Events
House of Feelz @Nomadic Bookshop
Saturday May 9, 1-4pm
Nomadic Bookshop
326 23rd Street Unit C Oakland, CA 94612
David Maduli and I are hosting a reading w/ friends (TBA) sandwiched between two slow jam DJ sets at Nomadic Bookshop in Oakland. Come for the poetry and music, leave with the Feelz.
Bay Area Book Festival
Sunday, May 31 12:30-1:30pm
Bart Plaza Stage
2170 Shattuck Ave Berkeley, CA
Some futures arrive already mapped. Others must be spoken into being.
In The Future Is Unsettled: Decolonial Poetics, poets bring language that questions the stories we’ve been told about land, power, and belonging. Their work moves through memory, migration, and resistance, pushing against inherited narratives and opening space for other ways of seeing.
Dena Rod emcees, bringing their fierce poetic voice and deep commitment to community-centered art to the stage, setting the tone for a reading where the poems refuse easy answers and lean into the unsettled work of imagining otherwise.
Daniel P. Williams writes with lyrical clarity about land, memory, and the histories still shaping the present. Osmani Ochoa’s work moves through diaspora and identity, revealing how language carries both rupture and resilience. Logan Phillips faces his past in a hybrid memoir that transcends genre and creates a roadmap for others to follow. Jason Bayani brings urgency and vulnerability to the page, confronting migration, masculinity, and the restless search for belonging.
These poets remind us that the future isn’t a finished story. It’s something we’re still writing, line by line.
Berkeley Poetry Slam: Finals Night
No I will not be slamming, but I am coming back to the Berkeley Slam to DJ their semis and finals!
About the Show
Bringing you some of the best poetry from across the world every week since 1999, and third in the nation at the 2015 National Poetry Slam!
It's time folks! All season long, these poets have duked it out and stand as the top 8 poets of our show, but only 5 can make THE TEAM and only one will be crowned Berkeley's GRAND SLAM Champion!
And with Berkeley Slam ranking 2nd place at the Bigfoot Regional Slam in Portland, OR in 2024, Berkeley has a placement to maintain.
Join Grammy Nominee Shawn William as a bout of poetic excellence is unfolds to determine who will make the Berkeley Slam Team!
You don't want to miss this!
Poetry World Series
Last October I had the chance to participate in the Poetry World Series as part of Litquake. It was a blast, I got a free baseball cap and now they asked me to come through again, this time in Mill Valley.
About the Show
Emceed by the incomparable Daniel Handler! Two teams of poets from the Bay Area and beyond--Katie Peterson, Jason Bayani, D. M. Spratley, Dora Prieto, Joseph Kidney, and Brandon Logans--take turns batting at poem topics pitched to them by the audience.
Fastballs, curveballs, knuckleballs: these poets won't know what's coming next! Lots of laughs guaranteed. Umpires Danusha Lameris and Joseph Millar will score each batter's reading, and the winning team takes the series title. Book sale and signing will follow the reading.
This is a free event; adults and high school students only. Register in advance to join us at 6:30 for free wine, beer, and popcorn! Waitlist line opens at 6:45pm on a first-come, first-served basis. Program starts at 7PM.
As poet Marianne Moore wrote, “Writing is exciting / and baseball is like writing. / You can never tell with either / how it will go.
Affirming Life: Jason Bayani and Kazu Haga in Conversation
I attended a networking event at Bioneers last year and Kazu Haga was in the group and I decided to purchase his book, “Fierce Vulnerability”, on a whim. During my writing retreat at Landwell in Sebastapol last summer I had the chance to read it through and it really was something I needed at the moment. I’m excited to be reading and in conversation with Kazu at this event and at one of my new favorite spots in Chinatown, On Waverly. This one starts early in the evening!
About the Show
Thursday, Apr 16: 5:30-6:30 pm PDT
162 Waverly Pl, San Francisco, CA
General ticket is free. Ticket & Signed Book $19.95/person.
On Waverly welcomes poet Jason Bayani and activist-author Kazu Haga to Chinatown for an evening of reading and conversation celebrating their newest books — Everyone I Love, Alive (Omnidawn Publishing, 2025) and Fierce Vulnerability (Parallax Press, 2025). Two essential Asian American voices, one night on Waverly Place. Join us.
