Events
Berkeley Poetry Slam
I’m back at the Berkeley Poetry Slam on May 15th! Pre-order or get your tickets at the door!
Locus of Control in San Jose
All right y’all. The time has come for me to sunset Locus of Control and we’re going all out for one last performance on May 11th with @chopsticksalleyart in San Jose. Come early for the festival, there’s going to be vendors, a kulintang performance, and best of all it’s free!
And help me celebrate the end of this show as I start to prepare some new, exciting projects and possibly a new show. Maybe. We’ll see.
Asian Heritage Celebration at Metro State
I’m going to be in Saint Paul, MN for a reading and discussion during the Asian Heritage Celebration at Metropolitan State University.
Sierra Nevada Poetry Festival
Hey y’all, I’m reading and teaching a workshop here, and Jane Hirshfield is the keynote and Ross Gay is closing it out. And it’s up in the mountains. It’s about to be a good time.
Locus of Control at San Francisco International Arts Festival
Date(s) & Time(s): Fri, Jun 9, 8:30 PM and Sat, Jun 10, 5:30 PM
Duration: 75 mins w/out intermission
Location: 2840 Mariposa St, SF, CA, 94110
Venue: Theatre of Yugen
Ticket Information
Advance: $25, Door: $28
Discount codes: 2FOR1 (2 for 1 only valid until the end of May) | 20SF23 (20% discount).
My one person show returns this June for a special two-night run at Theatre of Yugen as part of the San Francisco International Arts Festival! Early bird ticket sales end on April 30th!
About SFIAF
SFIAF presents ground-breaking artists from the Bay Area and around the world; many of the international artists have no US representation and have rarely (or never previously) performed in this country. From 2003-19 SFIAF and more than 100 presenting partners have coordinated, presented and/or produced performances by over 400 arts ensembles from the Bay Area and over 57 countries, as well as conducting numerous educational and outreach activities.
Bay Area Book Festival | (PANEL) 25 Years of the Berkeley Slam
Date & Time: Sat, June 6th 12:30pm
Location: 2121 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94720
Venue: The Magnes (Auditorium)
The Berkeley Poetry Slam is 25 years old! Join us in celebrating this revered Bay Area staple and see some of the very best and brightest poets to have represented Berkeley on stages across California and the US over the past two and a half decades. Poets from different eras of the show, including Jason Bayani (Locus), Nazelah Jamison (Evolutionary Heart), Sam Sax (Bury It), and Reggie Edmonds (Sad Boi) will share poems and be in conversation about what the show has meant to them, and so many others over the years. Hosted by the man who started the whole thing way back in ‘98, Ekabhumi Charles Ellick (The Bhakti Coloring Book: Deities, Mandalas, and the Art of Playful Meditation).
The Break Room 1 Year Anniversary!
Thursday, April 27th 2022
7-9pm
Gilman Brewing
912 Gilman St. Berkeley, CA
It’s our one year anniversary! Come celebrate it with us by reading a poem. We might have a cake.
Free workshop with Sam Sax at 6pm! So come early and get some writing done!
Sign ups start at 6:30pm. Beers on tap and pub food on the menu. No cover. Vaccinations will be checked at the door.
Liwanag Panel at Fil-Am Bookfest
I’ll be co-moderating a panel at the Fil-Am Book Festival on October 16th alongside Dara Del Rosario, Kimberley Arteche, mg burns, Luna Salaver, and Steve Belale to talk about Liwanag 3, the new anthology that I served as editor-in-chief. The book festival is going to have some really cool guests so check it out that day!
APAture 2022: Autonomy
Hey folks! Kearny Street Workshop’s APAture is back, again. This is my 8th go around with this festival since I started working at KSW in 2014 (we missed one year in 2020 because of the pandemic). I truly believe this festival is vital to the arts eco-system in the Bay Area, especially for Asian Pacific American artists as its focus on emerging artists provides space and opportunity for more folks to get their foot in the door. There’s not anything else like it, really. And, personally, producing this festival year after year has really helped me understand which direction we’re going in the arts, what are people creating towards, what are the conversations that are happening. And to be able to get to see this across multiple disciplines has been amazing. So hope you can join us! Hit the link above and register, for each of our events. Full schedule below.
APAture 2022: Autonomy Festival Schedule:
(Multiple Locations in SF) Arc Gallery & Studios 1246 Folsom St. | Kapwa Gardens 967 Mission St. | Roxie Theater 967 Mission St.
