These poets are part of a project called PUP, “Poets in Unexpected Places” or “Pop-Up Poets.” They do exactly what their name implies: pop up in unexpected public locations (like the subway, the Botanic Gardens, a supermarket) to read poetry.  You can read about some of their experiences on their blog, in which they detail stories of people’s reactions to their performances.  My favorite, I think, is their most recent post about a Q-train ride in which one of the riders got up and started dancing, while the rest of the car clapped and cheered!  Such unexpected joy in the middle of a city that is known for its public mask of anonymity (the summer that I worked in Manhattan, we were distinctly advised by our HR trainers to put on a confident, stand-offish “subway face” while riding public transit in order to avoid sticking out).  I love the idea of bringing poetry to public spaces at unexpected times, of incorporating it into the everyday rhythms of life in playful and soul-filled ways.  PUP thrives on the idea that poetry is (and may at any time) be all around us, and that its wild spontaneity and beauty is something to be celebrated, all day, every day.

I love the idea of bringing PUP-style projects to other parts of the nation, too.  Watching the video got me all revved up imagining what it would be like to have a PUP style group in quiet little South Bend, IN, or in my parents’ tiny hometown in NJ—wouldn’t it be cool if  poets popped up in the middle of  a bank lobby, or on the South Shore line or Riverline, or in front of the public library, or in the middle of a mall or a cafe or bar?  Or even in the grocery lines at Costco or Meijer?  Or in the different departments?  You could have poets in all the aisles!  Have you ever participated in a guerilla-style poetry project?  If so, please do share your experience with us; we’d love to hear your stories!

Chicagoland

Sandra Lim & Travis Nichols at Danny’s Reading Series
February 24 | 7:30 to 9 pm
Danny’s Tavern
1951 W. Dickens, Chicago

RHINO Reads! Poetry in Translation — Indonesian, Arabic, Tagalog, Chinese
Feburary 26 | 6-8 pm
Bros K, 500 Main St., Evanston, IL
[Open Mic 6:00 - 6:30 | Featured Poets 6:40 - 8:00]

Cleveland

A Reading with Poets Jason Koo, Simone Muench, and Mathias Svalina
February 25 | 7:30 pm
Cleveland State University, Main Classroom134
1899 East 22 Street

New York City

Riggio Forum: Cave Canem’s Poets on Craft
February 25 | 6:30 to 8 pm
The New School
Theresa Lang Community and Student Center
Arnhold Hall
55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor

Bowery Books Presents: A Book Party & Reading by Fay Chiang for 7 Continents, 9 Lives
February 27 | 2 pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (btwn. Houston & Bleeker)

San Francisco

Youth Speaks Poetry Slam Championship
February 26 | 7 pm
San Francisco Public Library
Koret Auditorium
100 Larkin St.
FREE and open to the publoc/

Blaze of Glory [Hyphen #19 "Trailblazing" Release Party]
February 26 | 9 pm-2 am
111 Minna Gallery, 111 Minna St.
$10 | $20 includes 1 yr subscription (50% discount)
RSVP on Facebook or Going.com

San Jose, CA

SJSU Center for Literary Arts presents Marilyn Chin
February 25 | In Conversation w/ Sarn Maio @ 1:30 pm, Reading @ 7 pm
Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Rm. 225-229
150 East San Fernando Street

St. Paul, MN

Breathin’: An Evening of Spoken Word and Music with Eddy Zheng and DOSH
February 26 | 7-9 PM
Smail Gallery, Olin-Rice Science Center
Macalester College
[See here for more info about Eddy Zheng]

Washington, D.C.

