Literature + Museum - Literature + Museum

The biennial Asian American Literature Festival is the Literature Meets Museum Initiative’s flagship program. The Festival is a three-day, community-curated event that brings together Asian American writers, readers, scholars, and presses from around the country. The next Asian American Literature Festival will be in summer 2021. Feel free to email us with inquiries at APAC@si.edu, but please note that we do not accept individual proposals for sessions. All programming is developed through a “community curation system” led by participating Festival organizations--Kundiman, Kaya Press, the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, AALR, and Bamboo Ridge Press. We encourage you to get to know the Asian American lit community landscape by reaching out to these organizations.

If you are a press or organization that would like to explore partnership or otherwise becoming a participating Festival org, please feel free to contact us at APAC@si.edu.

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The biennial Asian American Literature Festival is the Literature Meets Museum Initiative’s flagship program. The Festival is a three-day, community-curated event that brings together Asian American writers, readers, scholars, and presses from around the country. The next Asian American Literature Festival will be in summer 2021. Feel free to email us with inquiries at APAC@si.edu, but please note that we do not accept individual proposals for sessions. All programming is developed through a “community curation system” led by participating Festival organizations--Kundiman, Kaya Press, the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, AALR, and Bamboo Ridge Press. We encourage you to get to know the Asian American lit community landscape by reaching out to these organizations.

If you are a press or organization that would like to explore partnership or otherwise becoming a participating Festival org, please feel free to contact us at APAC@si.edu.

2019 Asian American Literature Festival
A convening and an incubator with an interactive environment for sharing and growing Asian American literature and community. Theme: Care + Caregiving

2017 Asian American Literature Festival
The first national festival of its kind: a cooperative space, with dynamic, interactive programming, for sharing and growing Asian American literature.

Asian American Literature Today
Novelist Monique Truong and poet Rick Barot read from their latest books—The Sweetest Fruits and The Galleons—and discuss their writing with moderator and historian Jason Oliver Chang.

SI+LoC
A series of lectures hosted and commissioned by the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center as part of the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival.

What Is Truth
A poem commemorating the Atlanta spa shootings

CREATIVE FUTURES
APAC has partnered with the Ford Foundation to republish select pieces from the foundation's series CREATIVE FUTURES, 40 provocations by thinkers across the spheres of arts and culture, documentary film, and journalism. Guest edited by APAC Curator Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis.

Bittersweet
A Pandemic Sketchbook by Nguyên Khôi Nguyễn. After months of sheltering in place, a Baltimore couple hits the road to rescue mom in Florida and harvest the family mangos before returning north.

Anna May Wong x Sally Wen Mao
This postcard series honors the life of film icon Anna May Wong by pairing images from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery collections with poetry by celebrated contemporary poet Sally Wen Mao.

Literary Addresses
A set of commissioned “addresses” on the state + futures of Asian American literature by leading Asian American poets, writers, playwrights, graphic novelists, and literary scholars offering a re-imagination of the place + consequence of Asian American literature.

Queer Check-Ins
A set of video poems, curated by Franny Choi, featuring 12 queer Asian and Pacific Islander diasporic poets check in and give us glimpses of queer life. Video footage, shot by the poets themselves, maps out queer space across the U.S. and beyond.

**July/Aug 2017 Poetry issue**
The first-ever Poetry special issue devoted to Asian American poets—the product of a partnership between the magazine and APAC. APAC curator Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis was also a guest editor for this issue.

**July/Aug 2019 Poetry Invocations**
A series of invocations commissioned by Poetry Foundation and APAC. Click here to read the invocations that were read aloud at the Poet's Peace Breakfast during the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival.

If you are a press or organization that would like to explore partnership or otherwise becoming a participating Festival org, please feel free to contact us at APAC@si.edu.

PROGRAMS

2019 Asian American Literature Festival
A convening and an incubator with an interactive environment for sharing and growing Asian American literature and community. Theme: Care + Caregiving

2017 Asian American Literature Festival
The first national festival of its kind: a cooperative space, with dynamic, interactive programming, for sharing and growing Asian American literature.

Asian American Literature Today
Novelist Monique Truong and poet Rick Barot read from their latest books—The Sweetest Fruits and The Galleons—and discuss their writing with moderator and historian Jason Oliver Chang.

SI+LoC
A series of lectures hosted and commissioned by the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center as part of the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival.

PUBLICATIONS

What Is Truth
A poem commemorating the Atlanta spa shootings

CREATIVE FUTURES
APAC has partnered with the Ford Foundation to republish select pieces from the foundation's series CREATIVE FUTURES, 40 provocations by thinkers across the spheres of arts and culture, documentary film, and journalism. Guest edited by APAC Curator Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis.

Bittersweet
A Pandemic Sketchbook by Nguyên Khôi Nguyễn. After months of sheltering in place, a Baltimore couple hits the road to rescue mom in Florida and harvest the family mangos before returning north.

Anna May Wong x Sally Wen Mao
This postcard series honors the life of film icon Anna May Wong by pairing images from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery collections with poetry by celebrated contemporary poet Sally Wen Mao.

