Irakli Kakabadze was the writer-in-residence at the Ithaca City of Asylum for the past two years. Hailing from the Caucasus nation of Georgia, Kakabadze suffered persecution at the hands of the government because of the opinions he expressed through his writings and protesting. We corresponded with Kakabadze via email to see what project he is currently working on and to learn about his experiences with City of Asylum.
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On April 27, novelist Tommy Wieringa visited Sampsonia Way to give a reading with Sofi Oksanen and Christos Tsoilkas. The event was sponsored by City of Aslyum/Pittsburgh in partnership with PEN/America.
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When Silvia Duarte interviewed saxophonist and painter Oliver Lake for our May issue, he had just started sketching out his ideas for the Oliver House, the latest “house publication” of City of Asylum/Pittsburgh. House publications are homes on Sampsonia Way adorned with original artworks and writings. Writers in exile and visiting writers stay in these houses when they visit COA/P.
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This piece highlights the merger between City of Asylum and Iowa University’s International Writers Program. This video discussion highlights how governments react to creative poetry and creative writing in their countries.
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This week we’ll take a look at 408 Sampsonia Way, known as House Poem. Painted by City of Asylum/Pittsburgh’s first writer in residence Huang Xiang, this house features an anthology of his poetry helping to illustrate how Xiang has the right to write freely in the United States.
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In January of 2010, Pittsburgh experienced a record snowfall. City of Aslyum/Pittsburgh writer Khet Mar remembers how the snow inspired memories of her childhood.
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Sampsonia Way —a narrow alley on the North Side of Pittsburgh—has become a bustling avenue traversed by writers from all over the world. Croatia, Cuba, Macedonia—just to mention a few—have been represented here.
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An interview with Oliver Lake —the well-known composer, saxophonist, flautist, and bandleader. Featured at the City of Asylum/ PIttsburgh 2008 Jazz Poetry Concert, Oliver Lake has been flowing through the ears of Pittsburgh listeners ever since.
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Photo by Renee Rosensteel When I learned that both Terrance Hayes and Lynn Emanuel published new collections of poetry in the same month, I thought it would be fun to interview each author for Sampsonia Way. …
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Sofi Oksanen, a Finnish-Estonian writer, connects violence against women, the Congolese mineral trade and the importance of oral history. Her new novel, Purge, examines the effects of violence related to mineral conflicts in the Congo.
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Sampsonia Way's companion guide to City of Asylum’s Exiled Voice of China and Tibet literary event, featuring standout pieces from its three year coverage of exiled and persecuted writers. READ
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