Community: Chinese, American, and German Poetry (Time Shadows Poetry Reading)
(Poetry highlighting the diversity of DC Chinatown’s immigrant population)
February 7 | 2 to 4 pm
Goethe-Institut Washington, GoetheForum
812 Seventh Street, NW
RSVP to 202-289-1200 ext. 170 or to rsvp[at]washington(dot)goethe(dot)org

New York City

Creativity And Activism: Celebrating the Lives of Mine Okubo and Mishi Nishiura Weglyn
February 19 | 6-8:30 pm
New York University
5 Washington Place, Rm. 101
Please call, email, or use online form to RSVP

Quick Love: A One-Day Workshop on the Heart’s Poetry with Purvi Shah
February 20 | 1-4 pm
Asian American Writers’ Workshop
16 West 32nd Street, Suite 10A
Admission: $40 | $36 for members

Book Party for Jason Koo’s Man on Extremely Small Island
February 20 | 7-9 pm
Asian American Writers’ Workshop
16 West 32nd Street, 10th Floor
$5 Suggested donation (open to the public)

SULU Series feat. Hanalei Ramos, Jay Legaspi, Jackie Mariano, Triangle Offense, Napon Pintong
February 21 | 8 pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (btwn. Houston and Bleeker)
Admission: $8 | $5 for students

Page Meets Stage Presents: Yusef Komunyakaa and Tyehimba Jess
February 24 | 8 pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (btwn. Houston and Bleeker)

Philadelphia

Family Style Open Mic hosted by Yellow Rage (and feat. Jay Legaspi)
February 19 | 7:30 pm
Asian Arts Initiative
1219 Vine St.
$5-10 sliding scale admission
(advance sign-ups highly recommended for performers)

San Francisco

The Art of Found Objects: A Visual Art Workshop with Truong Tran
February 20 | 10 am – 2 pm
Mina Dresden Gallery
312 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
$40 Registration Fee

Duende Within: Flamenco Inspired Poetry (presented by the PAWA Arkipelago Literary Series)
feat. poets Sandy Mcintosh, Eileen Tabios, Edwin Agustín Lozada, and Michelle Bautista
February 21 | 2 pm
Bayanihan Community Center
1010 Mission Street
FREE

San Jose, CA

Marilyn Chin (presented by the SJSU Center for Literary Arts)
Februrary 24 | 3 pm
Mt. Pleasant High School
1750 South White Rd.

Washington, D.C.

Smithsonian Annual Day of Remembrance, feat. Philip Kan Gotanda and Prof. Scott Kurishage
[Marking the 68th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066]
February 20 | 2 pm
Carmichael Auditorium
National Museum of American History
14th Street & Constitution Avenue, NW

*SPARKLE* Open Mic Poetry hosted by Regie Cabico and Danielle Evennou
February 24 | 9 pm
Busboys & Poets (5th & K location)
1025 5th St. NW
Admission: $3 (wristbands sold at Global Exchange store starting 10 am)

Atlanta

Heather Christle (poet) and Oindrila Mukherjee (fiction writer & trans. of Bengali poetry)
Emory Reading Series
February 15 | 6:30 PM
Joseph W. Jones Room, 311 Woodruff Library
Emory University

Boston

East Meets Words Open Mic (feat. Payal Sharma)
Presented by the Boston Progress Arts Collective
February 12 | 8 pm
East Meets West Bookstore
934 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge
Suggested $3 Donation

New York City

Making Friends with Your Writing: Poetry & Fiction Workshop with Ken Chen
Thurs, Feb 11, Tuesdays, Feb 16-Mar 2, 7-8:30pm (4 sessions)
Asian American Writers Workshop
16 West 32nd Street Suite 10A
Between Broadway and Fifth Avenue
$160 General / $140 Members
$40 General Deposit / $36.00 Members
Register here.

Poetry & Prose Reading feat. Kazim Ali, Tao Lin, and Maaza Mengiste
NYU Creative Writing Program Reading Series
February 12 | 5 pm
Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House
58 West 10th St. (btwn. 5th and 6th Ave’s)

“Love, feat. Kelly Tsai” (Open Mic at MOCA)
Feburary 12 | 7 pm to 8:30 pm
Museum of Chinese in America
215 Centre St.
Admission: $7/adult, $4/students & seniors, free for MOCA members and open mic performers.