Literary Addresses
A set of commissioned “addresses” on the state + futures of Asian American literature by leading Asian American poets, writers, playwrights, graphic novelists, and literary scholars offering a re-imagination of the place + consequence of Asian American literature.

Queer Check-Ins
A set of video poems, curated by Franny Choi, featuring 12 queer Asian and Pacific Islander diasporic poets check in and give us glimpses of queer life. Video footage, shot by the poets themselves, maps out queer space across the U.S. and beyond.

**July/Aug 2017 Poetry issue**
The first-ever Poetry special issue devoted to Asian American poets—the product of a partnership between the magazine and APAC. APAC curator Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis was also a guest editor for this issue.

July/Aug 2019 Poetry Invocations
A series of invocations commissioned by Poetry Foundation and APAC. Click here to read the invocations that were read aloud at the Poet's Peace Breakfast during the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival.

COMING SOON

If you are a press or organization that would like to explore partnership or otherwise becoming a participating Festival org, please feel free to contact us at APAC@si.edu.

2019 Asian American Literature Festival A convening and an incubator with an interactive environment for sharing and growing Asian American literature and community. Theme: Care + Caregiving

2017 Asian American Literature Festival The first national festival of its kind: a cooperative space, with dynamic, interactive programming, for sharing and growing Asian American literature.

Asian American Literature Today Novelist Monique Truong and poet Rick Barot read from their latest books—The Sweetest Fruits and The Galleons—and discuss their writing with moderator and historian Jason Oliver Chang.

SI+LoC A series of lectures hosted and commissioned by the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center as part of the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival.

What Is Truth A poem commemorating the Atlanta spa shootings

CREATIVE FUTURES APAC has partnered with the Ford Foundation to republish select pieces from the foundation's series CREATIVE FUTURES, 40 provocations by thinkers across the spheres of arts and culture, documentary film, and journalism. Guest edited by APAC Curator Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis.

Bittersweet A Pandemic Sketchbook by Nguyên Khôi Nguyễn. After months of sheltering in place, a Baltimore couple hits the road to rescue mom in Florida and harvest the family mangos before returning north.

Anna May Wong x Sally Wen Mao This postcard series honors the life of film icon Anna May Wong by pairing images from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery collections with poetry by celebrated contemporary poet Sally Wen Mao.

Literary Addresses A set of commissioned “addresses” on the state + futures of Asian American literature by leading Asian American poets, writers, playwrights, graphic novelists, and literary scholars offering a re-imagination of the place + consequence of Asian American literature.

Queer Check-Ins A set of video poems, curated by Franny Choi, featuring 12 queer Asian and Pacific Islander diasporic poets check in and give us glimpses of queer life. Video footage, shot by the poets themselves, maps out queer space across the U.S. and beyond.

July/Aug 2017 Poetry issue The first-ever Poetry special issue devoted to Asian American poets—the product of a partnership between the magazine and APAC. APAC curator Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis was also a guest editor for this issue.

July/Aug 2019 Poetry Invocations A series of invocations commissioned by Poetry Foundation and APAC. Click here to read the invocations that were read aloud at the Poet's Peace Breakfast during the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival.

If you are a press or organization that would like to explore partnership or otherwise becoming a participating Festival org, please feel free to contact us at APAC@si.edu.

PROGRAMS

2019 Asian American Literature Festival A convening and an incubator with an interactive environment for sharing and growing Asian American literature and community. Theme: Care + Caregiving

2017 Asian American Literature Festival The first national festival of its kind: a cooperative space, with dynamic, interactive programming, for sharing and growing Asian American literature.

Asian American Literature Today Novelist Monique Truong and poet Rick Barot read from their latest books—The Sweetest Fruits and The Galleons—and discuss their writing with moderator and historian Jason Oliver Chang.

SI+LoC A series of lectures hosted and commissioned by the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center as part of the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival.

PUBLICATIONS

What Is Truth A poem commemorating the Atlanta spa shootings

CREATIVE FUTURES APAC has partnered with the Ford Foundation to republish select pieces from the foundation's series CREATIVE FUTURES, 40 provocations by thinkers across the spheres of arts and culture, documentary film, and journalism. Guest edited by APAC Curator Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis.

BittersweetA Pandemic Sketchbook by Nguyên Khôi Nguyễn. After months of sheltering in place, a Baltimore couple hits the road to rescue mom in Florida and harvest the family mangos before returning north.

Anna May Wong x Sally Wen Mao This postcard series honors the life of film icon Anna May Wong by pairing images from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery collections with poetry by celebrated contemporary poet Sally Wen Mao.

Literary Addresses A set of commissioned “addresses” on the state + futures of Asian American literature by leading Asian American poets, writers, playwrights, graphic novelists, and literary scholars offering a re-imagination of the place + consequence of Asian American literature.

Queer Check-Ins A set of video poems, curated by Franny Choi, featuring 12 queer Asian and Pacific Islander diasporic poets check in and give us glimpses of queer life. Video footage, shot by the poets themselves, maps out queer space across the U.S. and beyond.