Berkeley Poetry Slam: Semifinals Night #2
No I will not be slamming, but I am coming back to the Berkeley Slam to DJ their semis and finals!
About the Show
The LONGEST RUNNING POETRY SLAM ON THE WEST COAST!
Bringing you some of the best poetry from across the world every week since 1999, and third in the nation at the 2015 National Poetry Slam! 3rd at Bigfoot 2023, 2nd at Bigfoot
These poets spent all season long pouring there hearts out to our audience. Now, the BEST of the BEST have to overcome one another to make it to FINAL STAGE! Which top 4 poets will qualify for FINAL STAGE?!
QUAFILIED POETS: TBA
DOORS OPEN @ 7:00PM
Workshop Hosted in Person and Online @ 7:15PM!
S HOW STARTS AT 8:00!
Ruckus Revival: Wild Things
Y’all know I DJ at one of the wildest shows in the Bay? Every second Thursday is the Ruckus Revival.
About this month’s show
The unnatural kingdom is calling! Leap into spring with a wild night of circus, burlesque, comedy and chaos.
The biggest, boldest variety show in the Bay is back, and we're unleashing the beast. Panthers take the pole, burlesque slithers across the stage, circus performers break free from their cages, and lyricists & freestyle rappers run wild on the mic in a fiercely frisky animalistic edition to kick off mating season.
This is a roaring night with teeth: the birds and the bees will sting, werewolves will howl, and bears will bare it all in a jaw dropping showcase that goes on a full rampage of audacious, untamed entertainment.
The East Bay Express calls Ruckus “the most consistently spectacular event Oakland has ever seen.” Every month brings a brand new lineup and a different flavor of chaos, with audience-interactive mayhem and unfiltered entertainment! No reruns, no repeat acts.
Featuring the wildest variety of acts you’ll see anywhere:
• Uncensored circus
• Stand up comedy
• Burlesque
• Pole performance
• Freestyle rap battles
• Aerial artistry
• Beat-boxing
• Slam poetry & Dirty Haiku Bouts
• Shocking sideshow
• Breakdancing
• Full-throttle audience mayhem
Fast, loud and absolutely alive.
The Huffington Post called it “one of the best underground performance art shows in America.”
Both the freestyle rap battle and the slam have open sign-ups with $400 in cash prizes, judged by YOU, the audience. Every show is a one-night riot, and once it’s done, it’s gone.
Berkeley Poetry Slam: Semifinals Night #1
No I will not be slamming, but I am coming back to the Berkeley Slam to DJ their semis and finals!
About the Show
The LONGEST RUNNING POETRY SLAM ON THE WEST COAST!
Bringing you some of the best poetry from across the world every week since 1999, and third in the nation at the 2015 National Poetry Slam! 3rd at Bigfoot 2023, 2nd at Bigfoot
These poets spent all season long pouring there hearts out to our audience. Now, the BEST of the BEST have to overcome one another to make it to FINAL STAGE! Which top 4 poets will qualify for FINAL STAGE?!
QUAFILIED POETS: TBA
DOORS OPEN @ 7:00PM
Workshop Hosted in Person and Online @ 7:15PM!
S HOW STARTS AT 8:00!
Bazaar Writers Salon
Sunday, April 5th, 6:00 p.m.
Readings by Jason Bayani, Stephanie Horvath, Natalya Sukhonos, and Preeti Vangani
Hosted by Peter Kline
Bazaar Cafe, 5927 California St., San Francisco
Stepping in for my pal, Rhoni Blankenhorn, at this reading. Bazaar Writers Salon is a fun and social monthly literary reading series featuring poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and music held at the Bazaar Cafe in San Francisco.
Last Supper Party
I’m reading alongside local legend, Barbara Jane Reyes, and upcoming singer/songwriter, Many Waters, at one of my favorite spots in the Mission, Irma’s Pampanga Restaurant for SFIAF’s Last Supper Party!
Sunday April 4, 7:00pm
Irma's Pampanga
2901 16th Street, SF, CA 94103
Performances by Barbara Jane Reyes, Many Waters, and Jason Bayani
Joy Frequencies @Bar Covell in LA
Making a quick little jaunt to LA for this extravaganza next Monday 2/23. Come through. The lineup is dope!