Mouth-to-Mouth Open Mic (Hosted by Jen Kwok and Ed Lin)
Presented by the AAWW
February 12 | 9 pm
16 W 32nd St, 10th Fl (btwn Bwy & 5th Ave)
$5 suggested donation
Open to the public

Shab-e Sher Featuring Aida Shahghasemi and Shabnam Piryaei
Presented by World of Poetry and PAF
February 17 | 6 pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (btwn. Houston and Bleeker

San Francisco Bay Area

SFIAAFF DIY Music Video Launch Party
Hosted by Kearny Street Workshop
February 11 | 8 pm to midnight
111 Minna, SF
$10 | FREE for CAAM members
This is a 21+ event only.

2nd Saturday Poetry & Prose (feat. Clara Hsu, Bill Mercer, Richard di Grazia)
February 13 | 7 pm
Frank Bette Center for the Arts
1601 Paru Street, Alameda

Sunset Poetry By the Bay (feat. Lucille Lang Day, Kathryn Takara, Karla Brundage)
At Studio 333
February 17 | 7 to 10 PM
333 Caledonia St., Sausalito

Washington, D.C.

“Call + Response” (16 visual artists & 16 writers – incl. poet Gerald Maa) at the Hamiltonian Gallery
Closes February 13!
Hamiltonian Gallery
1353 U St, NW, Suite 101

Boston

BU Creative Writing Faculty Reading (feat. Ha Jin, Louise Glück, Robert Pinsky, and others)
February 9th | 7:30 pm
BU School of Management Auditorum
Boston University

Chicago

Poetry Cafe at the Chicago Public Library
February 8th | 6:30-7:45 pm
Blackstone
4904 S. Lake Park Avenue
Call (312) 747-0511 to register in advance.

Dallas

Avante! (feat. Shin Yu Pai and Jerry Kelley)
2010 WordSpace Spring Reading Series
February 6th | 8 pm
Paperbacks Plus
6115 La Vista

Los Angeles

Beware of Cupid: A Valentine’s Day Show (dir. Julia Cho & Benjamin Kim)
Opening Feb. 5 (till Feb. 21) | Fridays & Saturdays @ 8 pm, Sundays @ 3 pm
The Actor’s Playpen
1514 N Gardner Street
Tickets: $14-$20

New York City

Artwall Performance (feat. Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai and Greg Tate)
Feburary 6th | 2 pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (btwn. Houston and Bleeker)

Jazz, the Japanese Connection at Nuyorican Poets Cafe
(Followed by Jazz Jam & Open Mic)
February 6th | 9 pm
Nuyorican Poets Cafe
236 E. 3rd St (btwn B & C Aves)
$15 cover ($10 for jazz jam musicians)
Reservation Recommended; Purchase advance tickets here

Kundiman & Verlaine Reading Series (feat. Vijay Seshadri, Brian Carey Chung, & Alison Roh Park)
February 7th | 5 pm (open bar from 4-5)
Verlaine
110 Rivington St.
(Ludlow & Essex Sts.)
$5 donation

Vincent Who? Documentary Screening (Hosted by the AAWW)
February 10th | 7 to 9 pm
Asian American Writers Workshop
16 West 32nd Street, Suite 10A
Light refreshments served
$5 Suggested Donation (benefits the NY chapter of APA for Progress).

Sacramento

Yuyutsu RD Sharma Reads at the Sacramento Poetry Center
February 8th | 7:30 PM
Sacramento Poetry Center
1719 25th St.

