AROUND THE TABLE

Art and Activism

at Sandy Spring Friends School 

Thu Anh Nguyen speaks about Art and Activism, on stage and in the classroom.

Kramers Bookstore Reading

Thu Anh Nguyen reads with Lesley Younge at Kramers’ inaugural Summer Edition of Poetry at Kramers

“We Are the Greatest Poems” | Sparkfest24 at Amphibian Stage in Fort Worth, Texas

FOUND POETRY

Meander through our lobby to see poet Thu Anh Nguyen’s found poetry, woven together from responses by AAPI individuals across the country reflecting on what it means to be Asian and/or Pacific Islander in America.

as part of Visual Art with Thu Anh Nguyen and Philippa Pham Hughes

amphibianstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SparkFest24-Playbill-V1.9-Digital.pdf

Dialogue poetry at NUE restaurant in VA

Dialogue poetry at High Desert Museum in Bend, OR

Greenway Poetry Series at People’s Book Takoma | April 2025

The Green Way Reading Series is a monthly literary event based in Takoma Park, MD curated by Simon Shieh, Elizabeth Bryant, and Taylor Johnson, Takoma Park’s Poet Laureate. The series centers emerging and established poets and artists in interdisciplinary, intergenerational and cross-regional dialogues. We want these programs to encourage growing participation and local engagement in the evolving landscape of contemporary poetry.

IlluminAsia

Asia After Dark | Poetry! Comedy! Music!

Register in advance to get the best experience. Some activities have a limited capacity, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis. All activities will take place in the West Building (Freer Gallery of Art).

Join us after-hours for a night of spoken word, poetry, comedy, activations, and performance. Gather, unwind from the long work week, and jam. This event is part of our annual IlluminAsia Festival in celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

5:15 p.m.–7:45 p.m. – Poetry/Spoken Word
8:00 p.m.–8:45 p.m. – WRIZZARDS performance

asia.si.edu/whats-on/events/search/event:182526098/

PERFORMERS

Regie Cabico (Emcee/Poet/Storyteller) is the first Asian American to win the Nuyorican Poets Cafe Grand Slam and is a three-time National Poetry Slam finalist. He is the lead spoken word poetry educator at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Television credits include The Poet Speaks, HBO's Def Poetry Jam, NPR's Snap Judgment, and TEDx Talk. He's received several fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Ford Foundation, and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. He is a former NYU Asian/Pacific/American Institute artist-in-residence and is the recipient of a New York Innovative Theatre Award. He is the author of A Rabbit in Search of a Rolex and Other Hyperboles, Mysteries, and Parables (Day Eight, 2023).

Thu Anh Nguyen is a Vietnamese Floridian whose parents did not settle in the United States until they found land (and humidity!) that could grow the same fruits as they did in Vietnam. Every story Thu tells as a poet, painter, and educator is in part that immigration story. In her most recent social practice art, Thu shapes poetry while listening to conversations about what makes a flourishing community. Thu’s poetry explores the intersections and tensions between her Vietnamese and American identities. Her writing has been published in the Bellingham Review, Literacy Today, the Southern Humanities Review, the Cider Press Review, and the Crab Orchard Review. When she isn’t painting or writing, you can find her in someone else’s garden, nose in a book, snack in hand. You may find examples of her work at thuanhnguyen.com.

Sunu P. Chandy (she/her) is a social justice activist, including through her work as a poet and civil rights attorney. She is the daughter of immigrants from Kerala, India, and currently lives in DC with her family. Her award-winning collection of poems, My Dear Comrades, was published by Regal House. Sunu is currently a senior advisor with Democracy Forward and is on the board of the Transgender Law Center. Sunu has been included as one of the Washington Blade’s Queer Women of Washington.

Ishanee Chanda is a prose writer and poet from Dallas, Texas. She is the author of two poetry books: Oh, these walls, they crumble and The Overflow. Additionally, she has been published in The Eckleburg Project, Stoked Words: An Anthology of Queer Poetry from the Capturing Fire Slam & Summit, Z Publishing House’s Best Emerging Poets, Flypaper Magazine, OutWrite magazine, the ASP Bulletin, and Apricity Press. Ishanee currently resides in Washington, DC, where she works full-time in the field of humanitarian aid and refugee response. She enjoys playing badminton in the summer, singing loudly to Taylor Swift, and spending time in Brookland with her little family.

Nico Penaranda is a Filipino American writer and musician from Washington, DC. He currently teaches at Howard University. He graduated from American University’s MFA in creative writing program in 2022. Recent publications appear in Day Eight, Brigids Gate Press, Mistake House, The Gardyloo, The Keezel Review, and Z Publishing.

Swetha Ramesh began performing comedy in 2023 to stop stress-baking weekly pans of shortbread. A graduate of Grassroots Comedy’s stand-up incubator program, they now deliver tongue-in-cheek punchlines at some of the city’s best-known stages, including Union Stage, DC Comedy Loft, Busboys and Poets, DC Public Library, and As You Are. Outside of stand-up, you can find them performing hairbrush karaoke, consuming way too many bagels, and dreaming of a better tax bracket.

Joe Yuke is a DC-based comedian who began his stand-up career while attending college in Southern California. He has opened for several headlining comedians from the LA area as a member of his campus’s comedy club and has since performed in shows all over the West Coast and the DMV area. On stage, Joe leverages his analytical personality and unique perspective to tell a blend of personal stories and witty observations about life, love, and silly internet trends.

Washington Rizzards (also known as WRIZZARDS) are a Filipino multi-genre musical collective of independent artists consisting of members J Matty, Bema Tadey, LEIF, and Tina Carzon—all based in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. They've opened for major Filipino artists such as Billy Crawford, Jay R, Kris Lawrence, Ben&Ben, Silent Sanctuary, Moira Dela Torre, HappySlip, and more. They have also been featured on notable platforms such as Billboard Philippines, NYLON Manila, Wish Bus, The Washington Post, Washington City Paper, and MYX Global.

Join us for the rest of the month to continue celebrating the IlluminAsia Festival!

Bank of America is the Founding Sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art “IlluminAsia” Arts and Culture Festival.

National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Cory Grace

Rocklands in Maryland

 Thu teaches watercolor floral painting during a floral arranging class at Rocklands Farm in Maryland. Thu teaches watercolor painting to painters of all levels, and emphasizes the joy of working with vibrant colors and the spontaneity of water. 

Featured poet Reuben Jackson Jazz Poetry Set at American Poetry Museum

The American Poetry Museum (APM) is dedicated to celebrating poetry, promoting literacy, fostering meaningful dialogue, encouraging an appreciation for the diversity of the American experience, and educating local, national, and international audiences through the presentation, preservation and interpretation of American poetry.

The Reuben Jackson Jazz Poetry Set is dedicated to and memorializes the late poet Reuben Jackson.

Fruit Stories at NUE Restaurant

Join us at NUE Elegantly Vietnamese this summer for a unique and heartfelt culinary journey as we present “Fruit Stories: The Love Language of Cut Fruit.”

This event explores Asian American identity and the rich traditions that shape our community. Our summer menu is a collaboration with educator, writer, and artist Thu Anh Nguyen, whose work focuses on equity, justice, and cultural practices.

During the tasting experience, you will savor a five-course menu, a refreshing summer cocktail, and ending the meal with a plate of exotic fruits cut by our founder’s mom. Artist Thu Nguyen will also engage us in storytelling and create a painting that each guest can take home as a special gift.

We look forward to sharing this beautiful experience with you! — nuevietnamese.com/events/fruit-stories/

Road to Recovery: A Poetic Response with Philippa Pham Hughes — Featured artists: Thu Anh Nguyen, Sean Felix, and Teri Cross Davis

Artist Anna U. Davis presents a stunning set of paintings depicting her "Road to Recovery" from breast cancer. Three amazing poets will share poetry in response to this exhibit followed by a conversation about the healing power of art. 

annaudavis.com/news/2024/5/19/road-to-recovery-a-poetic-response