Omnidawn Fall '25 Book Launch
Quiet Lightning is pleased to host a virtual event with Omnidawn Publishing for their seasonal launch of new titles, for which each author will be reading from their work. Hosted by QL director Evan Karp. Be among the first to own these new treasures:
Everyone I Love, Alive by Jason Bayani
Turncoat by Molly Bendall
YEET! by jason b. crawford
Descent by Aria Deepwater
Two Appearances After the Resurrection by Shane McCrae
Coda by Steven Seidenberg
WHITMAN. CANNONBALL. PUEBLA. by Rodrigo Toscano
Diary of Small Discontents: New & Selected 1974-2024 by John Yau
This event is free and all ages, but RSVP is required. Event link will be sent to everyone who registers.
Stir: Rainy Season
KSW’s building-mate at Arc Gallery & Studios, Cafe Suspiro, has a new reading series and I’m featured at the next one!
STIR IS BACK! Our lineup for Rainy Season 2026 is OFFICIAL and AWESOME. @ghidorahnotweak @jasonbayani @sam.j.miller and Mukethe Kawinzi will all be there, and you should too. More details and the official Stir poster coming soon.
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Stir is a seasonal reading series on Folsom Corridor, hosted by @cafesuspirosf & @fabulistmag. 1246 Folsom, four times a year. Coffee hour at the cafe followed by readings & discussion with local & locally relevant poets and authors @arcgallerysf ☕️ 📚 🌧️
Lineage and Light: A Night of Poetry
Bel Canto Books
KUBO LB
3976 Atlantic Ave
Long Beach, CA 90807, USA
Bel Canto Books is delighted to host a night of poetry with authors Cathy Linh Che (BECOMING GHOST), Jason Bayani (EVERYONE I LOVE, ALIVE), Michelle Peñaloza (ALL THE WORDS I CAN REMEMBER ARE POEMS), and Ching-In Chen (SHINY CITY).
Learn more and RSVP here!
Berkeley Poetry Slam
This Wednesday I’m coming back to the Berkeley Poetry Slam!
THE LONGEST RUNNING POETRY SLAM ON THE WEST COAST!
Bringing you some of the best poetry from across the world every week since 1998, and third in the nation at the 2015 National Poetry Slam! 3rd place at Bigfoot 2023 and 2nd place at Bigfoot 2024 in Portland, OR.
don't forget to check us out before the show for the writing workshop, led by one of our crew members.
Doors open @ 7:00PM
Workshop Hosted in Person and Online @ 7:00PM
Poetry Slam SIGN UP LIST Goes out @ 7:00PM
SHOW STARTS AT 8PM!!!
📝Workshop starts at 7:00PM on Zoom ID: TBA
First Fridays at Golden Sardine with Michelle Peñaloza and Rhoni Blankenhorn
I’m reading with Michelle Peñaloza and Rhoni Blankenhorn to celebrate our newest books, plus I’m throwing down a DJ set at the Golden Sardine for First Fridays. More info coming soon!
KSW and Green Apple Books present Elaine Castillo and Jason Bayani
I’m reading with Elaine Castillo at KSW. We’re gonna chat a bit. It’s a costume party. It’s going to be at KSW and our visual arts ehibition for APAture will be up at that time! Her newest book, Moderation, is dope. She’s a brilliant mind. I’m so hype for this.
Poetry World Series: Litquake Edition
I’m about to Jose Canseco this thing. Check out this line-up, the judges, and it’s MC’d by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler). Get your tickets!
Two teams of award-winning poets, including Jason Bayani, Gillian Conoley, Keith Ekiss, Lourdes Figueroa, MJ Jones, and Mia Ayumi Malhotra take turns batting at topics pitched to them by the audience. Fastballs, curveballs, knuckleballs: these poets won’t know what’s coming next! Hilarity and brilliance both guaranteed. Daniel Handler will be tonight’s emcee, and eminently qualified umpires—Aracelis Girmay and D.A. Powell—will score each batter’s reading. The winning team takes the series title. Don’t forget to bring a topic to stump the poets with! Book sales/signing follow the final inning. Doors at 6:30pm. $15 adv / $20 door
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.”