San Francisco Bay Area

Opening Reception: “The Lost and Found” Solo Exhibit (the visual art of poet Truong Tran)
Presented by Kearny Street Workshop & Mina Dresden Gallery
February 5th | 7 to 9 pm
Mina Dresden Gallery
312 Valencia Street
San Francisco

GO!STYLE 2010
(feat. poets Fuifuilupe Niumeitolu and Loa Niumeitolu, alongside other top artists)
February 5th | 8 pm
Palace of Fine Arts Theater
3301 Lyon St., San Francisco
Preordered tickets: $40 General, $36 Family & Friends Discount, $15 Student
$10 Preorder Discounts available with code (Tickets $40 at the door)

American Chinatown Book Reading
February 9th | 6 pm
CHSA Museum & Learning Center
965 Clay St
San Francisco

Seattle

W.S. Merwin & Friends – A Benefit for Copper Canyon Press
February 4 | 7 to 9 pm
Town Hall
1119 Eighth Ave.
Tickets start at $10

Washington, DC

“Call + Response” (16 visual artists & 16 writers – incl. poet Gerald Maa) at the Hamiltonian Gallery
Until February 13
Hamiltonian Gallery
1353 U St, NW, Suite 101

Chicago

“Time Goes On” Release Party (presented by the Neighborhood Writing Alliance)
February 1 | 6-8 pm
St. Andrews Church (upstairs)
48 N. Hoyne

Hanover, NH

Poets Michael Leong & Nomi Stone at Dartmouth College
January 28 | 4 pm
Wren Room/Sanborn Library
Dartmouth College

Los Angeles

Refugee Nation (written and performed by Leilani Chan and Ova Saopeng)
presented by the Laotion American Organization at UCLA
February 1 | 7:30 PM (Doors open at 7 PM)
Ackerman Grand Ballroom, UCLA
FREE and Open to the Public

New York City

ASL Poetry Slam Presents: Mark Mayo – $3
January 28 | 6 pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (btwn. Houston and Bleeker)
Admission: $3

92nd St. Y Presents: “The Immigrant Experience” Reading & Panel [Becoming Americans anthology event]
feat. Jessica Hagedorn, Jamaica Kincaid, Norman Manea, Gary Shteyngart
February 1 | 8 pm
Kauffmann Concert Hall
Lexington Ave. at 92nd St.
Tickets: $27 (general), $10 (age 35 and under)

Asian American Arts Alliance Town Hall Meeting
February 2 | 10 am – 12 pm
Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI – CUNY)
25 West 43rd Street, 18th Fl (between 5th & 6th Avenues)
FREE and Open to the Public

San Francisco

Kent Wong presents An Evening of Stories on Asian and Latino Labor Organizing
January 28 | 6-8PM
International Hotel Manilatown Center
868 Kearny St (at Jackson)
FREE

Beautiful as Yesterday Reading & Discussion (Fan Wu)
January 30 | 2:30 – 4 pm
Chinatown Meeting Room (San Francisco Public Library)
1135 Powell St. (near Jackson)

SF Poet Laureate Inaugural Address (Diane DiPrima)
February 2 | 5-8 pm
San Francisco Public Library
Koret Auditorium (Main Library)
100 Larkin St. (at Grove)

Washington, D.C.

ASL Open Mic Poetry
January 29 | 11pm
Busboys & Poets
14th and V
Admission: $5

* * *

KSW's Intergenerational Writers Lab

What: Kearny Street Workshop’s 7th Annual Intergenerational Writers Lab
When: April 3 – May 22, 2010
Where: San Francisco, CA
Seeking: Emerging SF Bay Area writers
Application Deadline: Received by 5 pm on February 19, 2010 (Note: NOT a postmark deadline)

The Kearny Street Workshop’s Intergenerational Writers Lab is, according to the KSW’s web site,

“A unique program with three of SF’s community-based interdisciplinary arts organizations designed to thoroughly explore and develop your writing. Accepted applicants will participate in eight workshops led by accomplished writers and artists, engage in and be inspired by other artistic genres, perform their work at a public event, be published in online anthology, and have the opportunity to develop a communal network of writing peers.”

