Tanzila “Taz” Ahmed

Enemy of the State, 2025

Tanzila “Taz” Ahmed, based in Los Angeles, CA, is a political strategist, a storyteller, and an artist. She creates at the intersection of counternarratives and culture-shifting as a South Asian American Muslim 2nd generation woman.

As an electoral organizer, she has mobilized over 500,000 Asian American voters to go to the polls. A protest sign she designed is now in the permanent archives of the Smithsonian Museum of American History. She was also a co-host of the award-winning podcast Good Muslim Bad Muslim.

Her latest poetry collection Grasping At This Planet Just to Believe was published April 2024 with Writ Large Projects.

arianna lady basco

radical empathy, 2025

arianna basco, affectionately known as lady basco, is a storyteller on and off the stage, as well as in front of and behind the camera. arianna is a single mom, student of the people, and fan of humanity.

Emdash

Letter B, 2025

Emdash AKA Emily Lu Gao (高璐璐) is a writer, artist and a daughter of Chinese immigrants. She writes to heal, grow, and decolonize.

They’ve been published in multiple journals and have earned funding from places like Sundress Publications, Bread Loaf Environmental Writers Conference, Jersey City Arts Council, and Rutgers University-Newark.

They taught undergraduate students and received an MFA in Poetry from Rutgers University-Newark.

Sun Luu

CHECK YOUR TONE, 2025

Sun Luu is a multidisciplinary, spoken word artist, and educator. Through conversational humor and introspective reflection, his work explores his Chinese and Vietnamese heritage, mental health, and the practice of self-love.

His work has been featured on platforms such as Button Poetry, All Def Poetry, KCET, and The Hollywood Reporter. Most importantly, his work has found its way to the hearts of his parents.

He currently works as a performing arts teacher in the Bay Area, mentoring Asian American students.

Michelle Myers

Peace, Power, People, 2025

Michelle Myers is an award-winning poet and educator.

Together with featured artist Catzie Vilayphonh, Michelle founded Yellow Rage, an Asian American female spoken word poetry group. They were the first Asian American women to appear on HBO’s Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry.

Her poetry has been featured in Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now, MTVbooks’ My Life: Growing Up Asian in America, We the Gathered Heat: Asian American and Pacific Islander Poetry, Performance, and Spoken Word, among other publications. She hosts a podcast, Mind Your Margins, produced by her daughter Myong.

STEADY

A Solidarity Statement Is a Love Letter, 2025

Stephanie Sajor (she/they) and Eddy M. Gana (they/them), known together as Steady, are spoken word artists and community organizers based in Los Angeles, CA.

Steady have been performing together since 2009. In 2011, they began organizing in Los Angeles. In 2012, they founded Sunday Jump, an arts organization based in Historic Filipinotown.

Steady married in 2015 and happily became dog parents in 2020.

Catzie Vilayphonh

A Diaspora Vocabulary, 2025

Catzie Vilayphonh is an award-winning spoken word poet and writer. She is recognized for her powerful storytelling and unique voice.

Together with featured artist Michelle Myers, Catzie founded Yellow Rage, an Asian American female spoken word poetry group. They were the first Asian American women to appear on HBO’s Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry.

In 2015, Catzie founded Laos in the House, an organization dedicated to promoting Lao American storytelling through art. Her work has been featured on the Smithsonian Channel, and in MTVbooks’ My Life: Growing Up Asian in America and Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now.

A child of refugees, Catzie was born in camp, on the way to America, and thus considers herself part of the “.5 Generation.”