City of Asylum Pittsburgh/Sampsonia Way

One of the highlights (among many) of this summer was the week I spent on Sampsonia Way in Pittsburgh, PA at the invitation of City of Asylum/Pittsburgh--one of the most inspiring literary organizations I've had the pleasure of being involved with. When Henry Reese, the founder and Executive Director, learned that Brenda Cárdenas and I were going to be week-long guests at the Cave Canem retreat at the University of Pittsburgh in Greensburg, he generously invited us to a one-week residency in the week after the Cave Canem gathering and offered to organize a reading for us. During the time we were there, housed in one of City of Asylum's homes, we were interviewed by City of Asylum's literary companion Sampsonia Way. Sampsonia Way also recently interviewed Carl Phillips, who was on the faculty at Cave Canem. Below are the links to Brenda's and Carl's interviews which, in a way, I view as companion pieces.

Brenda Cárdenas reading outside of House Poem on Sampsonia Way, 
Photo © Renee Rosensteel

Here's her interview.

Carl Phillips on Sampsonia Way
Photo by Renee Rosensteel

Here's his interview.

*

Sampsonia Way is an online magazine sponsored by City of Asylum/Pittsburgh celebrating literary free expression and supporting persecuted poets and novelists worldwide.