This year’s program will feature Lorna Dee Cervantes, Letitia Hernandez, Ben Fong-Torres, and Genny Lim as instructors.  Applications can be found on KSW’s web site.  For those accepted, the workshop carries a tuition fee of $425, but a few scholarships are available. KSW has an eye to supporting artists of all aesthetic stripes (from spoken word to lyric verse to avant-garde), but specifically emphasizes that the ideal applicant for their Writers Lab should “demonstrate a consistent pursuit of the arts and a deep interest in participating in an experimental writing program.”  If you are a young SF Bay Area writer looking to explore new forms and techniques under the guidance of older, more established local artists, we highly recommend that you consider taking advantage of this opportunity.

[note: edited 1/26/10 at 4:17 PM EST, to reflect KSW's announcement of Genny Lim as tbe fourth instructor.]

* * *

Kundiman Summer Retreat

What: Kundiman Annual Poetry Retreat
When: June 22-27, 2010
Where: Fordham University, NYC
Seeking: Asian American poets, nationwide.
Application Deadline: March 1, 2010 (Postmarked)

Writes Kundiman, by way of introduction to its annual retreat program:

In order to help mentor the next generation of Asian-American poets, Kundiman is sponsoring an annual Poetry Retreat at The University of Virginia. During the Retreat, nationally renowned Asian American poets will conduct workshops with fellows. Readings, writing circles and informal social gatherings will also be scheduled. Through this Retreat, Kundiman hopes to provide a safe and instructive environment that identifies and addresses the unique challenges faced by emerging Asian American poets.

Kundiman, modeled after the highly successful organization Cave Canem, is one of the foremost proponents of Asian American poetry in the nation. To be accepted as a Kundiman Fellow (and thus to participate in the retreat) is to be inducted into a highly respected community of talented Asian American poets. Kundiman Fellows speak passionately about the experiences they’ve had at the retreat, and continue to engage with and speak up for one another’s work long after the summer is over. This year’s five-day retreat has places for eight students and will feature faculty members Regie Cabico, Tan Lin, and Paisley Rekdal. Tuition is $350 (room and board free to accepted Fellows). If you are an emerging Asian American poet, this is an opportunity for which you should definitely apply.

* * *

Write to Resist

What: Write to Resist
When: Thursdays, beginning on February 11, 2010, from 4:30-6 pm
Where: Project Reach, 39 Eldridge Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10002
Seeking: High School aged Asian American women from the NYC area
Application Deadline: None (Rolling)

Write to Resist bills itself as:

“a writing workshop series for high school age Asian American young women who are looking for a space where they can use writing as a tool to talk about issues of violence. It’s an opportunity for those who are interested in both writing and talking about issues of violence to be in a supportive space to write, read, discuss, play, and engage in activities that will open up deep investigations into the role violence plays in our everyday lives, and what we can do to actively challenge it.”

This free workshop series looks to be an incredible opportunity for young women.  According to the Write to Resist web site, participants will work together on creating a zine publication, and will culminate the series with a performance showcase of their work.  If you are a young Asian American woman going to high school in NYC (or know of someone who might be interested), please do consider filling out the application (which is more of a questionnaire).   No prior experience is necessary.  To quote the web site, “All that Write to Resist requires is that you come in with an open mind, a willingness to discuss some hard topics, and a creative spirit that is ready not only to develop one’s own work, but to support others as well!”

Ashland, Oregon

Lawson Inada at William Stafford Celebration [reading his own works and Stafford's]
January 21 | 7 PM
Southern Oregon University
Hannon Library, Meese Meeting Room #305
1250 Siskiyou Blvd
*Updated 1/21; thanks to Jim Beaver for the information!*

Los Angeles

Giant Robot Bienniale 2: 15 Years
Closing reception: January 21 | 5-9 p.m.
Japanese American National Museum
369 East First Street
FREE

Excerpts from Libby Emmons’ “The Girls from Afar” [Staged Reading]
presented by East West Players / Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking
January 21 | 7:30 pm
Tateuchi Democracy Forum in the
National Center for the Preservation of Democracy
111 N. Central Avenue
RSVP on Facebook, or call 213-625-7000

