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X-WR-CALNAME:CalDiscovery - pittsburgh-pa BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:On Topic: Last Free Women with Diana Kapp DTSTART:20260913T190000Z DTEND:20260913T200000Z DTSTAMP:20260828T001030Z UID:11409-1789311600-1789315200@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Don’t miss this edition of City of Asylum’s On Topic serie s where Diana Kapp discusses her upcoming book\, which publishes on Septem ber 8\, 2026. Diana will be joined in conversation by Samira Rustami and M arwa Rahim\, two of the women featured in the work. \nThe Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in America is an inti mate portrait of the journey of four women as they seek to make the most o f their precious freedom in America. They start over\, while back home\, t he Taliban bans girls’ education and prevents women from leaving their h omes alone. \nEfforts to evacuate the group were taking place as co-author Rebecca Blumenstein was driving her son cross-country to college. As a to p editor of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal\, she had be en deeply involved in managing the foreign correspondents the paper sent t o war zones. As the lives of their Afghan Bureau employees and their famil ies were imperiled by the Taliban’s swift resurgence\, she played a pivo tal role in coordinating their evacuation\, ultimately securing the reloca tion of more than 200 people from Afghanistan\, 124 to the US—the larges t privately sponsored group of refugees in modern American history. She th en led their resettlement into their new life in the U.S. \nThough each na vigates different circumstances and dreams\, these four brave\, remarkable women—Marwa\, Mursal\, Maryam\, and Samira—are united in their desire to make the most of the opportunity they have been given. Stories of hope and resilience\, setback and struggle\, ambition and joy\, The Last Free Women grapples with what America owes those who seek freedom on our shor es\, and how they\, like generations of immigrants before them\, will rema ke what it is to be American. \nYou can purchase a copy of The Last Free Women at the City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Author \n \nDiana Kap p is a journalist who writes frequently about the intersection of women an d modern culture\, and has traveled in Afghanistan to report on the educat ion of girls in the country’s rural northern provinces. Her longform pie ces have been published in The New York Times\, The Washington Post\, The Wall Street Journal\, Elle\, More\, The San Francisco Chronicle\, and Mari e Claire\, among other publications. She is the author of two YA books pro filing female changemakers: Girls Who Run the World and Girls Who Green th e World. \n  \nIn Conversation with \nSamira Rustami is completing her RN degree at Shady Side School of Nursing\, and her BA at Chatham University . She holds a BA in Business from Gujarat University in India. \n\n \nMarw a Rahim was a 3rd year medical student in August 2021 when she had to flee Kabul. She is a senior at Chatham University in Pittsburgh\, PA\, majorin g in Human Biology and Neuroscience. She hopes to return to medical school after graduation. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T001030Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/on-topic-last-free-women-with-rebecca -blumenstein-and-diana-kapp/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:On Topic: Cristina Modreanu's "Performing Womanhood in Eastern Eur ope" with Dr. Zsuzsánna Magdó DTSTART:20260920T190000Z DTEND:20260920T200000Z DTSTAMP:20260904T181133Z UID:11427-1789916400-1789920000@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Join Cristina Modreanu for a conversation on her book Perfo rming Womanhood in Eastern Europe: The Other White Woman as it approaches its first anniversary. \n\n\n\nPerforming Womanhood in Eastern Europe ex plores a distinctive form of womanhood that emerged in post-World War II E astern Europe\, offering an alternative to Western typologies. \n\n\n\nYou can purchase a copy of Performing Womanhood in Eastern Europe at the C ity of Asylum Bookstore. \n\n\n\nAbout the Author: \n\n\n\nCristina Modrea nu is a theatre critic\, curator and researcher at the University of the Arts in Târgu-Mureș\, Romania. Holding a PhD in theatre studies from Nat ional University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest\, she is a Fulbright Alu mna and the author of six books on Romanian theatre\, including A History of Romanian Theatre from Communism to Capitalism (Routledge\, 2020). \n\ n\n\nAbout the Moderator: \nDr. Zsuzsánna Magdó is the Interim Director at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Russian\, East European\, a nd Eurasian Studies where she manages regional studies programs to support interdisciplinary scholarship and public education on the center’s worl d regions. A native of Transylvania\, she received her Ph.D. in History fr om the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Magdó has publishe d articles in journals\, edited collections\, and other scholarly outlets\ , most recently “Title VI Today and the Future(s) of SEEES\,” ASEEES NewsNet\, March 2026 and previously “Ferenc Balázs\, Transylvanism\, an d Global Utopia\, 1923-1937” in Europe Now\, Issue 33: A Special Featur e on European Art\, Politics\, and Culture ed. by Randall Halle (April 202 0) as well as “Romanian Spirituality in Ceaușescu’s Golden Epoch: Soc ial Scientists Reconsider Atheism\, Religion\, and Ritual Culture\,” in Paul Betts and Stephen A. Smith\, eds.\, Science\, Religion\, and Communi sm in Cold War Europe (London: Palgrave\, April 2016). Dr. Magdó serves o n the Executive Board of the Council for National Resource Centers in Inte rnational and Area Studies and is on the Board of Trustees of the American Institute for Southeast European Studies.  \n\nAbout Your Visit: \nThe i n-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for brunch from 9:30 a.m. t o 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 4 12-435-1111 to make a reservation. \n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T181133Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/on-topic-performing-womanhood-with-cr istina-modreanu/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:World Literature: Andrea Bajani’s "The Anniversary" (Italy) with Anderson Tepper DTSTART:20260922T230000Z DTEND:20260923T000000Z DTSTAMP:20260730T105725Z UID:11113-1790103600-1790107200@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Adolfo Frediani. Photo Courtesy: Other Press. \n Can you leave your family behind? Can you slam the door\, walk down the st airs\, and decide never to see them again? Can you ever escape the grip of your origins? \nOne of Italy’s most notable contemporary novelists\, An drea Bajani\, faces these questions head-on in his Strega Prize–winning novel\, L’anniversario (The Anniversary). This September\, Andrea and Ci ty of Asylum Advisory Board member Anderson Tepper dive into this subtle y et heartrending portrait of an abusive marriage in patriarchal Italy and a son’s liberating decision to cut contact with his parents. \n“[L’an niversario is] a book that confronts the purity of fact\, the tyranny of m emory\, and the totalitarianism of family like no other.” —Jhumpa Lahi ri \nCelebrating one decade since he last saw his parents\, a son reflects upon the family dynamic he escaped 10 years prior. With time and space\, he finally feels able to tell their story. The Anniversary is his eloquent account of a family devastated by a father’s violence and the woman who silently accepts him\; of an airless relationship\, unsettled only by the ringing of a telephone\, a visiting classmate\, or a friend soon pushed a way. It is the story of a son possessed by the irrepressible desire to be free: to be himself\, to live his own life\, to open up to others without fear of reprisals. The Anniversary is a reminder of both the power of step ping away from toxic cycles\, and of the fallout that can stick with us wh en we do.  \nThis program will be followed by a public reception with com plimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees. \nAb out the Author: \nAndrea Bajani was born in Rome in 1975. He is the author of many award-winning novels\, including If You Kept a Record of Sins and The Book of Homes. The Anniversary received Italy’s highest literary aw ard\, the Strega Prize\, in 2025 and will be published in more than twenty -five countries. Bajani is currently a writer in residence at Rice Univers ity in Houston\, Texas. \nAbout the Moderator: \nAnderson Tepper is a gues t curator of PEN America’s World Voices Festival and a longstanding memb er of the Brooklyn Book Festival’s Literary Council and international co mmittee. Formerly of Vanity Fair\, his writing on books and authors has ap peared in The New York Times\, The Los Angeles Times\, The Atlantic\, and World Literature Today\, among other publications. Anderson also serves on City of Asylum’s Advisory Board. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house r estaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T105725Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/world-literature-andrea-bajani/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: The Pittsburgh Jazz Guitar Legacy Celebrated DTSTART:20260924T230000Z DTEND:20260925T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260825T181038Z UID:11435-1790276400-1790281800@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:music DESCRIPTION:Pittsburgh’s importance as a Jazz city involves many differe nt facets and the history of the Jazz guitar is well represented here. On September 24\, we will celebrate this aspect of Pittsburgh Jazz by featuri ng three talented\, up-and-coming guitarists from the city’s Jazz scene. From Barry Galbraith and Jimmy Ponder to George Benson and Joe Negri\, Pi ttsburgh’s Jazz guitar legacy will be celebrated! \nFeatured Musicians:\ nAlex Weibel: guitar\nJonathan DiGiulian: guitar\nMike Hugo: guitar\nPaul Thompson: bass\nThomas Wendt: drums \n  \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T181038Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-the-pittsburgh-ja zz-guitar-legacy-celebrated/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Artist in Exile: Fatimah Asghar’s "Daughter of the Mountains: Po ems of Heartbreak and Homecoming" DTSTART:20260928T230000Z DTEND:20260929T000000Z DTSTAMP:20260817T181107Z UID:10922-1790622000-1790625600@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Ciera Dunbar. Photo Courtesy: Penguin Random Hou se. \nIn an interview with The Adroit Journal\, Jazz Poetry 2024 poet and author of the collection If They Come For Us\, Fatimah Asghar\, shared a g limpse into the ache in their heart: “The best imaginary museum I’ve n ever visited would be a museum dedicated to my parents and my family\, in Kashmir. I’m an orphan\, and my family was forced to migrate from Kashmi r during the Partition of India\, which led to the subsequent creation of Pakistan. I’ve always longed to know more about my family\, my culture\, and my parents. I’d love a place\, one single place\, where I could wal k in and gain all that knowledge.” \nFatimah’s sophomore collection\, Daughter of the Mountains: Poems of Heartbreak and Homecoming\, navigates the reality that tears them away from this imaginary museum\, and how they have learned to survive and build something new in its wake. In it\, Fati mah unweaves residual grief and reckons with their relationship to Allah\, to long-estranged but deeply loved kin\, to the landscape of their ancest ors\, and to love itself. The result is a tender\, searching collection of meditative poems that grapples with multiple facets of fulfillment and br eaks open notions of faith to ask how an alienated daughter can find love and a home in the world. \nWith wisps of humor\, imagery that is as beauti ful as it is startling\, and powerfully disruptive formal invention\, this is an intimately lyrical and explosive collection from one of the most co mpelling voices of our time. \nYou can purchase a copy of Fatimah’s book \, Daughter of the Mountains\, at City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Au thor: \nFatimah Asghar\, author of If They Come for Us\, is a poet\, filmm aker\, educator\, and performer. They are the writer and co-creator of Bro wn Girls\, an Emmy-nominated web series that highlights friendships betwee n women of color. They were also a co-producer on Ms. Marvel for Disney + and wrote the episode “Time And Again.” Along with Safia Elhillo\, the y are the editor of Halal If You Hear Me\, an anthology that celebrates Mu slim writers who are also women\, queer\, gender-nonconforming\, and/or tr ans. \nAbout the Moderator: \nShimul Chowdhury (she/they) is a multimedia artist\, maker\, and creative technologist. In her practice\, she is most interested in creating participatory works or experiences that initiate an d invite dialogue with the audience. Shimul centers her own lived experien ces as a Muslim US American in her work\, aiming to create and build commu nity and solidarity with participants and viewers. She uses her background in new and digital media as well as her lifelong passion for fiber and te xtile craft to create such works. Shimul is also Art Director for MIPSTERZ \, a Muslim arts and culture collective currently investigating Muslim Fut urism\, and a member of the Y9 Future Memory track of the New Museum’s N EWINC incubator. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays\, but there will be a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks following the pro gram. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T181107Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/artist-in-exile-fatimah-asghar/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:World Literature: Eduardo Halfon’s "Tarantula" (Guatemala) with Anderson Tepper DTSTART:20260929T230000Z DTEND:20260930T000000Z DTSTAMP:20260730T105725Z UID:11116-1790708400-1790712000@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: David Herranz. Photo Courtesy: Bellevue Literary Press. \nEduardo Halfon\, a recipient of the Guatemala National Prize in Literature\, presents his latest book\, Tarantula\, translated from the Sp anish by Daniel Hahn. Tarantula is a novel about individual and collective inheritance and violence\; about memory\, trauma\, connection and estrang ement. Winner of the Prix Médicis Étranger\, Eduardo’s new work asks w hat it means to be a Jew living in the long aftermath of the twentieth cen tury\, and how the past lives on in the present. \nIn 1984\, Eduardo and h is younger brother\, living in exile for several years in the United State s\, travel back to their native Guatemala to attend a Jewish children’s camp in a remote forest of the highland mountains. They no longer know the ir homeland. They barely speak the language. Their parents had insisted th at they spend a few days at the camp to learn not only ways of survival in the wild\, but also ways of survival in the wild for Jewish children\, wh ich\, they have been told\, is not the same. Upon their arrival\, they are met with the promise of adventure. But early one morning\, they are rouse d from bed and forced to play a sinister game they can’t afford to lose. \nMany years later\, Eduardo\, now a father himself and living in Berlin\ , happens upon a former campmate in Paris who connects him to Samuel Blum —the counselor who kept a snake in his pocket\, had what a young Eduardo took for a tarantula crawling down his arm\, and offers no apologies for the camp’s disturbing methods. \nYou can purchase a copy of Eduardo’s book\, Tarantula\, at City of Asylum Bookstore. \nThis program will be fol lowed by a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees. \nAbout the Author: \nEduardo Halfon is th e author of The Polish Boxer\, Monastery\, Mourning\, Canción\, and Taran tula. He is the recipient of the Guatemalan National Prize in Literature\, International Latino Book Award\, Edward Lewis Wallant Award\, and Berman Literature Prize\, among many other honors. A citizen of Guatemala and Sp ain\, Halfon was born in Guatemala City\, attended school in Florida and N orth Carolina\, and has lived in Nebraska\, Spain\, Paris\, and Berlin. \n About the Moderator: \nAnderson Tepper is a guest curator of PEN America ’s World Voices Festival and a longstanding member of the Brooklyn Book Festival’s Literary Council and international committee. Formerly of Van ity Fair\, his writing on books and authors has appeared in The New York T imes\, The Los Angeles Times\, The Atlantic\, and World Literature Today\, among other publications. Anderson also serves on City of Asylum’s Advi sory Board. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfab eto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T105725Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/world-literature-eduardo-halfon/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:World of Music: Las Áñez (Colombian Folk\, Pop & Electronic Fusi on) DTSTART:20260930T230000Z DTEND:20261001T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260730T105725Z UID:11032-1790794800-1790800200@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:music DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Andrés Garzón. \nPrepare to be hypnotized by t he musical stylings of sibling duo Las Áñez. The Áñez twins’ music i s designed to be performed live with a loop pedal and small instruments\, in a minimal yet enchanting concert style. Their shows include songs from their four award-winning albums\, which have captivated audiences in ten c ountries across the Americas and Europe with their unique blend of folklor e and the avant-garde.  \n \nThis program is presented as a part of Songs in the Key of She\, a new concert series taking place in Chicago\, New Yo rk\, and Pittsburgh that features and celebrates women musicians and compo sers from around the world. Produced by the Chicago-based nonprofit Torito Arts in collaboration with City of Asylum\, the series aims to combat the underrepresentation of female musicians in the male-dominated music indus try. Songs in the Key of She is a platform in which talented women in musi c share their creativity and stories with new audiences.  \nThis engageme nt of Las Áñez is made possible in part through the Performing Arts Glob al Exchange program of Mid Atlantic Arts.  \n \nAbout the Artist: \nThe Áñez sisters are Juanita and Valentina Añez Rothmann. Both sisters sing on all their songs\, half of which are composed and arranged by each of t hem\, and they are the producers of their first three albums. Juanita play s the cuatro and percussion\, and Valentina is a pianist and percussionist . Their albums include Silbidos (2017)\, Al Aire (2017)\, Reflexión (2020 )\, Paralelas (2023)\, and\, most recently\, Duálismo Magico (2026). \nAb out Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open fo r dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T105725Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/world-of-music-las-anez/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Grace Elliott Sings Rodgers and Hart DTSTART:20261001T230000Z DTEND:20261002T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260825T181038Z UID:11441-1790881200-1790886600@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:music DESCRIPTION:The songwriting team of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart create d many masterpieces for the Great American Songbook. Vocalist Grace Elliot t\, one of Pittsburgh’s best young singers\, will present her interpreta tions of some of Rodgers and Hart’s classic songs on October 1. \nFeatur ed Musicians:\nGrace Elliott: vocals\nJoseph Seman: tenor saxophone\nAlton Merrell: piano\nLeon Boykins: bass\nThomas Wendt: drums \n  \nShare this : LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T181038Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-grace-elliott-sin gs-rodgers-and-hart/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:PGHwrites: Yona Harvey's "Leap & Grow Feathers" (Book Launch) with Khirsten L. Scott DTSTART:20261004T190000Z DTEND:20261004T200000Z DTSTAMP:20260904T181133Z UID:11444-1791126000-1791129600@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Ocean Vuong. Photo Courtesy: Yona Harvey. \nJoin Khirsten Sco tt for a conversation with Yona Harvey on her upcoming collection Leap & Grow Feathers\, which publishes on September 15\, 2026. \nBoth an instr uction and a divination\, Leap & Grow Feathers is an extraordinary trans mission. In her third full-length collection\, Yona Harvey listens—to he r predecessors\, her instincts\, and her environment—gleaning sense from the static fraying our nerves\, knowing the personal and the historical t ravel along the same frequency. \nYou can purchase a copy of Leap & Grow F eathers at the City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Author \nYona Harve y is the author of You Don’t Have to Go to Mars for Love\, winner of T he Believer Book Award in Poetry\, and Hemming the Water\, winner of the K ate Tufts Discovery Award from Claremont Graduate University and finalist for the Hurston/Wright Award. Between the publication of her first two poe try books\, Yona co-wrote Marvel Comics’ World of Wakanda\, earning an Eisner Award for best limited series\, and co-wrote the comic book series  Black Panther & the Crew. Her third poetry collection\, Season One\, Ep isode Seven\, is forthcoming in 2026. \n\nAbout the Moderator \nKhirsten L . Scott is a scholar\, educator\, and daughter of the U.S. South whose wo rk centers language\, story\, place\, and community. She is an Assistant P rofessor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education and Director of the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project. \n\nAbout Your Visit: The in- house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \n   \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T181133Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/pghwrites-yona-harveys-leap-grow-feat hers-with-khirsten-scott/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Reel Q Film Festival Presents: An International Queer Film Screeni ng DTSTART:20261005T230000Z DTEND:20261006T010000Z DTSTAMP:20260730T105725Z UID:11122-1791226800-1791234000@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:festival,film DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: City of Asylum. \nGet ready for film festival se ason!  \nEach October\, Reel Q hosts a nine-day film festival in Pittsbur gh\, PA\, celebrating LGBTQ films from across the world. Now in its 41st y ear\, Reel Q is Pittsburgh’s longest-running film festival\, the fifth o ldest LGBTQ+ film festival in the United States\, and the sixth oldest in the world. Reel Q programs approximately 20 locally first-run LGBTQ-themed full-length films and 50 to 60 short films ranging from comedies\, dramas \, and documentaries. City of Asylum is thrilled to host one such screenin g this October\, with a to-be-announced film fans are sure to love.  \nRe el Q’s mission is to increase the availability and accessibility of quee r film in Pittsburgh\, and this program features international cinema cent ering queer characters. Previous screenings have shown films such as Finla ndia (Mexico)\, Happy Together (Hong Kong)\, and The Queen of My Dreams (P akistan/Canada). \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T105725Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/reel-q-film-festival-2/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Things Left Unsaid) DTSTART:20261006T230000Z DTEND:20261007T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260730T105725Z UID:11127-1791313200-1791318600@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Since 2022\, it’s been our pleasure to partner with Story Cl ub (created by the former producers of The Moth Pittsburgh) for their mont hly nonfiction storytelling series\, Story Slam. Together\, we aim to show case a diverse range of voices and create a space for stories that resonat e across backgrounds\, perspectives\, and experiences. Each month\, we wel come open-mic storytellers to the stage to share six-minute tales that tac kle a preselected theme. This October\, Story Club says everything you wis h you could as storytellers tackle the theme Things Left Unsaid.  \nEach month\, the top storyteller\, as voted by viewers\, will win a free City o f Asylum t-shirt. Learn more here or sign up for an open mic slot at the s lam. Not interested in storytelling but still want to participate? Try joi ning a judging team and help decide the winners instead! \nAbout the Host: \nAlan Olifson is an award-winning humor columnist and comedian and was t he regular host of Pittsburgh’s monthly Moth StorySlams. He created the acclaimed storytelling series Wordplay at Bricolage Theater and now produc es the new storytelling/talk show Speakeasy at Arcade Comedy Theater. His book\, Manchild: My Life without Adult Supervision\, from Six Gallery Pres s\, is available wherever you buy books—hopefully somewhere local. \nAbo ut Your Visit:  \nThe in-house bar at Cucina Alfabeto will be open for dr inks only. Seating in the restaurant and bar is available on a first-come\ , first-served basis. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T105725Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/story-club-pgh-presents-story-slam-th ings-left-unsaid/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Artist in Exile: Mongane Wally Serote (Poet Laureate of South Afri ca) DTSTART:20261011T190000Z DTEND:20261011T200000Z DTSTAMP:20260823T120914Z UID:11177-1791730800-1791734400@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Wally Serote \nThis October\, City of Asylum i s honored to welcome South African Poet Laureate and celebrated author Mon gane Wally Serote to discuss his literary oeuvre and experience as an acti vist and author. Additionally\, Mr. Serote will commemorate the 50th anniv ersary of the Soweto rebellion\, sharing notes about his friendship with t he activist Steve Biko and other members of the Black Consciousness Moveme nt—and drawing parallels to the Black Power Movement and Black Lives Mat ter Movement in the USA. \nThis program will be followed by a public recep tion with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and at tendees. \nAbout the Author: \nSouth African poet and novelist Mongane Wal ly Serote grew up under apartheid in Sophiatown\, now a white suburb of Jo hannesburg. Politically active\, he was held without trial in solitary con finement for nine months under the regime’s Terrorism Act. Serote was ba rred from reentering South Africa in the late 1970s after earning an MFA a t Columbia University while on a Fulbright scholarship. He lived in Botswa na before settling in London. One of the Soweto “township” poets\, Ser ote writes poems that speak directly to social activism and resistance. Hi s numerous poetry collections include Yakhal’inkomo (The Cry of Cattle a t the Slaughterhouse\, 1972)\, No Baby Must Weep (1975)\, Third World Expr ess (1992)\, and History Is the Home Address (2004). His novels include To Every Birth Its Blood (1981) and Revelations (2011). Serote’s honors in clude the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa\, the Ingrid Jonker Poetry P rize\, and the Chilean government’s Pablo Neruda Award. He has also serv ed as a member of the South African Parliament. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nTh e in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for brunch from 9:30 to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412 -435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260823T120914Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/artist-in-exile-mongane-wally-serote/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:PGHwrites: grace (ge) gilbert's "Holly" with Diana Khoi Nguyen DTSTART:20261012T230000Z DTEND:20261013T000000Z DTSTAMP:20260817T181107Z UID:11132-1791831600-1791835200@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: grace (ge) gilbert. \ngrace (ge) gilbert’s d ebut full-length collection\, Holly\, merges poetry\, memoir\, and visual art in an effort to recreate the author’s grandmother\, who was murdered in her home in 1976\, and to make sense of their ensuing relationship wit h their father\, who found his mother’s body when he was eleven years ol d. \nHaving never been told explicitly by their parents about her murder\, grace pieces together their grandmother’s story through fragments\, eph emera\, history\, and the imaginary\, looking past the spectacle of the mu rdered woman and into the things that come\, like ripples\, after. \nThis program will be followed by a public reception with complimentary hors d ’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees. \nYou can purchase a copy of grace’s book\, Holly\, at City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Author: \ngrace (ge) gilbert (they/them) is a poet\, writer\, and collage artist. They received their MFA in poetry from the University of Pittsburg h in 2022\, where they now teach. They are the author of Holly (YesYes Boo ks\, 2026)\, a hybrid image and text book about the 1976 murder of their p aternal grandmother\, as well as three chapbooks. Recent work can be found in Kenyon Review\, Iowa Review\, the 2023 Best of the Net Anthology\, Ple iades\, Indiana Review\, Ninth Letter\, Adroit Journal\, and elsewhere. Th ey teach hybrid collage and poetics courses at Brooklyn Poets\, Minnesota Center for Book Arts\, and other institutions. They are passionate about m aking the hybrid arts accessible to all. \nAbout the Moderator: \nDiana Kh oi Nguyen is the author of Root Fractures and Ghost Of. A Kundiman and Mac Dowell fellow\, she teaches in the MFA programs at Randolph College and th e University of Pittsburgh. \nAbout Your Visit: \nThe in-house restaurant\ , Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for brunch from 9:30 to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a re servation. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T181107Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/pghwrites-grace-ge-gilberts-holly-wit h-diana-khoi-nguyen/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:World Literature: Georgia Gospodinov's "The Man with Many Names" w ith Angela Rodel and Anderson Tepper DTSTART:20261013T230000Z DTEND:20261014T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260904T181133Z UID:11493-1791918000-1791923400@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Phelia Barouh. Photo Courtesy: WW Norton \nFrom the International Booker Prize–winning Georgi Gospodinov comes a volum e of his finest short stories gathered over three decades. Exhibiting a w orld-renowned author at his most playful and profound\, The Man with Many Names captures the peculiarities of existence across forty tales set in and around his beloved Bulgaria\, in and around this fading world.< \nThe Man with Many Names echoes boldly through time and place\, all while rema ining uncannily attuned to the profound nature of human connection—how o ne person’s single gesture can ripple through another’s life like fate . Masterfully translated by Angela Rodel\, this is another wildly inventi ve contribution from “one of the indispensable writers of our times” ( International Booker Prize Jury). \nJoin Georgi Gospodinov and Angela R odel in conversation with Anderson Tepper on October 13. \nYou can purc hase a copy of The Man With Many Names at the City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Author:\nGeorgi Gospodinov is the recipient of the Internati onal Booker Prize and the Premio Strega\, among many other accolades. He l ives in Sofia\, Bulgaria. \nAbout the Translator:\nAngela Rodel won the I nternational Booker for translation and has received honors such as the PE N Translation Fund Grant. She lives in Sofia. \nAbout the Moderator:\nAnde rson Tepper is a guest curator of PEN America’s World Voices Festival a nd a longstanding member of the Brooklyn Book Festival’s Literary Counci l and international committee. Formerly of Vanity Fair\, his writing on b ooks and authors has appeared in The New York Times\, The Los Angeles Tim es\, The Atlantic\, and World Literature Today\, among other publication s. Anderson also serves on City of Asylum’s Advisory Board. \nAbout Your Visit:\nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Monday s and Tuesdays. \n  \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T181133Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/world-literature-georgia-gospodinovs- the-man-with-many-names-with-angela-rodel-and-anderson-tepper/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Alton Merrell Trio Presents the Life & Music of McCoy Tyner DTSTART:20261015T230000Z DTEND:20261016T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260730T105725Z UID:11129-1792090800-1792096200@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:music DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Alton Merrell \nThis performance from the Alto n Merrell Trio explores the life\, music\, and artistic development of leg endary jazz pianist McCoy Tyner. Tyner was a five-time Grammy Award-winnin g American jazz pianist and composer known best for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet.  \nThrough historical discussion\, musical analysis\, and live performance demonstrations\, audience members will gain insight i nto the social\, cultural\, familial\, spiritual\, and musical influences that contributed to Tyner’s unique artistic voice and lasting impact on jazz. This lecture-performance draws extensively on the research Dr. Alton Merrell conducted to earn his PhD in Jazz Studies.  \nFeatured musicians : \nDr. Alton Merrell: piano \nJeff Grubbs: bass \nDavid Throckmorton: dru ms \nAbout the Artist: \nDr. Alton Merrell is an internationally acclaimed pianist\, Hammond B-3 organist\, composer\, and educator whose artistry b lends jazz\, gospel\, classical\, pop\, and rhythm and blues. He has perfo rmed and taught throughout the United States\, Europe\, Asia\, and the Car ibbean\, collaborating with legendary artists including Dee Dee Bridgewate r\, Benny Golson\, Christian McBride\, Delfeayo Marsalis\, and many others . A member of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra\, Merrell has also appeared wi th major orchestras and ensembles nationwide. A gifted composer and record ing artist\, he leads The Alton Merrell Trio and released the acclaimed al bum Withholding Nothing on the Grammy Award–winning MCG Jazz label. Merr ell is the lead instructor and founder of the Minstrel School of Music\, a n innovative global education platform\, and serves as an adjunct professo r at Duquesne University and the Community College of Allegheny County. He holds a PhD in Jazz Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. \nAbout Yo ur Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinn er from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T105725Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-alton-merrell-tri o/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Artist in Exile: Olena Boryshpolets' The Bride DTSTART:20261020T230000Z DTEND:20261021T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260826T181016Z UID:11455-1792522800-1792528200@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Originally from Ukraine\, Olena Boryshpolets has been a Writer -in-Residence at the City of Asylum Fellowship for Ukrainian Writers since 2023. Join us for a presentation of her new poem The Bride. \nAbout the Author: \n\nOlena Boryshpolets is originally from Odesa\, Ukraine. They s ay you can leave Odesa\, but Odesa will never leave you. Thus\, Olena brou ght Odesa with her when she came to Pittsburgh and is ready to share this incredible city with all of us. Olena is a poet\, writer\, journalist\, ac tress\, cultural manager\, and author of the short story book Ukrainian D etox\, the book of poetry Orpheus and Eurydice in New York\, and the long -form poem New Calypso. Olena is also a member of the National Union of J ournalists of Ukraine\, a co-founder of the public organization Creativity Without Borders\, and a member of PEN America. After Russia’s full-scal e invasion of Ukraine in February 2022\, Olena traveled to Poland\, where she spent a year acting in the Polish-Ukrainian play Life in Case of War. Olena is currently a Research Scholar at Chatham University and was a Res earch Scholar at the University of Pittsburgh from 2023 to 2026\, and has been a Writer-in-Residence at the City of Asylum Fellowship for Ukrainian Writers since 2023. \n\nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T181016Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/artist-in-exile-olena-boryshpolets-th e-bride/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: James Johnson III's Nature-Inspired Original Compositions (with Strings) DTSTART:20261022T230000Z DTEND:20261023T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260730T105725Z UID:11135-1792695600-1792701000@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:music DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: James Johnson III. \nAfter fusing jazz and hip hop this spring with his new group\, The Soup Session\, drummer and compo ser James Johnson III continues to take leaps of connection with a project three years in the making. This time\, he invites us into a world where t raditional jazz\, the bounty of nature\, and the allure of strings meld in to one dynamic suite of sound. This performance presents a suite of origin al compositions\, teaming up a trio of strings and a traditional jazz quin tet for a nature-inspired evening of innovation.  \nAbout the Artist: \nJ ames Johnson III began playing the drums at the age of five in his hometow n of Pittsburgh\, Pennsylvania. Johnson attended CAPA\, Pittsburgh’s hig h school for the creative and performing arts. It was there that he came u nder the mentorship of the drummer Roger Humphries. Upon graduating high s chool\, James was invited to tour with jazz legend Ahmad Jamal. With Ahmad \, James performed all over the world\, appearing in major jazz venues suc h as Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. As a member of the Ahmad Jamal trio\, James has also appeared at major festivals such as the Cully Jazz Festival in Switzerland\, the North Sea Jazz Festival in South Africa\, an d the Dublin Jazz Festival. James has also performed with the Jazz at Linc oln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis\, George Coleman\, James Moody\, Sean Jones\, Monty Alexander\, Mulgrew Miller\, Russell Ferrante\, Bob Mi ntzer\, Kenny Werner\, and Hubert Laws. In addition to his performance sch edule\, James currently serves on the music faculty at the Afro American M usic Institute\, University of Pittsburgh\, and Chatham University. His se cond solo album\, Between\, was released in 2019. \nAbout Your Visit:  \n The in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 1 0 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T105725Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-james-johnson-iii / X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series Presents: Frost Medal Winne r Mei-mei Berssenbrugge with Diana Khoi Nguyen DTSTART:20261025T190000Z DTEND:20261025T200000Z DTSTAMP:20260820T001033Z UID:11138-1792940400-1792944000@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Kelly Writers House staff. Photo Courtesy: New D irections\, Diana Khoi Nguyen. \nOne of America’s foremost poets\, Mei-m ei Berssenbrugge is associated with the poetry of the New York School\, an d her work is noted for its interdisciplinary nature—often drawing from phenomenology\, science\, nature\, and visual art. This October\, the prol ific artist will visit City of Asylum for a reading and conversation with fellow poet Diana Khoi Nguyen.  \nThis program is presented in partnershi p with the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series\, which is directed by D iana at the University of Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series brings notable writers to Pittsburgh every year. The series is free and open to the public and features contemporary writers with extraordina ry talent in fiction\, nonfiction\, and poetry. Past presenters include Ge orge Saunders\, Maxine Hong Kingston\, Gay Talese\, Richard Ford\, John Ed gar Wideman\, John McPhee\, Dan Chaon\, Lucille Clifton\, Anne Carson\, Ma rk Doty\, and Michael Ondaatje\, among others. \nThis program will be foll owed by a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees.  \nAbout the Artist: \nBorn in Beijing\,  Mei-mei Berssenbrugge is the author of fourteen books of poetry. Her late st collection A Treatise on Stars was shortlisted for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. She is the recipient of the Bollingen Prize for Poetry\, the Mary McCarthy Prize for public engagement and in 2026\, T he Frost Medal. Her collaborations include works in theater\, dance\, musi c\, and the visual arts. Her work with George Lewis and The Crossing Choir received a Grammy Award in 2025. She lives in northern New Mexico and Mai ne. \nAbout the Moderator: \nDiana Khoi Nguyen is the author of Root Fract ures and Ghost Of. A Kundiman and MacDowell fellow\, she teaches in the MF A programs at Randolph College and the University of Pittsburgh. \nAbout Y our Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for bru nch from 9:30 to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit Open Table or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260820T001033Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/pittsburgh-contemporary-writers-serie s/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:PGHwrites: Andrew Swensen & Yan Pang's "Shelter" (Musical Theatre Production) DTSTART:20261027T230000Z DTEND:20261028T010000Z DTSTAMP:20260730T105725Z UID:10567-1793127600-1793134800@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:theater DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Andrew Swensen \nThis special PGHwrites progra m features a staged performance of Andrew Swensen and Yan Pang’s Shelter \, building off the showcase held at City of Asylum last fall. Shelter tel ls the story of scars carried from childhood into adulthood\, exploring ho w they distort our vision of ourselves and damage our relationships\, but also ultimately create the challenges by which we claim our strength and a chieve self-determination.  \nPaige\, our protagonist\, takes a journey t hrough a series of memories\, traveling with her childhood self through he r past. Her life telescopes into an unhealthy mix of self-serving selfless ness and psychological isolation\, a well-wrought “shelter” that she h as constructed from the pain of life. She emerges on the other side when s he confronts her own role in what she has become\, releases her blame towa rd her mother\, and opens herself to the prospect of a genuine\, balanced connection to another.  \nAbout the Artists: \nAndrew Swensen (Book and L yrics) began work on Shelter in 2020 and has had the remarkable good fortu ne to work with composer Yan Pang since 2023 in order to bring this musica l to life. When not writing musicals\, Swensen serves as a faculty member at the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University\, working in the MFA program Writing for the Stage and Screen and in the Department of Cinema\, and he is the Executive Director of the Chamber Orchestra of P ittsburgh. Past creative projects include being the co-author and lyricist of the musical The Golden Door\; the co-writer\, producer\, and executive producer of the film Journey to Normal\; and the executive producer of th e film In Service. His professional background includes work with a variet y of nonprofit organizations\, spanning performing\, visual\, and narrativ e arts. Previously\, he held faculty positions at Brandeis University\, Ha milton College\, Wellesley College\, and Western Michigan University\, and his teaching and research have spanned narrative and aesthetic theory\, c omparative cultural studies\, literature\, and film. \nYan Pang (Composer) began working with librettist Andrew Swensen in 2023 on Shelter and has f ound incredible reward in creating the musical voice and vision for this w ork. As this work comes to life\, she is so grateful to have the opportuni ty to share the work with audiences. Pang’s career has spanned the roles of a composer\, performer\, educator\, and scholar\, with work exploring the range of possibilities in intercultural music creation. Her compositio ns blend Chinese folk traditions with Western operatic and music-theater f orms to explore themes of resilience\, solidarity\, and immigration. Her w orks have been featured in international collections and competitions\, in cluding For Archie\, Nowhere Home\, and The Others (Contemporary Music Sco re Collection\, UCLA). She is also the songwriter and music director of th e album Glory Times (China Science & Cultural Audio-Video Publishing House ). As a performer and composer\, Pang has worked regularly in performance- based and collaborative contexts\, including performing original compositi ons for MIXTAPE Dance in collaboration with choreographer Jason “J-Sun ” Noer and music director Stefon “Bionik” Taylor. Pang holds a facul ty position as Assistant Professor of Music at Point Park University\, whe re she teaches a range of courses in support of programs in theater\, musi cal theater\, and dance.  \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant \, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T105725Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/pghwrites-andrew-swensen-yan-pangs-sh elter-musical-theatre-production/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:World of Music: Christopher Mark Jones' "Montréal Encore” (Enco re) (French Songs) DTSTART:20261028T230000Z DTEND:20261029T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260820T181039Z UID:11141-1793214000-1793219400@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:music DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: David Graham. Photo Courtesy: Christopher Mark J ones \nChristopher Mark Jones returns with a celebration of his French-lan guage album Montréal Encore\, premiered with his collaborator Bernard Poz ier at City of Asylum in March of 2023. This concert features selections f rom that album and mix-ins by Québécois\, French Caribbean\, and Parisia n singer-songwriters—the likes of Boris Vian\, Michel Rivard\, Louis Ara gon\, and Henri Salvador. \n \nFeatured Musicians: \nChristopher Mark Jone s: vocals\, guitar\nBrad Yoder: vocal harmonies\, guitar\, saxophone\, glo ckenspiel\nMark Perna: bass\nEric George: African djembe and hand cymbals\ nMatt Siegler: piano and accordion\n \nAbout the Artist: \nChristopher Mar k Jones draws from folk\, country\, blues\, jazz\, and r&b sources to stag e his literate folk-rock meditations. Using diverse points of view to narr ate and critique life and love in uncertain times\, he invites listeners t o think\, feel\, and dance. Recorded and live arrangements leave space for his musical co-conspirators to both express their personalities and honor the host creation. Listeners hear echoes of “Greg Brown’s pacing and a Lyle Lovett attitude” (Ben Shannon)\, as well as of John Prine\, Bruce Coburn\, and Darrell Scott. Between careers as a basketball player and Fr ench professor\, Christopher busked in Paris\, toured the UK\, Denmark\, a nd Holland\, and played New England clubs. He now tours and streams solo f rom Pittsburgh\, PA\, and plays regionally in formats varying from solo to full band. Looking for the Light (2021) is his sixth recording of origina l folk/roots songs\, while Montréal Encore (2022) is a French-language re cording created in collaboration with the poet Bernard Pozier. \nAbout You r Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinne r from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260820T181039Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/world-of-music-christopher-mark-jones -montreal-encore/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Stephen Philip Harvey Octet's "Mythos" (Album Preview) DTSTART:20261029T230000Z DTEND:20261030T003000Z DTSTAMP:20260730T105725Z UID:11144-1793300400-1793305800@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:music DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Stephen Philip Harvey \nMusic has the power to transport us somewhere larger than life\, to create legendary worlds wher e we are able to connect to forces greater than ourselves. After a 2023 pe rformance at Alphabet City with their grounded\, nature-inspired album\, E lemental\, the Stephen Philip Harvey Octet returns this fall to entrance a udiences with their latest project\, Mythos. This concert offers a preview into the world of Mythos—an album of original compositions inspired by African diaspora mythology\, sure to bring some magic back into the world.   \nFeatured Musicians: \nStephen Philip Harvey: tenor sax\, compositions \nChris Coles: alto sax \nTommy Lehman: trumpet  \nReggie Watkins: tromb one \nDan Bruce: guitar \nTheron Brown: piano \nJordan McBride: bass \nDan iel May: drums \nAbout the Artist: \nStephen Philip Harvey is an award-win ning saxophonist\, composer\, and bandleader whose music blends jazz tradi tion with cinematic storytelling and contemporary Black American music. Hi s latest album\, Multiversal: Live at Bop Stop (2025)\, has been praised b y DownBeat as “instrumental jazz fireworks” and by UK Vibe as “a bol d\, super-powered live album.” Harveyleads several ensembles\, including SPHJO\, SPH8\, Sphinx\, and SPH+2\, and serves as Music Director of Delma rva Public Media. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T105725Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-stephen-philip-ha rvey-octet/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Germany on Campus Presents: The Power of Translation – German Am erican Cultural Exchanges with Lin Hierse & Translator Jon Cho-Polizzi DTSTART:20261101T200000Z DTEND:20261101T210000Z DTSTAMP:20260819T181036Z UID:11161-1793545200-1793548800@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Lin Hierse and Jon Cho-Polizzi \nWhat brings p eople to today’s Berlin? What makes them stay? For some\, the city is a place of refuge\, from war and persecution\, bigotry or boredom. For other s\, it’s the history or the nightlife or the broad green spaces that att ract them—or haunt them. A few are just born there.  \nThis book launch introduces American audiences to Berlin Babel\, a collection of 14 short stories by Berliners on what brings people to Berlin and what makes them s tay. Newly translated into English\, this anthology is the first-ever inte rnational anthology of contemporary writing on Berlin. It is presented as part of the annual Germany on Campus series hosted by the University of Pi ttsburgh’s German Department and sponsored by the German Embassy. This y ear’s theme is “German-American Relations: Past\, Present and Future – The Pittsburgh Story.”  \nBuilding on a tradition of collaboration with the embassy for previous “Germany on Campus” series\, the German Department at the University of Pittsburgh presents a “Germany on Campus ” program for the Fall of 2026 which entwines the rich historical German roots of Western Pennsylvania with today’s close ties between our regio n and Germany. Through the regional lens\, they aim to highlight an import ant aspect of our transatlantic relationship: the role close German-Americ an relations have played in generating prosperity for both nations and pea ce. Hence\, the sequence of events is designed to consider how we can buil d on the post-1945 strength of German-American relations to ensure a mutua lly beneficial future. To this end\, the German Department\, in collaborat ion with the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Programs and the European Studies Center\, will present a total of four events and one exhibit. \nB erlin Babel presents short stories by writers originating from Syria\, Tur key\, China\, the UK\, the US\, the Netherlands\, Spain\, Russia\, Germany \, Italy\, and India. From Arabic to Italian to Yiddish\, the stories are beautifully translated from eight different languages\, capturing life in Berlin with all its despairs and joys while uniting a wide range of perspe ctives. With contributions by Odai Al Zoubi\, Carla Berges\, Leon Craig\, Ulrike Draesner\, Linda Farata\, FENG Yurui\, Lin Hierse\, LJ Kessels\, Na tasha Podlyzhnyak\, Nainy Sahani\, Jake Schneider\, Meral Şimşek\, David Wagner\, and Jane Yager\, Berlin Babel is an anthology designed for all t hose who already love the city\, and for anyone curious to discover it. \n This program will be followed by a public reception with complimentary hor s d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees. \nAbout the Writer : \nLin Hierse is a prolific author\, journalist\, poet\, and public intel lectual. With a background in Asian Studies and Human Geography\, she is a longtime contributor to several major German journals and periodicals\; s he wrote the biweekly column “Poetical Correctness” in taz from 2020-2 023. Her acclaimed autofictional debut novel Wovon wir träumen [What We Dream Of] was published in 2022 and follows the interconnected stories of three generations of women whose lives are ruptured and reunited through the experience of migration and life in the Chinese diaspora. It was follo wed in 2024 by her sophomore novel Das Verschwinden der Welt [The Disappe aring World]\, a novel that chronicles the life of an aging tenement build ing in the outskirts of Shanghai: a one-time refuge for peasants from the Chinese countryside\, it later became home to Jewish refugees during WW2\, and new urban milieu following the Cultural Revolution\, before falling i nto forgetfulness and disrepair with the rapid gentrification of the 21st- century city. A translation of her short story\, “KTV Girl” appeared i n the recent English-language anthology Berlin Babel. \nAbout the Translat or/Moderator: \nJon Cho-Polizzi is an award-winning literary translator an d Assistant Professor of German at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Jon r eceived a concurrent PhD from UC Berkeley in German and Medieval Studies i n 2020. His work highlights the diversity of contemporary German literatur e at the intersections of migration and multilingualism. Jon’s translati on of Fatma Aydemir’s Djinns received the Society of Author’s 2025 S chlegel-Tieck Prize\; his translation of Max Czollek’s De-Integrate: A Jewish Survival Guide for the 21st Century received the 2024 Helen and Ku rt Wolff Translator’s Prize. His translation of Ralph Tharayil’s Roll Back the Mountains is forthcoming with Seagull Books. \nAbout Your Visit :  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for brunch from 9:30 to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260819T181036Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/germany-on-campus-presents-the-power- of-translation/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Ties That Bind) DTSTART:20261104T000000Z DTEND:20261104T013000Z DTSTAMP:20260803T004854Z UID:11165-1793732400-1793737800@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Since 2022\, it’s been our pleasure to partner with Story Cl ub (created by the former producers of The Moth Pittsburgh) for their mont hly nonfiction storytelling series\, Story Slam. Together\, we aim to show case a diverse range of voices and create a space for stories that resonat e across backgrounds\, perspectives\, and experiences. Each month\, we wel come open-mic storytellers to the stage to share six-minute tales that tac kle a preselected theme. This November\, Story Club PGH talks connections you just can’t shake with the Story Slam theme Ties That Bind.  \nEach month\, the top storyteller\, as voted by viewers\, will win a free City o f Asylum t-shirt. Learn more here or sign up for an open mic slot at the s lam. Not interested in storytelling but still want to participate? Try joi ning a judging team and help decide the winners instead! \nAbout the Host: \nAlan Olifson is an award-winning humor columnist and comedian and was t he regular host of Pittsburgh’s monthly Moth StorySlams. He created the acclaimed storytelling series Wordplay at Bricolage Theater and now produc es the new storytelling/talk show Speakeasy at Arcade Comedy Theater. His book\, Manchild: My Life without Adult Supervision\, from Six Gallery Pres s\, is available wherever you buy books—hopefully somewhere local. \nAbo ut Your Visit:  \nThe in-house bar at Cucina Alfabeto will be open for dr inks only. Seating in the restaurant and bar is available on a first-come\ , first-served basis. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T004854Z LOCATION:PA URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/story-slam-ties-that-bind/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Paul Thompson Quintet Celebrates the Music of Jaco Pastorius DTSTART:20261106T000000Z DTEND:20261106T013000Z DTSTAMP:20260805T062609Z UID:11180-1793905200-1793910600@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:music DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: David Roth \nThis November concert at City of As ylum welcomes Paul Thompson\, one of Pittsburgh’s greatest jazz bassists and disciple of the bass-drum connection\, for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jaco Pastorius’ eponymous debut album.  \nJaco Pastorius \, recognized by many as the man who revolutionized how the bass guitar is played\, was a drummer before he ever picked up a bass. In high school\, fate intervened\, and Pastorius became the bassist in the soul cover band\ , Las Olas Brass. The rest was history. Throughout his illustrious career\ , Pastorius built a reputation as a highly regarded American jazz bassist\ , composer\, and producer\, widely considered to be one of the greatest an d most influential bassists of all time \nFeatured Musicians: \nScott Boni : sax \nJoe Sheehan: piano \nPaul Thompson: bass \nGeorge Heid III: drums \nAbout the Artist: \nPaul Thompson has been playing bass professionally f or over 30 years\, including recording and touring stints with trumpeter M aynard Ferguson and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Recent playing credits include Hubert Laws\, Geri Allen\, Michael Feinstein\, and Bob James. Cur rently\, he can be seen playing around the Pittsburgh area with Salsamba!\ , THOTH Trio\, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra\, in pit orchestras at the By ham and New Hazlett Theaters\, or performing with some of our city’s ric h jazz community. An active educator\, Paul currently teaches Jazz Bass at Duquesne University and West Virginia University and is an Adjunct Instru mental Music teacher at his alma mater\, Pittsburgh CAPA 6–12 Performing Arts School. More at: http://www.youtube.com/pdbass  \nAbout Your Visit:   \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservat ion. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260805T062609Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-paul-thompson-qui ntet-2/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Two of Anything's New Compositions (with Audi ence Participation!) DTSTART:20261113T000000Z DTEND:20261113T013000Z DTSTAMP:20260806T003120Z UID:11182-1794510000-1794515400@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:music DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Joseph Wyman. \nThis November\, City of Asylum w elcomes Patrick Breiner’s trio of exciting Pittsburgh musicians—who we lcome audience participation—for a performance full of brand new music! Two of Anything’s compositions are inspired by the work of artists such as Henry Threadgill\, Anthony Braxton\, John Zorn\, and the Association fo r the Advancement of Creative Musicians. Reserve two (or three or four!) o f tickets and come support new music in Pittsburgh! \nFeatured Musicians: \nPatrick Breiner: compositions\, saxophone\, clarinet\, bass clarinet \nA ntonio Croes: keybird piano\, harmonium\, melodica \nMark Micchelli: grand piano\, preparations \nAbout the Band: \nTwo of Anything’s current stat us is two of piano. Also sometimes two of melodica. But! Two of Anything c ould be two of something else. Or\, perhaps\, one each of many different t hings. Three of musicians. Four of ears. Six of hands.  \nAbout the Artis t: \nPatrick Breiner is a saxophonist\, clarinetist\, and composer in Pitt sburgh\, PA. He helped found the Tough Pill concert series\, held on third Thursdays at the Government Center\, which is rapidly approaching its thr ee-year anniversary! Sonic collaborations include: Battle Trance (New Amst erdam / NNA Tapes) and VAX (pronounced “fasjsh”). In addition to his m usical undertakings\, Patrick is sometimes a theater/dance/puppetry perfor mer and collaborator. Patrick is a Vandoren Artist. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation . \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260806T003120Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-two-of-anything/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:World Literature: Jamaica Kincaid's "Putting Myself Together" (Ant igua) with Anderson Tepper DTSTART:20261118T000000Z DTEND:20261118T010000Z DTSTAMP:20260826T181016Z UID:11119-1794942000-1794945600@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Bob Anderson. Photo Courtesy: Macmillan. \nMy ig norance was on my side. I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t know what to be afra id of. I did one thing\, I did another. I did what I now call crashing abo ut. One day I started to write. \nThis November\, City of Asylum welcomes prolific author and essayist Jamaica Kincaid to share her PEN/Diamonstein- Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay–winning collection\, Putting M yself Together. The collection features nearly 50 years of Jamaica Kincaid ’s writing about gardening\, friendship\, and racism.  \nPutting Myself Together includes some of Jamaica’s earliest pieces from publications s uch as The New Yorker\, The Village Voice\, and Ms.\, proving what her adm irers have always known: from the start\, she has been a consummate stylis t\, and she has always been herself. \nFrom “Jamaica Kincaid’s New Yor k\,” which narrates her move to the city from Antigua at the age of 16\, to the classic “Biography of a Dress\,” her cultural criticism\, and her original thinking about the meaning of the garden\, Kincaid writes abo ut the world as she finds it\, imparting her own quizzical\, rapier-sharp response to whatever crosses her path. \nThe resulting collection is a bri lliant\, trenchant\, hilarious self-portrait of the artist and a testament to how this inimitable\, self-created mind and spirit\, endowed with wit\ , humor\, and fearlessness\, has become one of our greatest\, most origina l writers. \nYou can purchase a copy of Jamaica’s book\, Putting Myself Together\, at City of Asylum Bookstore. \nThis program will be followed by a public reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks for all artists and attendees. \nAbout the Author:\nJamaica Kincaid was born in St. John’s\, Antigua. Her books include At the Bottom of the River\, An nie John\, Lucy\, The Autobiography of My Mother\, My Brother\, Mr. Potter \, See Now Then\, and\, with Kara Walker\, An Encyclopedia of Gardening f or Colored Children. She lives in Vermont. \nAbout the Moderator:\nAnderso n Tepper is a guest curator of PEN America’s World Voices Festival and a longstanding member of the Brooklyn Book Festival’s Literary Council an d international committee. Formerly of Vanity Fair\, his writing on books and authors has appeared in The New York Times\, The Los Angeles Times\, T he Atlantic\, and World Literature Today\, among other publications. Ander son also serves on City of Asylum’s Advisory Board. \nAbout Your Visit:   \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T181016Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/world-literature-jamaica-kincaid/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Joe Sheehan Quartet’s Charts of Legendary P laces (Inspired by Umberto Eco’s "The Book of Legendary Lands") DTSTART:20261120T000000Z DTEND:20261120T013000Z DTSTAMP:20260810T002720Z UID:11185-1795114800-1795120200@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:music DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: David Roth \nComposer and pianist Joe Sheehan wa s always fascinated by maps\, as they were a portal to dream about unknown places. After reading Umberto Eco’s The Book of Legendary Lands\, Joe k new he wanted to create new compositions inspired by some of his favorite fantasy\, mythical\, and legendary settings. In this transportive Thursday Night Jazz performance\, Joe and his quartet share the new project result ing from that inspiration: a suite of all-original compositions inspired b y fictional legendary places\, including Atlantis and Taprobane.  \nFeatu red Musicians:  \nJoseph Seman: saxophone\, bansuri \nJoseph Sheehan: pia no\, percussion \nDenzel Chismar-Oliver: bass \nJames Johnson III: drums \ nAbout the Artist: \nJoseph Sheehan is a pianist\, composer\, and educator whose work lies at the intersections of jazz\, global folk\, and classica l traditions. His music and performances seek to express wisdom\, humility \, openness\, and joy. At the heart of his work is the ensemble Kinetic\, a music collective he founded whose performances blend global folk traditi ons with modern jazz. The group has released two albums (Dances of Lake Vo lta and Songs of Lake Volta) interweaving Ghanaian folk song with original music composed by Sheehan. The recordings draw “magnificent connecting threads from classical music and contemporary jazz to the music of West Af rica… buoyed by soaring melodies and infectious rhythms” (Textura.org) and “make a fascinating\, in-depth approach to a creative universe…a real treasure” (Sonagrama Magazine). Open to many paths of musical activ ity\, Sheehan has performed with jazz masters in Pittsburgh and beyond\; t raditional music experts from China\, Cuba\, Ghana\, Senegal\, and Uganda\ ; classical ensembles and musicians\; rappers and poets\; and pop/R&B musi cians. His piano playing is rooted in Pittsburgh’s historic jazz scene\, and his compositions are informed by immersive field research of folk mus ic as well as university studies in classical composition. \nAbout Your Vi sit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner fr om 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a rese rvation. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260810T002720Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-joe-sheehan-quart et/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Slipped Through My Fingers) DTSTART:20261202T000000Z DTEND:20261202T013000Z DTSTAMP:20260814T060918Z UID:11188-1796151600-1796157000@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:literary DESCRIPTION:Since 2022\, it’s been our pleasure to partner with Story Cl ub (created by the former producers of The Moth Pittsburgh) for their mont hly nonfiction storytelling series\, Story Slam. Together\, we aim to show case a diverse range of voices and create a space for stories that resonat e across backgrounds\, perspectives\, and experiences. Each month\, we wel come open-mic storytellers to the stage to share six-minute tales that tac kle a preselected theme. This December\, Story Club PGH takes on those mom ents when you lose it all with the theme Slipped Through My Fingers.  \nE ach month\, the top storyteller\, as voted by viewers\, will win a free Ci ty of Asylum t-shirt. Learn more here or sign up for an open mic slot at t he slam. Not interested in storytelling but still want to participate? Try joining a judging team and help decide the winners instead! \nAbout the H ost: \nAlan Olifson is an award-winning humor columnist and comedian and w as the regular host of Pittsburgh’s monthly Moth StorySlams. He created the acclaimed storytelling series Wordplay at Bricolage Theater and now pr oduces the new storytelling/talk show Speakeasy at Arcade Comedy Theater. His book\, Manchild: My Life without Adult Supervision\, from Six Gallery Press\, is available wherever you buy books—hopefully somewhere local. \ nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house bar at Cucina Alfabeto will be open fo r drinks only. Seating in the restaurant and bar is available on a first-c ome\, first-served basis. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260814T060918Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/story-club-pgh-slipped-through-my-fin gers/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Mila Shadel Quartet Plays Jazzy Renditions of Joni Mitchell DTSTART:20261204T000000Z DTEND:20261204T013000Z DTSTAMP:20260828T061023Z UID:11190-1796324400-1796329800@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:music DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Brian Herman. Photo Courtesy: Mila Shadel. \nLif elong guitarist Mila Shadel shares her fully original arrangements of the music of Joni Mitchell\, one of her musical heroes. Joni Mitchell is one o f the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of all time\, and has long been on e of Mila’s favorite artists of all time. No matter what new music or ne w discoveries may come\, Mila always listens to and returns to Joni. She e specially admires how Joni’s sound\, while always sounding like Joni\, h as constantly evolved with the decades\, shifting seamlessly and fluidly b etween folk and jazz.  \nAbout the Artist: \nMila Shadel hails from Pitts burgh\, Pennsylvania\, and hasn’t put her guitar down since she first pi cked it up at the age of 10. She attended Duquesne University\, where she received her degree in Jazz Guitar performance. While she was there\, she started playing in the vibrant local Pittsburgh jazz scene\, which allowed her to get experience on the bandstand and to learn about the rich music history that the scene has to offer. Since her college days\, she has cont inued to work with some of the best jazz musicians in Pittsburgh and has s tarted to lead her own groups at different venues. The music she plays in her shows reflects the classic jazz guitar trio sound\, often pulling from the discographies of George Benson\, Wes Montgomery\, Pat Martino\, Pat M etheny\, and Emily Remler. Her own compositions are heavily influenced by the musicians in her life and reflect her deep love for the music. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for d inner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to mak e a reservation. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260828T061023Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-mila-shadel-quart et-2/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Lou Stellute Quintet (with Three Tenors!) Pre sents Something to Talk About DTSTART:20261211T000000Z DTEND:20261211T013000Z DTSTAMP:20260901T061049Z UID:11192-1796929200-1796934600@cityofasylum.org CATEGORIES:music DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Lou Stellute.  \nSaxophonist Lou Stellute lea ds two other saxophonists—Scott Boni and Ben Opie—and a rhythm section filled out by Paul Thompson and George Heid III in a program featuring mu ltiphonics and completely improvised tunes\, sure to be a hit among fans o f free jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman. The performance will feature thre e songs loosely based on jazz standards—you’ll think you know what’s coming\, and then the band will transform the tracks beyond recognition. After that\, all bets are off! The remaining tunes will be completely impr ovised. It is a celebration of being in the moment and creating in the mom ent\, a “very unique\, very exciting” performance Lou himself describe s as exuding the “maximum amount of freedom.” \nFeatured Musicians: \n Lou Stellute: tenor saxophone \nScott Boni: tenor saxophone \nBen Opie: te nor saxophone \nPaul Thompson: bass \nGeorge Heid III: drums \nAbout the A rtist: \nLou Stellute is not only a favorite of City of Asylum audiences\; he’s a Pittsburgh Jazz Legend (Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild) and winn er of the Pittsburgh Players’ Choice Award who has been performing inter nationally\, composing for films\, and recording music for 72 years. He ha s worked in many legendary\, national jazz clubs such as the Blue Note\, V illage Vanguard\, Lenny’s on the Turnpike\, and the Key Club. Currently with Roger Humphries & RH Factor\, with whom he has been playing for 28 ye ars\, Lou Stellute is known for his big sound\, versatility\, and animated playing. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabet o\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 41 2-435-1111 to make a reservation. \nShare this: LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T061049Z LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, Un ited States URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-lou-stellute-quin tet/ X-SOURCE-NAME:City of Asylum X-SOURCE-URL:https://www.alphabetcity.org END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR