City of Asylum

City of Asylum is a nonprofit organization based in Pittsburgh, PA that houses writers exiled from their countries for their controversial writing.[1] It provides them with free housing, health care and access to social services and resettlement in the United States.[2] Their expanded mission involves the Alphabet City venue, Sampsonia Way Magazine, and organizing Jazz Poetry Month in Pittsburgh.

For the book and the television series, see Asylum City.
City of Asylum
City of Asylum's logo.
Alphabet City - City of Asylum's headquarters
Formation2004
FoundersR. Henry Reese, Diane Samuels
TypeNon-profit
PurposeTo provide sanctuary to endangered literary writers.
Headquarters40 W. North Ave
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40.45562°N 80.007519°W / 40.45562; -80.007519
Budget
$1,100,000
Staff
14
Websitecityofasylum.org

Henry Reese and Diane Samuels founded Pittsburgh's City of Asylum in 2004.[3] The organization has a community-based model, with the hopes of integrating the exiled writers into the United States.[4] Exiled writers accepted to the program are granted up to four years of housing.[5] It also gives financial and medical support for their families for two years, giving them ample time and means to adjust to life in the United States.[1][6]

In November 2016, it became the US headquarters for the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN). It was also described as a “model for the world.”[7] City of Asylum hosts more than 175 cultural and literary events every year which are free to the public.[8] In 2017, the organization would repurpose an old masonic lodge into their main headquarters called Alphabet City.[9]

History

Early Beginnings
Henry Reese and Diane Samuels, founders of City of Asylum

Pittsburgh couple Henry Reese and Diane Samuels were inspired to create Pittsburgh’s City of Asylum after first hearing Salman Rushdie mention Cities of Asylum in Europe.[10]The couple then asked the Cities of Asylum network in Europe to let them create a Pittsburgh City of Asylum which was eventually approved, making it one of more than 50 similar organizations in the International Cities of Refuge Network.[4][11]

The couple then bought a former crack house on Sampsonia Way which sits in the Pittsburgh's North Side.[12] They joined the Mattress Factory and Randyland, which are within blocks of one another, to combat blight in the Mexican War Streets that was a result of the decline of the steel industry.[13] Reese and Samuel founded the non-profit through the generous support of friends. This departed from other asylum programs which are typically under institutions such as universities.[10] The original money raised was spent on providing housing, medical benefits and a living stipend for a writer.[14]

The organization’s first author resident was Huang Xiang, a Chinese poet who was placed in death row. Huang Xiang was involved with the Democracy Wall Movement.[12][15] He and his wife, Zhang Ling were granted asylum in the United States through City of Asylum.[16]

Writers in Residence

City of Aslyum has housed six writers-in-exile since 2004. The writers are permitted to stay in apartments owned by the organization. There has been an additional 20 international artist-in-residence writers with shorter stays ranging from one to three months.[9]

Years Writer Country
2004-2006 Huang Xiang China
2006-2009 Horacio Castellanos Moya El Salvador
2006-2009 Khet Mar Burma
2011-present Israel Centeno Venezuela
2013-2015 Yaghoub Yadali Iran
2016-present Tuhin Das Bangladesh

Mural Houses
City of Asylum's houses provides residences to writers in exile.

Huang Xuang wanted to carve a poem into a mountain, inspired by Mt. Washington. Instead, Samuels suggested that he paint the poems outside of the house which he did. He painted Chinese poetry outside the house, earning it the name of House Poem.[10] This later encouraged people to slip notes through the mail slot of poems they had written themselves.[17] The program would expand to three more houses on Sampsonia way.

Year Name Artist Address
2004 House Poem Huang Xiang 408 Sampsonia Way
2006 Winged House Thaddeus Mosley 402 Sampsonia Way
2009 Pittsburgh-Burma House Than Htay Muang 324 Sampsonia Way
2010 Jazz House Oliver Lake 320 Sampsonia Way

Projects

Alphabet City

In 2017, City of Asylum added Alphabet City to its network of buildings in Pittsburgh's North Side. The building was a former Masonic Hall and undergone a $12.2 million renovation.[7] It was acquired from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh in 2015 and construction began in September 2015. The Project received $8 million in tax credits and additional funding from local foundations.[9] Alphabet City currently houses administrative offices, City of Asylum bookstore, and the Brugge on North restaurant. All events held at the space are free.[18]