Mount Vernon, Iowa

Patrick Rosal at Cornell College
January 20 | 7:30 PM
Shaw Conference Room
Cornell College Commons
FREE and open to the public

New York City

Monica Ferrell and others at Bowery
Presented by Four Way Books
January 24 | 2 pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (btwn. Houston and Bleeker)
Admission: $5

SULU Series feat. Kitchen Cabinet, Sahra Nguyen, Maya Hatch, Cynthia Lin, Sheng Wang
Partial proceeds to Haiti
January 24 | 8 pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (btwn. Houston and Bleeker)
Admission: $8 General | $5 Student

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle [Multimedia Theatre Production of Haruki Murakami's novel]
[Through January 30] | Wed-Sat @ 8 pm, Sun @ 2 pm
Ohio Theatre
66 Wooster St.
Tickets: $18

San Francisco Bay Area

KSW/Kaya’s SF Thomassons Performance Tour
January 23 | 12 noon to 2 pm
Tour begins at 953 Mission St. @ 5th St (Mint Mall, lower level)
Tickets:  $10 in advance, $12 at the bus.

Shahid Buttar Workshop: “Breaking the Silence with Performance Poetry”
@ Listen to the Silence (Stanford AASA’s 4th Annual Asian American Issues Conference)
January 23 | 2 to 3:15 pm
Stanford University School of Education / Cubberly Auditorium
485 Lasuen Mall, Stanford, CA
Register online here.

Beautiful as Yesterday: a Novel (book talk and signing by Fan Wu)
January 23 | 2-4 pm
San Francisco Public Library – Main Library (Latino/Hispanic A)
100 Larkin St. (at Grove)

Chicago

Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai at Northwestern (Spoken Word Performance + Q&A)
January 14 @ 8 pm and January 15 @ 3:30 pm
Northwestern University, Norris Center, McCormick Auditorium
1999 Campus Dr.
Evanston, IL
FREE

Concord, NH

Janice Y.K. Lee at Gibson’s Bookstore
January 18 | 7 pm
Gibson’s Bookstore
27 South Main Street

New York City

TyperwriterGirls Poetry Cabaret (feat. readings by Patrick Rosal and Huang Xiang)
January 17 | 6 pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (Between Houston & Bleeker)
$7 admission

World of Poetry & PAF Shab-e She’r Present: Dalia Sofer
Open Mic to follow reading
January 20 | 6 pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (Between Houston and Bleecker)
or, watch this event live on the web

Medea and Its Double (Seoul Factory for the Performing Arts)
through January 24; Thurs – Sat @ 8 pm
LaMaMa Experimental Theatre Club
74A East 4th St.
Tickets $18

Seattle

Words Expressed—Oliver de la Paz, Rick Barot, Donna Miscolta, Toni Bajado
Filipino Poets & Writers Reading, presented by the United Filipino Club of Seattle University
January 14 | 7 pm
Seattle University, Le Roux Room (Student Center 160)
12th and Cherry St.’s
FREE and open to the public

Pimone Triplett at Open Books
January 14 | 7:30 PM
Open Books: A Poem Emporium
2414 N. 45th Street
Seattle

Allen Say at the Wing Luke Asian Museum
January 16 | 4 pm
Wing Luke Asian Museum
719 S. King Street
Seattle

Skagit River Poetry Festival Showcase (feat. Oliver de la Paz and others)
January 16 | 7 pm
Village Books
1200 Eleventh Street
Bellingham, WA

San Francisco Bay Area

Growing Up Filipino II Book Launch
Hosted by PAWA Arkipelago
January 16 | 2-5 pm
Bayanihan Community Center
1010 Mission St., San Francisco

Washington, D.C.