July/Aug 2017 Poetry issue The first-ever Poetry special issue devoted to Asian American poets—the product of a partnership between the magazine and APAC. APAC curator Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis was also a guest editor for this issue.

July/Aug 2019 Poetry Invocations A series of invocations commissioned by Poetry Foundation and APAC. Click here to read the invocations that were read aloud at the Poet's Peace Breakfast during the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival.

COMING SOON

If you are a press or organization that would like to explore partnership or otherwise becoming a participating Festival org, please feel free to contact us at APAC@si.edu.

2019 Asian American Literature Festival
A convening and an incubator with an interactive environment for sharing and growing Asian American literature and community. Theme: Care + Caregiving

2017 Asian American Literature Festival
The first national festival of its kind: a cooperative space, with dynamic, interactive programming, for sharing and growing Asian American literature.

Asian American Literature Today
Novelist Monique Truong and poet Rick Barot read from their latest books—The Sweetest Fruits and The Galleons—and discuss their writing with moderator and historian Jason Oliver Chang.

SI+LoC
A series of lectures hosted and commissioned by the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center as part of the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival.

What Is Truth
A poem commemorating the Atlanta spa shootings

CREATIVE FUTURES
APAC has partnered with the Ford Foundation to republish select pieces from the foundation's series CREATIVE FUTURES, 40 provocations by thinkers across the spheres of arts and culture, documentary film, and journalism. Guest edited by APAC Curator Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis.

Bittersweet
A Pandemic Sketchbook by Nguyên Khôi Nguyễn. After months of sheltering in place, a Baltimore couple hits the road to rescue mom in Florida and harvest the family mangos before returning north.

Anna May Wong x Sally Wen Mao
This postcard series honors the life of film icon Anna May Wong by pairing images from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery collections with poetry by celebrated contemporary poet Sally Wen Mao.

Literary Addresses
A set of commissioned “addresses” on the state + futures of Asian American literature by leading Asian American poets, writers, playwrights, graphic novelists, and literary scholars offering a re-imagination of the place + consequence of Asian American literature.

Queer Check-Ins
A set of video poems, curated by Franny Choi, featuring 12 queer Asian and Pacific Islander diasporic poets check in and give us glimpses of queer life. Video footage, shot by the poets themselves, maps out queer space across the U.S. and beyond.

**July/Aug 2017 Poetry issue**
The first-ever Poetry special issue devoted to Asian American poets—the product of a partnership between the magazine and APAC. APAC curator Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis was also a guest editor for this issue.

**July/Aug 2019 Poetry Invocations**
A series of invocations commissioned by Poetry Foundation and APAC. Click here to read the invocations that were read aloud at the Poet's Peace Breakfast during the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival.

2019 Asian American Literature Festival
A convening and an incubator with an interactive environment for sharing and growing Asian American literature and community. Theme: Care + Caregiving

2017 Asian American Literature Festival
The first national festival of its kind: a cooperative space, with dynamic, interactive programming, for sharing and growing Asian American literature.

Asian American Literature Today
Novelist Monique Truong and poet Rick Barot read from their latest books—The Sweetest Fruits and The Galleons—and discuss their writing with moderator and historian Jason Oliver Chang.

SI+LoC
A series of lectures hosted and commissioned by the Library of Congress Poetry and Literature Center as part of the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival.

What Is Truth
A poem commemorating the Atlanta spa shootings

CREATIVE FUTURES
APAC has partnered with the Ford Foundation to republish select pieces from the foundation's series CREATIVE FUTURES, 40 provocations by thinkers across the spheres of arts and culture, documentary film, and journalism. Guest edited by APAC Curator Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis.

Bittersweet
A Pandemic Sketchbook by Nguyên Khôi Nguyễn. After months of sheltering in place, a Baltimore couple hits the road to rescue mom in Florida and harvest the family mangos before returning north.

Anna May Wong x Sally Wen Mao
This postcard series honors the life of film icon Anna May Wong by pairing images from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery collections with poetry by celebrated contemporary poet Sally Wen Mao.

Literary Addresses
A set of commissioned “addresses” on the state + futures of Asian American literature by leading Asian American poets, writers, playwrights, graphic novelists, and literary scholars offering a re-imagination of the place + consequence of Asian American literature.

Queer Check-Ins
A set of video poems, curated by Franny Choi, featuring 12 queer Asian and Pacific Islander diasporic poets check in and give us glimpses of queer life. Video footage, shot by the poets themselves, maps out queer space across the U.S. and beyond.

**July/Aug 2017 Poetry issue**
The first-ever Poetry special issue devoted to Asian American poets—the product of a partnership between the magazine and APAC. APAC curator Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis was also a guest editor for this issue.

July/Aug 2019 Poetry Invocations
A series of invocations commissioned by Poetry Foundation and APAC. Click here to read the invocations that were read aloud at the Poet's Peace Breakfast during the 2019 Asian American Literature Festival.