City of Asylum

Henry Reese and Diane Samuels, founders of City of Asylum

Pittsburgh couple Henry Reese and Diane Samuels were inspired to create Pittsburgh’s City of Asylum after first hearing Salman Rushdie mention Cities of Asylum in Europe.[10]The couple then asked the Cities of Asylum network in Europe to let them create a Pittsburgh City of Asylum which was eventually approved, making it one of more than 50 similar organizations in the International Cities of Refuge Network.[4][11]

The couple then bought a former crack house on Sampsonia Way which sits in the Pittsburgh's North Side.[12] They joined the Mattress Factory and Randyland, which are within blocks of one another, to combat blight in the Mexican War Streets that was a result of the decline of the steel industry.[13] Reese and Samuel founded the non-profit through the generous support of friends. This departed from other asylum programs which are typically under institutions such as universities.[10] The original money raised was spent on providing housing, medical benefits and a living stipend for a writer.[14]

The organization’s first author resident was Huang Xiang, a Chinese poet who was placed in death row. Huang Xiang was involved with the Democracy Wall Movement.[12][15] He and his wife, Zhang Ling were granted asylum in the United States through City of Asylum.[16]

City of Aslyum has housed six writers-in-exile since 2004. The writers are permitted to stay in apartments owned by the organization. There has been an additional 20 international artist-in-residence writers with shorter stays ranging from one to three months.[9]

City of Asylum's houses provides residences to writers in exile.

Huang Xuang wanted to carve a poem into a mountain, inspired by Mt. Washington. Instead, Samuels suggested that he paint the poems outside of the house which he did. He painted Chinese poetry outside the house, earning it the name of House Poem.[10] This later encouraged people to slip notes through the mail slot of poems they had written themselves.[17] The program would expand to three more houses on Sampsonia way.

In 2017, City of Asylum added Alphabet City to its network of buildings in Pittsburgh's North Side. The building was a former Masonic Hall and undergone a $12.2 million renovation.[7] It was acquired from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh in 2015 and construction began in September 2015. The Project received $8 million in tax credits and additional funding from local foundations.[9] Alphabet City currently houses administrative offices, City of Asylum bookstore, and the Brugge on North restaurant. All events held at the space are free.[18]

City of Asylum Books is a separate entity from non-profit. Located within Alphabet City's building, it is a book store specializing in international and translated literature.[19]

Alphabet City hosts a restaurant space. Originally it opened with Casellula a Cheese and Wine Cafe. The concept had a strick no-tipping policy.[20] The concept shuddered weeks after staff aired grievances on restaurant industry blog 'Tipped Off'.[21]

Brugge on North now operates out of City of Asylum.[22][23]

River of Words is a public art installation by exiled Venezuelan writer and artist resident Israel Centeno.[24] The installation involved a choice of 100 words, all relevant to Pittsburgh, of which Mexican War Street neighbors were invited to display on the wall, door, or window of their houses.[10][25] The representation of the words were designed by Venezuelan artists Carolina Arnal and Gisela Romero.[26]

The City of Asylum publishes a magazine called Sampsonia Way which has publishes English translations of exiled writers. The publication's goal is to fight censorship and celebrate free expression in literature.[10]