hop fusion. With accompaniment from MC Cam Chambers and poet Erika Denae J, tonight’s attendees are in for a treat. https://bit.ly/4aJAsRV

Thursday Night Jazz: The Soup Session Blends Jazz with Hip Hop - City of Asylum

James Johnson III and his band The Soup Session come to City of Asylum for an exciting concert blending jazz and hip hop.

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TONIGHT: Come for the free film screening and stay for the complimentary drinks, snacks, and voguing demonstration by True T Pittsburgh! This pride month screening of "10s Across the Borders," presented by Reel Q, is not to be missed! https://bit.ly/4vr43Io

Reel Q Presents: A Pride Month Screening of "10s Across the Borders" - City of Asylum

Grab a friend and celebrate Pride Month with a FREE screening, presented in partnership with one of the oldest LGBTQ+ film festivals in the world.

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