City of Asylum Books

City of Asylum Books is a separate entity from non-profit. Located within Alphabet City's building, it is a book store specializing in international and translated literature.[19]

Restaurant

Alphabet City hosts a restaurant space. Originally it opened with Casellula a Cheese and Wine Cafe. The concept had a strick no-tipping policy.[20] The concept shuddered weeks after staff aired grievances on restaurant industry blog 'Tipped Off'.[21]

Brugge on North now operates out of City of Asylum.[22][23]

River of Words

River of Words is a public art installation by exiled Venezuelan writer and artist resident Israel Centeno.[24] The installation involved a choice of 100 words, all relevant to Pittsburgh, of which Mexican War Street neighbors were invited to display on the wall, door, or window of their houses.[10][25] The representation of the words were designed by Venezuelan artists Carolina Arnal and Gisela Romero.[26]

Sampsonia Way magazine

The City of Asylum publishes a magazine called Sampsonia Way which has publishes English translations of exiled writers. The publication's goal is to fight censorship and celebrate free expression in literature.[10]

References
  1. Pressimone, Salina (November 30, 2017). "An Asylum for Artists: Students intern at a Sanctuary for Exiled Writers". Pitt News. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  2. Volk, David. "City of Asylum: Helping persecuted artists in Pittsburgh". Columns Magazine. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  3. Studebaker, Bob (July 16, 2017). "StoryCorps Pittsburgh: Henry Reese And Diane Samuels". WESA. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  4. Conway, Brian (February 13, 2017). "City of Asylum @ Alphabet City opens its doors to the community". NEXTPittsburgh. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  5. Zhao, Kathy (January 5, 2015). "City of Asylum writers take refuge in Pittsburgh". Pitt News. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  6. Gentile, Carmen (August 10, 2014). "In Pittsburgh, a refuge for endangered writers". Al Jazeera. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  7. O'Driscoll, Bill (May 11, 2016). "City of Asylum/Pittsburgh Restaurant, Bookstore, Event Space Set for September". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved March 25, 2019. called City of Asylum/Pittsburgh “the model for the world.”
  8. Pitz, Marylynne (February 27, 2019). "Broadcasting executive chosen to lead City of Asylum". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 25, 2019. The North Side nonprofit houses exiled writers and presents more than 175 free cultural and literary events each year
  9. Kirkland, Kevin (February 27, 2017). "Alphabet City bookstore: Newly opened bookstore provides an asylum for works of writers in exile". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  10. Fallows, Deborah (October 31, 2014). "Pittsburgh's City of Asylum". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  11. Studbaker, Bob (June 27, 2013). "City of Asylum Pittsburgh Firmly Rooted in Its North Side Neighborhood". WESA. Retrieved March 25, 2019. Inspired by the bestselling novelist Salman Rushdie
  12. Packer, George (December 7, 2009). "A Safe Street in Pittsburgh". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  13. Peterson, Lucas (April 12, 2017). "Built on Steel, Pittsburgh Now Thrives on Culture". The New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  14. Fallows, Deborah (March 21, 2016). "Language as Art in Pittsburgh". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  15. Semuels, Alana (November 16, 2004). "The right to write: City gives safe harbor to exiled Chinese poet and his work". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  16. "Ralph Henry Reese: Giving Exiled Writers Security and Freedom". VOA News. February 1, 2017. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  17. Spiegel, Brendan (July 15, 2015). "36 Hours in Pittsburgh". The New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  18. Young, Virginia (September 9, 2016). "City Of Asylum Prepares To Launch Alphabet City And Expand Programming". WESA. Retrieved March 25, 2019. All events are free
  19. Behe, Rege (August 15, 2018). "Pittsburghers buying into City of Asylum Books". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  20. Roberts, Celine (February 15, 2017). "NYC's Casellula Opens on the North Side". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  21. McCart, Melissa (December 16, 2017). "Casellula in the North Side to close in late December". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  22. McCart, Melissa (April 15, 2018). "The new restaurant in the North Side's City of Asylum opens this week". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  23. Federoff, Stacey (February 23, 2018). "Point Brugge Cafe, Park Bruges owners to open third restaurant". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  24. "River of Words connects communities and brains". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. July 18, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  25. Baron, Jennifer (July 21, 2014). "River of Words public art launch". NEXTPittsburgh. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  26. Lizarondo, Leah (July 22, 2014). "A River of Words Engulfs the Northside". NEXTPittsburgh. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
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