
HOME MADE @ ARTogether is a quarterly literary arts reading series showcasing refugee and immigrant poets and writers in Oakland & the San Francisco Greater Bay Area.
Each gathering features a reading and conversation on craft, the writer’s journey, and on the questions that inform the poetic practice of immigrants and refugees, including themes of displacement, migration, generational trauma, belonging, and mental health. Expanded from Edward Gunawan’s HOME MADE storytelling project, our gatherings seek to build an empowering and nourishing space for local immigrant and refugee literary artists.
Know of a writer whose work will be suitable for our series or have an idea for a future gathering? Reach out to us at michelle@artogether.org. All writers receive an honorarium for their participation.
Past Gatherings
2023
- Jan 26: The Way Back: An Evening of Poetry with Edward Gunawan, Noun Abdelaziz, and Dawn Angelicca Barcelona
- Apr 20: Celebrating National Poetry Month with Sam Cosentino and Zêdan Xelef
- July 30: Ingrid Rojas Contreras and Marcelo Hernandez Castillo
2022
- Apr-Jun: Video Storytelling Workshop with Edward Gunawan








Michelle Lin (she/they) is a cultural worker and the author of A House Made of Water (Sibling Rivalry Press, 2017) a poetry collection about the inheritance of stories and cyclical nature of trauma. She co-hosts We Won’t Move: A Living Archive, a podcast from Kearny Street Workshop about local Asian Pacific American arts activism. Her poetry has been published in over 30 literary journals, and was anthologized in Bettering American Poetry, a book series seeking to dismantle the gatekeeping, tokenization, and marginalization of poets of color. She is ARTogether’s Artist Support Program Director.
Photo credit: Mish Lapitan
Edward Gunawan (he/they) is the author of two chapbooks: The Way Back (winner of Start a Riot! Prize, Foglifter Press, 2022) and Press Play (Sweet Lit, 2020). As writer, producer, actor, and/or director, he has completed over 25 feature and short films throughout his 15 year+ career. Other publications include TriQuarterly, Aquifer, and Intimate Strangers anthology (Signal 8, 2020). An Indonesian-born Chinese queer immigrant, Edward now resides on Ohlone land in Oakland, CA where he hosts and curates creative community gatherings. More info at addword.com.