LIVE! From City Lights

LIVE! From City Lights welcomes award-winning author Gina Apostol in celebration of her book “La Tercera” for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In conversation with novelist and poet R. Zamora Linmark, Apostol discusses the role of “La Tercera” as a vision of Philippine history and a narration of how the culture has changed through the newfound understandings of protagonist, Rosario Delgado. The novel is Gina Apostol’s most ambitious, personal and encompassing work yet––a story about the impossibility of capturing the truth of the past and the terrible cost to a family, or a country, that fails to try. Gina Apostol won the 2012 PEN/Open Book Award and was shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize with her book, “Gun Dealers’ Daughter.” Her first two novels, “Bibliolepsy” and “The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata,” both won the Juan Laya Prize for the Novel (Philippine National Book Award). She was writer-in-residence at Phillips Exeter Academy and a fellow at Civitella Ranieri in Umbria, Italy, among other fellowships. Her essays and stories have appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, Foreign Policy, Gettysburg Review, Massachusetts Review and others. She lives in New York City and western Massachusetts and grew up in Tacloban, Philippines. She teaches at the Fieldston School in New York City. You can purchase copies of “La Tercera” directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/staff-picks-archive/la-tercera/ This was an in-person event hosted by R. Zamora Linmark and was made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation: citylights.com/foundation

City Lights presents Gillian Conoley in conversation with Norma Cole, celebrating the publication of "Notes from the Passenger" by Gillian Conoley, published by Nightboat Books. This live event was held in the Poetry room and simultaneously broadcasted via Zoom. This event was hosted by Peter Maravelis of City Lights. You can purchase copies of "Notes from the Passenger" directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/general-poetry/notes-from-the-passenger/ Gillian Conoley is a poet, editor, and translator. Her collection, A LITTLE MORE RED SUN ON THE HUMAN: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS, with Nightboat Books, won the 39th annual Northern California Book Award in 2020. Conoley received the Shelley Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America, and was also awarded the Jerome J. Shestack Poetry Prize, a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and a Fund for Poetry Award. Conoley’s translations of three books by Henri Michaux, THOUSAND TIMES BROKEN, is with City Lights. Conoley has taught as a Visiting Poet at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the University of Denver, Vermont College, and Tulane University. A long–time resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, Conoley is currently Professor of English and Poet–in–Residence at Sonoma State University where she edits VOLT. Conoley has collaborated with installation artist Jenny Holzer, composer Jamie Leigh Sampson, and Buhto dancer Judith Kajuwara. Norma Cole is a member of the circle of poets around Robert Duncan in the ’80s, and a fellow traveler of San Francisco’s language poets, Cole is also allied with contemporary French poets like Jacques Roubaud, Claude Royet-Journoud, and Emmanuel Hocquard. Her translations from the French include Hocquard’s "This Story Is Mine" (Instress, 1999), "Crosscut Universe: Writing on Writing from France" (Burning Deck, 2000), Danielle Collobert’s Notebooks 1956-1978 (Litmus, 2003), and Fouad Gabriel Naffah’s "The Spirit God and the Properties of Nitrogen" (Post-Apollo, 2004). She has taught at many schools, including the University of San Francisco and San Francisco State. During winter 2004/05, Cole could be seen inhabiting a 1950s living room as part of the California Historical Society’s Collective Memory installation series. More recently, she curated a show by Marina Adams at the Cue Arts Foundation in NYC. This event was made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation: citylights.com/foundation

LIVE! From City Lights welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and novelist Héctor Tobar as he celebrates the release of his new book "Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of ‘Latino’". In conversation with John McMurtire, senior editor at Zyzzyva, Tobar discusses the inspiration for his book and how the characterization of ‘Latino’ has changed over the years. "Our Migrant Souls" decodes the meaning of ‘Latino’ as a racial and ethnic identity in the modern United States, and seeks to give voice to the angst and anger of young Latino people who have seen latinidad transformed into hateful tropes. Héctor Tobar is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and novelist. He is the author of the critically acclaimed, New York Times bestseller, "Deep Down Dark", as well as "The Barbarian Nurseries", "Translation Nation", and "The Tattooed Soldier". Tobar is also a contributing writer for the New York Times opinion pages and an associate professor at the University of California, Irvine. He’s written for The New Yorker, The Los Angeles Times and other publications. His short fiction has appeared in Best American Short Stories, L.A. Noir, Zyzzyva and Slate. The son of Guatemalan immigrants, he is a native of Los Angeles, where he lives with his family. You can purchase copies of "Our Migrant Souls" directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/new-nonfiction-in-hardcover/our-migrant-souls-a-meditation-on-race-and-the-meanings-and-myths-of-latino-2/ This was an in-person event hosted by John McCurtrie and was made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation: citylights.com/foundation

City Lights presents Meredith Broussard. She celebrates the publication of her book “More than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech” published by City Lights Books. This was a virtual event hosted by Peter Maravelis. You can purchase copies of “More Than a Glitch” directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/more-than-a-glitch-race-gender-abi/ Meredith Broussard is Associate Professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University and Research Director at the NYU Alliance for Public Interest Technology. She is the author of “Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World” (MIT Press). Her work has been featured in the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Atlantic, BBC, Wired, the Economist, and more. She appears in the 2020 documentary “Coded Bias” and serves on the advisory board for the Center for Critical Race & Digital Studies. More information at @merbroussard or meredithbroussard.com. This event was made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation: citylights.com/foundation

City Lights presents LaTasha N. Nevada-Diggs, Eleni Sikelianos, and Anne Waldman reading new poetry and celebrating their three new books of poetry from Coffee House Press: "Village" by LaTasha N. Nevada-Diggs – "Your Kingdom" by Eleni Sikelianos – "Bard, Kinetic" by Anne Waldman. This event was originally broadcast via Zoom and hosted by Peter Maravelis. You can purchase copies of "Village" directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/general-poetry/village-4/ "Your Kingdom" here: https://citylights.com/general-poetry/your-kingdom/ And "Bard, Kinetic" here: https://citylights.com/general-poetry/bard-kinetic/ To learn more about the authors, visit: https://citylights.com/events/coffee-house-press-extravaganza-with-latasha-nevada-diggs-eleni-sykelianos-and-anne-waldman/ Coffee House Press creates new spaces for audiences and artists to interact, inspiring readers and enriching communities by expanding the definition of what literature is, what it can do, and who it belongs to. They are one of the nation’s leading independent literary publisher, and demonstrate a vision for the future of literature through innovative off-the-page programming that broadens and deepens literature’s relevance to the world. Visit https://coffeehousepress.org/ This event was made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation: citylights.com/foundation

City Lights presents Evan Kennedy in conversation with Sophie Dahlin. Evan Kennedy celebrates the publication of his book “Metamorphoses: City Lights Spotlight No. 22” published by City Lights Books. This event took place in the City Lights Poetry Room and was moderated by Garrett Caples. You can purchase copies of “Metamorphoses” directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/metamorphoses-2/ Evan Kennedy is a poet and bicyclist. He is the author of “I Am, Am I, to Trust the Joy That Joy Is No More or Less There Now Than Before” (Roof Books), “Jerusalem Notebook” (O’clock Press), “The Sissies” (Futurepoem), “Terra Firmament” (Krupskaya), “Shoo-Ins to Ruin” (Gold Wake Press), and “Us Them Poems” (Book*hug). He runs the occasional press, Dirty Swan Projects, and was born in Beacon, New York, in 1983. He lives in San Francisco, California. Sophia Dahlin is a poet in Berkeley. She leads generative poetry workshops and teaches youth creative writing. With Jacob Kahn, she edits a small chapbook press called Eyelet. Her first book, “Natch,” was released in 2020 by City Lights Books. Garrett Caples is the poetry editor at City Lights and the curator of the Spotlight Poetry Series. He is also an acclaimed poet in his own right and has had numerous books published. Wave Books published his most recent book titled “Lovers of Today.” This event was made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation: citylights.com/foundation

City Lights presents Tim Z. Hernandez in conversation with Peter Maravelis, the City Lights events manager. Tim Z. Hernandez reads from his new collection “Some of the Light: New and Selected Poems,” published by Beacon Press/Raised Voices Series. This was a virtual event. You can purchase copies of “Some of the Light: New and Selected Poems” directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/some-of-the-light-new-sel-poems/ Tim Z. Hernandez is an award-winning author, research scholar, and performer. His work includes poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and screenplays. He is the recipient of numerous awards, most notably the American Book Award, the Colorado Book Award, and the International Latino Book Award. His work has been featured in the “Los Angeles Times,” “The New York Times,” “C-Span,” and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” “Public Radio International” hailed his book, “Mañana Means Heaven,” as one of their 2013 Books of the Year. In 2011, he was named one of sixteen New American Poets by the Poetry Society of America, and most recently he was recognized for his research on locating the victims of the 1948 plane wreck at Los Gatos Canyon, the incident made famous by Woody Guthrie’s song of the same name, which is chronicled in his documentary novel, “All They Will Call You.” Hernandez holds a BA from Naropa University and an MFA from Bennington College, and is an associate professor with the University of Texas El Paso’s bilingual MFA in creative writing. He lives in El Paso, Texas, with his two children. This event was made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation: citylights.com/foundation