14th Annual Poetry Extravaganza In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
presented by Collective Voices
January 16 | noon-5 pm
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, Auditorium A-5
901 G St., NW
First-come, first-serve seating (groups of 10+ encouraged to register in advance)
202-727-1281 for more information
FREE

SULU D.C. Jan 16 Show
feat. Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai, Simone Jacobson, Elahe, Taiyi Sun, Marco Mercado, DJ Mars Noble
January 16 @ 7 pm – January 17 @ 2 am
Doors open at 6:30, Show at 7, Dance party at 10
Almaz Restaurant and Lounge
1212 U Street NW
$10 general admission | $8 students
All ages; attendees under 21 will need supervision after the show

“Sunday Kind of Love” — Celebrating Four Years With Young DC Poets
Open Mic + Set Readings (feat. Abdul Ali, Danielle Evennou, and Adam Pellegrini)
January 17 | 4 pm
Busboys & Poets (Langston Room)
14th and V Streets NW
FREE and open to all.

Boston

East Meets Words Open Mic (sponsored by the Boston Progress Art Collective)
January 8 at the East Meets West Bookstore.
934 Mass Ave.
Cambridge, MA
$3 Suggested Donation

Chicago

Poetry Cafe with the Chicago Public Library
January 11 | 6:30 – 7:45 pm
Blackstone
4904 S. Lake Park Avenue
Bring at least 3 selections, each no longer than 4 minutes.

New York City

Broken Light: The 16th annual Alternative New Year’s Day Spoken Word and Performance Extravaganza
January 1 | 2 pm to midnight
Bowery Poetry Club
Special Collection for Books Through Bars & Urban Pathways (please bring paperback books and canned food).
OR, watch it live on the web: http://www.rfg3travel.com/bowerylive103008.html

Asian American Arts Alliance’s Annual Town Hall
January 5 | 10 am to 12 pm
Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI – CUNY)
25 West 43rd Street, 18th Fl (between 5th & 6th Avenues)
RSVP at  http://alliancetownhall.eventbrite.com
“Artists and arts workers: If you wish to make a 2-minute pitch to promote your events, perform excerpts of your work, call for collaborators, or call for submissions, include a one sentence description of your pitch when you rsvp and we will add you to the agenda.”
FREE and Open to the Public

The Soft Skull Presents: Michael Muhammad Knigh and the Kominas
January 6 | 10 pm
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery (btwn. Houston and Bleeker)
$8 Admission | OR, watch live online

San Francisco Bay Area

Poet/Speak Open Reading, presented by Poetry Santa Cruz
December 17 | 2 pm
Main Library upstairs Meeting Room
224 Church Street, Santa Cruz.
FREE

Film Screening:  “Autumn Gem” (A film by Rae Chang & Adam Tow)
January 9 | 2:30 – 4 pm
Chinatown Meeting Room (SFPL)
1135 Jackson St. (Near Powell)
San Francisco

James Scully and Adrienne Rich
January 12 | 7:30 pm
Capitola Book Cafe
1475 41st Avenue, Capitola
Suggested $3 Donation

Seattle

Castalia Reading Series (feat. UW MFA writers)
January 5 | 8 pm
Hugo House, 1634 11th Avenue
FREE and open to the public

Opening Reception: Return Home from the War Exhibit
(Perspectives on War by Asian American Veterans)
January 7 | 5:30 pm (during free first Thursday)
Wing Luke Asian Museum
719 South King Street

* * *

Calls for Entries

Meritage Press 9th Annual Holiday Poetry Contest, judged by Aileen Ibardaloza
Deadline: January 5th (submit via email)
Seeking: Work by Filipino poets worldwide

Kundiman Book Prize
Postmark Deadline: January 15
Seeking: Unpublished full-length poetry manuscripts (50-70 pages)
Entry Fee: $25

Asian American International Film Festival 2010
Postmark Deadline: January 27 (Early); February 24 (Final)
Seeking: Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Short Films, Music Video, Screenplays, Works-In-Progress, Youth Films (by filmmakers under 20)

Slant Film Festival: Bold Asian American Images
10th Annual Shorts Film Festival. May 22, 2010.
Postmark Deadline: January 30, 2010
Seeking: Short Films by Asian American Filmmakers; All genres accepted