City of Asylum presents ‘Klenicki Meets Monk’ exhibit, concert to address mental health and intergenerational trauma

By Nicholas Simila, Staff Writer • January 24, 2023

City of Asylum hosted a concert on Sunday featuring jazz music of the late Thelonious Monk accompanied by the abstract paintings of Norman Klenicki in an exhibit titled “Music, Visual Art, & Mental Health: Klenicki Meets Monk.”

Sabira Cole Film Festival celebrates Trinidadian independence with movie screening

By Sophie Earwood, For The Pitt News • September 1, 2021

While Pittsburgh may be a long way away from the cool breezes and sandy beaches of the tropical Caribbean islands, attendees saw and heard Caribbean culture at the Trinidad and Tobago Independence Day Celebration Tuesday evening.

International Literary Festival seeks to bridge cultural barriers with translated books

By Sinead McDevitt, Senior Staff Writer • May 19, 2021

Translation, often a forgotten part of the literary process, allows stories from all over the world to be more accessible to a wider audience. City of Asylum is celebrating translation with the first annual Pittsburgh International Literary Festival, also known as LitFest. 

Vietnamese pop star and activist Mai Khoi brings talents to Pitt

By Sinead McDevitt, Senior Staff Writer • February 15, 2021

Khoi is an Artist Protection Fund fellow in residence at Pitt, and is co-hosted by the City of Asylum and the International Free Expression project.

Poetry Partnership elevates voices of Black poets

By Diana Velasquez, Senior Staff Writer • June 16, 2020

The reading featured 10 poets reading their work — Joss Green, Diarra Imani, Dani Janae, Medina Jackson, Maria Kent, Joy KMT, Crystal Massie, Tresa Murphy Green, Christina Springer and Jahqwahn Watson. Much of the subject matter revolved around themes of womanhood, motherhood, Black ancestry and what it means to be Black today in the United States.

Local bookstores offer anti-racist books for all ages

By Ananya Pathapadu, Staff Writer • June 9, 2020

To help educate adults and children on racism, Pittsburgh’s City of Asylum and White Whale bookstores have created anti-racist booklists with books that discuss race, culture and what it’s like to be black in America.

Poems from prison: Students share incarcerated voices

By Brian Gentry, Senior Staff Writer • December 5, 2019

The poetry performance was part of an event which packed City of Asylum on Wednesday night, with more than 100 people in attendance.

City of Asylum hosts poets laureate from across the country

By Maggie Young, Contributing Editor • September 3, 2019

More than 60 people attended a poets laureate celebration event hosted by City of Asylum in the North Shore Monday. The four poets laureate — Paisley Rekdal, Salas Rivera, Kim Shuck and Molly Fisk — each read from their own collections.

City of Asylum residents share readings and wisdom at WPU

By Sarah Connor, Culture Editor • October 18, 2018

City of Asylum is known for providing a sanctuary for exiled writers. Two of those writers brought their wisdom to campus with a special appearance at WPU.

City of Asylum wraps 14th annual Jazz Poetry Month, welcomes new changes

By Frances Tirado, For The Pitt News • October 2, 2018

As Pittsburgh’s City of Asylum, closes out its Jazz Poetry season, the staff talks about the new changes within the organization.