**OPENING RECEPTION AND CLOSING RECEPTION ARE FREE. ALL OTHER SHOWCASES ARE TICKETED EVENTS**
October 8
Visual Arts Showcase Opening Reception 1:00-4:00pm (PDT)
feat. Heesoo Kwon
Arc Gallery & Studios
1246 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA
October 15
Music, Performing Arts, Comics, Zines, and Illustrations Showcase 2:00 - 6:00 PM (PDT)
feat. Rocky G
Kapwa Gardens
967 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103
October 23
Film Showcase Screening & Talk 12:30 - 3:00 PM (PDT)
feat. Pallavi Somusetty
Roxie Theater
3117 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
October 28
Literary Arts Showcase 7:00 - 9:00 PM (PDT)
feat. Christine No
Arc Gallery & Studios
1246 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA
October 30
Closing Reception & Visual Artists Talk 1:00-4:00pm (PDT)
Arc Gallery & Studios
1246 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA
Factory of Feels
Factory of Feels
An Evening of Poetry, Music and Too Many Feels
The Glendale Room
127 Artsakh Ave, Glendale, CA 91206
Sun, Sept 18th 9 PM- 10:30 PM
Doors: 8:30 PM
$10
It’s been a minute but I’m coming down to SoCal for Factory of Feels, a poetry and music show hosted by Derrick Brown. Featuring Janae Johnson, Brendan Constantine, Jeremy Radin, and Me, with music by Evangeline.
The Break Room
Friday, June 29th 2022
7-9pm
Gilman Brewing
912 Gilman St. Berkeley, CA
Sam Sax, Hieu Minh Nguyen, and Jason Bayani present this brand new, monthly, open mic.
No feature this month, but we will be offering a free workshop with Sam Sax at 6pm! So come early and get some writing done!
Sign ups start at 6:30pm. Beers on tap and pub food on the menu. No cover. Vaccinations will be checked at the door.
The Break Room featuring Derrick Brown
Friday, June 29th 2022
7-9pm
Gilman Brewing
912 Gilman St. Berkeley, CA
Sam Sax, Hieu Minh Nguyen, and Jason Bayani present this brand new, monthly, open mic.
This month we have a special guest feature, Write Bloody Publishing captain, Derrick Brown, who will be in town as part of his motorcycle book tour.
Unfortunately Sam and Hieu will be out of town, but I will be holding things down at Gilman Brewery. And the one and only Nazelah Jamison will be hosting!
Sign ups start at 6:30pm. Beers on tap and pub food on the menu. No cover. Vaccinations will be checked at the door.
The Break Room
Thursday, May 26th 2022
7-9pm
Gilman Brewing
912 Gilman St. Berkeley, CA
Sam Sax, Hieu Minh Nguyen, and Jason Bayani present this brand new, monthly, open mic. Every last Thursday of the month is The Break Room at Gilman Brewery. Sign ups start at 6:30pm. Beers on tap and pub food on the menu. No cover. Vaccinations will be checked at the door.
Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists (CAATA) Fest 2022
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists (CAATA) announces ConFest Virtual Showcase that features Festival Artists selected from a competitive nationwide application process, and shines a spotlight on the vibrant theater companies, artists and communities in Hawai’i.
Existing CAATA members are eligible to register for the Showcase at no additional cost. Non-members can register for the Showcase for $35 (individual) or $50 (organizational), which includes a year-long complimentary membership with CAATA.
Featured presentations include full production digital captures of Keola Simpson’s I’M LOT LANE (a solo effort), UNSPOKEN by Breaking Wave Theatre Company of Guåhan, Susan Lieu’s 140 LBS: HOW BEAUTY KILLED MY MOTHER, Jason Bayanis LOCUS OF CONTROL, and Kristina Wong’s KRISTINA WONG FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, plus THE RED CHADOR: MUSLIM FUTURES IN TIMES OF CRISIS, an in-depth discussion led by Anida Yoeu Ali, to name just a few. CAATA’s focus on Kānaka Maoli voices will be highlighted with CAATA Board Member and ConFest Co-Chair Hailiʻōpua Baker presenting two Hawaiian-medium productions from the Hawaiian Theatre Program, Ka Hālau Hanakeaka's HE LEO ALOHA and HO‘OILINA, and HAWAI‘I NŌ KA ‘OI: A SAKAMOTO CELEBRATION from the Department of Theatre and Dance housed at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Baker stated that “our program is honored to participate in CAATA’s virtual festival which will amplify mo‘olelo and the creative endeavors of our students.”
