August 17, 2022 – Hand in Hand with traci kato-kiriyama and Imani Tolliver

One Institute and Queer Biennial present an author event Hand in Hand featuring traci kato-kiriyama and Imani Tolliver.

Hand in Hand will feature readings from new works by traci kato-kiriyama and Imani Tolliver, followed by an exchange between the two authors exploring themes such as intimacy, solidarity, and resonance over their creative practices. Together, traci and Imani will read from their most recent published works. This event brings together two award-winning artists, poets, and friends. 

Hand In Hand celebrates traci kato-kiriyama’s second book Navigating With(out) Instruments and Imani Tolliver’s book Runaway: A Memoir in Verse. 

This event is a public program associated with the 2022 Queer Biennial, dedicated to the memory of bell hooks.

This event is free with a suggested donation of $10. Your donation supports programming organized by One Institute such as this event.  

About the Speaker

traci kato-kiriyama (they+she), author of Navigating With(out) Instruments–based on unceded Tongva land in the south bay of Los Angeles– is an award-winning multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary artist, recognized for their work as a writer/performer, theatre deviser, cultural producer, and community organizer. As a storyteller and Artivist, tkk is grounded in collaborative process, collective self-determination, and art+community as intrinsically tied and a critical means toward connection and healing. She is a performer & principal writer for PULLproject Ensemble, two-time NET recipient; NEFA 2021-22 finalist for their show TALES OF CLAMOR.  tkk —presented for over 25 years in hundreds of venues throughout North America as a writer, actor, poet, speaker, guest lecturer, facilitator, Artist-in-Residence, and organizing / arts & culture consultant— has come to appreciate a wildly hybrid career (w/ presenters incl. LaMaMa Cabaret; Enwave Theatre; The Smithsonian; The Getty; Skirball Cultural Center; and Hammer Museum, to Zero Gravity; Grand Park; Whisky a Go Go; Hotel Cafe; House Of Blues Foundation Room; and countless universities, arts spaces, and community centers across the country).  Their work is also featured in a wide swath of media and print publications (incl. NPR; PBS; Elle.com; Entropy; Chapparal Canyon Press; Tia Chucha Press; Bamboo Ridge Press; Heyday Books; Regent Press).

Imani Tolliver (she/her) is an award-winning poet, artist, educator, and producer. She is the author of Runaway: A Memoir in Verse, available from World Stage Press, Amazon, and the Los Angeles Public Library. She is a graduate of Howard University, where she received the John J. Wright Literary Award, served as Poet Laureate for the Watts Towers Arts Center, and was awarded literary fellowships from the Cave Canem Foundation, the Lannan Foundation, and George Washington University. Imani received a Certificate of Congressional Recognition by the U.S. House of Representatives for her work as the Cultural & Fine Arts Supervisor for the City of Buena Park and a Certificate of Recognition by the City of Los Angeles for her work as a promoter, host, and publicist in support of the literary arts in Southern California. Rooted in social justice, Imani has curated and produced a wide portfolio of arts and cultural programming that celebrates, reflects, and amplifies the voices of diverse communities. These programs have included art festivals, poetry readings, concerts, community theater, youth theater, and special events for large municipalities in Southern California.

Images: Promotional graphic designed by Rubén Esparza for One Institute. Author photos courtesy of tra kato-kiriyama and Imani Tolliver.