City Lights presents Robert Lopez in conversation with Sarah Rose Etter. Robert Lopez discusses his new book “Dispatches from Puerto Nowhere: An American Story of Assimilation and Erasure”, published by Two Dollar Radio. This virtual event was hosted by Peter Maravelis. You can purchase copies of “Dispatches from Puerto Nowhere” directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/dispatches-from-puerto-nowhere/ Robert Lopez is the author of the novels, “Part of the World” and “Kamby Bolongo Mean River,” named one of 25 important books of the decade by HTML Giant, and All Back Full; two story collections, “Asunder” and “Good People,” and a novel-in-stories titled “A Better Class of People.” His fiction, nonfiction, and poetry has appeared in dozens of publications, including “Bomb,” “The Threepenny Review,” “Vice Magazine,” “New England Review,” “The Sun,” and the “Norton Anthology of Sudden Fiction – Latino.” He teaches at Stony Brook University and has previously taught at Columbia University, The New School, Pratt Institute, and Syracuse University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Find out more about the author here: robertlopez.net Sarah Rose Etter is the author of “Tongue Party” (Caketrain Press). Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in “The Cut,” “Electric Literature,” “VICE,” “Guernica,” “Philadelphia Weekly,” and more. She is the recipient of writing residencies at the Disquiet International Program in Portugal, and the Gullkistan Creative Program in Iceland. She earned her MFA from Rosemont College. She lives in San Francisco. This event was made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation: citylights.com/foundation

City Lights presents Priya Guns in conversation with Sarah Thankam Mathews. Priya Guns discusses and reads from her new book “Your Driver is Waiting,” published by Doubleday. This virtual event was hosted by Peter Maravelis. You can purchase copies of “Your Driver is Waiting” directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/your-driver-is-waiting/ Priya Guns is an actor and writer previously published in short story anthologies, "gal-dem", "Spring" magazine, and anonymously in "The Guardian". She is a Creative Writing graduate from Kingston University. “Your Driver Is Waiting” is her debut novel. Sarah Thankam Mathews is the author of “All This Could Be Different.” The novel, Mathews’ first, was named an NYT Editor’s Choice, highlighted on multiple Best of 2022 lists, and shortlisted for the National Book Award. This event was made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation: citylights.com/foundation

City Lights in conjunction with Asian American Writers’ Workshop and University of California Press present a tribute to the life and work of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha. Moderated by Linda Norton with appearances by Brandon Shimoda, Min Sun Jeon, and Christina Yang celebrating the publication of two new books from University of California Press: "Dictee" and "Exilee and Temps Morts: Selected Works." This event was originally broadcast via Zoom and hosted by Peter Maravelis. You can purchase copies of "Dictee" directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/general-fiction/dictee-2/ And "Exilee and Temps Morts: Selected Works" here:https://citylights.com/general-poetry/exilee-temps-morts-sel-works/ Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (1951–1982) was a poet, filmmaker, and artist who earned her BA and MA in comparative literature and her BA and MFA in art from the University of California, Berkeley. During her brief yet brilliant career, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha explored a variety of media, including handmade books, video, film, sculpture, performance, and sound. Her work is distinctive for its somber, unforgettable beauty, its innovative treatment of texts and images, and its ongoing, rigorous exploration of the phenomena of physical, cultural, and linguistic displacement. One element linking much of her work is an abiding concern with film and film theory. Cha’s aesthetic influences are to be found much less among contemporary artists than among the works of filmmakers such as Chris Marker, Yasujiro Ozu, Jean-Luc Goddard, Marguerite Duras, Michael Snow, and above all, Carl Th. Dreyer. She was especially influenced by their innovative treatments of narrative and their concern for problems of memory, communication, and consciousness. Cha was also influenced by her studies of French film theory, particularly the scholarship of Christian Metz, Jean-Louis Baudry, Thierry Kuntzel, and Bertrand Augst. From these theorists, Cha developed an awareness of the artwork as an extended “apparatus,” the meaning of which was inscribed between its psychological origin in the artist, its material and temporal existence, and its destination in the viewer’s consciousness. While Cha developed her response to these ideas particularly in her live performances, they can be seen to have considerably influenced her work in other media as well. Cha, who died tragically in New York City in 1982, received her MFA from the University of California at Berkeley in 1978, and was an employee of the University Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (Special thanks to BAMPFA for the use of this biography). The Asian American Writers’ Workshop (AAWW) is a national literary nonprofit dedicated to publishing and incubating work by Asian and Asian diasporic writers, poets, and artists. Since their founding in 1991, they have provided a countercultural literary arts space at the intersection of migration, race, and social justice. Find out more at aaww.org. To learn more about the speakers in this tribute, visit: https://citylights.com/events/dreaming-of-theresa-hak-kyung-cha-an-appreciation/ And if you would like to see any of the visuals shared during this event, you can check out the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBZ_-hEqC3c This event was made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation: citylights.com/foundation