NAAFA Webinar Series
In this episode of the #NAAFAWebinarSeries, arts organizer and spoken word artist Jason Bayani joins host Tigress Osborn to discuss his experiences as a Filipino poet and professional.
Locus of Control (special performance)
Wednesday, May 4
8-9pm (doors open at 7:30)
Piano Fight Oakland
1540 Broadway Oakland, CA
ONE NIGHT ONLY. After two years of delays, my featured performance of “Locus of Control” for the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists Festival will be moving online so we’ll be taping this performance ahead of time to show at the festival which will be happening from May 20-29. I need an audience so there will be no cover, just RSVP below. Adult beverages and refreshments will be provided. Come early to partake (and I’ll be on the 1s and 2s to kick things off!). Plus this will be the first time doing the show in the East Bay. Come through!
The Break Room
Thursday, April 28th 2022
7-9pm
Gilman Brewing
912 Gilman St. Berkeley, CA
Sam Sax, Hieu Minh Nguyen, and Jason Bayani present this brand new, monthly, open mic. Every last Thursday of the month is The Break Room at Gilman Brewery. Sign ups start at 6:30pm. Beers on tap and pub food on the menu. No cover. Vaccinations will be checked at the door.
The Last Supper Party
An Evening to celebrate the opening of SFIAF's Sutter Street office venue featuring The Last Supper Party by Felerine Bongolan and Performance Poetry by Rhodessa Jones, Jason Bayani and Kimi Sugioka.
Building Your Poetry Foundations 4-Week Workshop with Left Margin Lit
I’m teaching my poetry basics course, once again, this time with Left Margin Lit.
Bioneers 2021: Emergency in an Emergency
Hey peeps, I’ll be doing some creative “harvesting” of a community conversation at Bioneers 2021.
KSW Events | APAture
Hey friends, KSW’s annual festival for emerging artists is coming up soon!
Concepcion: An Immigrant Family’s Fortunes w/ Albert Samaha & Jason Bayani
Hey y’all, I’m interview Albert Samaha for Litquake this year!
Compositions: Music and Poetry for Joan Mitchell
Hey cool cats. I’m going to be reading at the SF MoMa on 10/7!
Bioneers Community Conversation
Hey folks, I’ll be “harvesting” dialogue at this Bioneers community conversation into a creative piece.
UNDISCOVERED X
We’re celebrating the release of Barbara’s latest, Letters to a Young Brown Girl, with a reading and conversation at Undiscovered X. The popular SF night market goes online this weekend and we’ll be part of the artist lineup curated by Balay Kreative on the Barangay Stage.
San Mateo County Library - A Virtual Bookfest
San Mateo County Library Presents A Virtual Bookfest
Devorah Major, califia's daughter (Aquarius Press, 2020)
Devorah Major is San Francisco’s third Poet Laureate. She is an award- winning poet and fiction writer, creative non-fiction writer, performer, editor, and part-time senior adjunct professor at California College of the Arts. She is also poet-in-residence of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. https://aquariuspress.myshopify.com/products/califias-daughter
Jason Bayani, Locus (Omnidawn, 2019)
Jason Bayani is the author of Amulet (2013, Write Bloody Publishing). He’s an MFA graduate from Saint Mary’s College, a Kundiman fellow, and works as the Artistic Director for Kearny Street Workshop in San Francisco. Bayani performs regularly around the country, and debuted his solo theater show, Locus of Control, in 2016.
https://www.omnidawn.com/product/locusjason-bayani/
James Cagney is a poet from Oakland. He is a Cave Canem Fellow and VONA alum, both programs that foster Black writers. He has performed in venues and museums throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. His first book, Black Steel Magnolias In The Hour of Chaos Theory, is out now by Nomadic Press.
Kreative Growth Masterclass
Building a Team Workshop
Finding Experts & collaborators to work with when you have no budget.
Featuring Jason Bayani of Kearny Street Workshop, Sammay Dizon (healer, interdisciplinary artist, singer-songwriter, producer, and educator), Kat Evasco (writer, stand up comedian, performance artist, and educator), and Desi Danganan of Kultivate Labs and Plinth Agency.
Lines Online Poetry Series
Henry Miller Library Online Reading
Lines Online Poetry Series with Denusha Laméris, Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts, Jason Bayani and Laura Schulkind
Poetry Center Book Award Reading
Join us for this reading by Poetry Center Book Award winner Ashley Toliver (“Spectra,” Coffee House Press). Award judge Jason Bayani will join her, reading his own work, with the two poets in conversation with one another and the audience. Emcee: Brent Awa Jensen. Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. Free.