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News & Events Archive:

Thursday, 5/23, 5 pm, Milkweed Presents: Art and Activism During Times of Conflict, hosted by Michael Kleber-Diggs and featuring Sun Yung Shin and Michael Torres, in-person, Open Book, Minneapolis. Reserve a spot via Eventbrite.

5/3/23, 6:30 – 7:30 pm, in person, Ty Chapman, LOOKING FOR HAPPY – with Sun Yung Shin! Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul MN.

4/30/24, in person, 6 – 8 pm, Minor Feelings: A Conversation between Cathy Park Hong, Su Hwang, and Sun Yung Shin, North Hennepin Community College

April is National Poetry Month, and to celebrate, the Minnesota Writers Series will feature Ty Chapman and his debut poetry collection, “Tartarus,” published by Button Poetry. Join us in downtown Minneapolis at Open Book, for an afternoon of readings and discussions. Ty will be in conversation with Sun Yung Shin to reflect on the origins and themes of the collection and why he decided to take up the poetic form.

4/28/24, 2 – 4 pm, in person, Minneapolis – Minnesota Writers Series: Tartarus, Open Book, downtown Minneapolis. Sponsored by the MN Humanities Center & The Loft Literary Center. Registration required.

4/23/24, virtual, 7 – 8:30 pm, 2023 Creative Nonfiction and Memoir Writing Project Final Reading (June Online Cohort). Registration required.

4/11/23, in person, 5 – 7 pm, A Reading and Recital featuring Poet Sun Yung Shin and Pianist Shirley Yoo. English Department, Northwestern University. Co-Sponsor: One Book One Northwestern

2/7 – 2/10, 2024, 9 am – 10:15 am, in person, Sound & Color: Poets and Visual Artists in Exquisite Exchange, AWP, Kansas City

1/29/24, 6:00-8:00 pm, in person, 2022/23 MCAD – Jerome Fellowship Exhibition panel discussion

12/8/23 11 am – 4 pm, in person, Holiday Market

Saturday, November 11, 12 noon, The Wet Hex, Adoptee Book Club, The Starlings Collective, virtual

Saturday, November 4, 10:15 am, Where We Come From, Author Reading at Walker Free First Saturday, Walker Art Center, in person

Thursday, October 5, 2:15 pm, Speaker, Minnesota Library Association Fall Conference, St. Paul RiverCentre, in person – with John Coy, Shannon Gibney, Molly Beth Griffin, Naomi Kritzer, Mindy Mejia.

Wednesday, October 4, Writer to Writer conversation with Shannon Gibney, 6 pm, Plymouth Library, in person – register here

Friday, August 4, 3 pm, inaugural conference closing keynote: “Uplifting our Voices Values and Vitality – a Racial and Social Justice Convergence,” Education Minnesota, Wellstone Center, in person 

Reading and conversation with Chaun Webster, July 19, 2023, 6:30 pm CST/7:30 pm EST, hosted by The Notebooks Collective, virtual

Panelist, July 1, 2023, 3:45 pm, “The Long History of Adoptee Voices,” KAAN (Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Family Network) Conference, in person

Visiting Writers Residency, June 22, 2023, 1:30 pm craft talk, 7:30 pm reading, Northwoods Writing Festival Bemidji, MN, in person

Poetry reading, June 10, 2023, 2 pm, Queer Voices 30th Anniversary Reading, Minneapolis Central Library, in person

Facilitating reflection session, June 8, 2023, 2-4 pm, first Public Day of Scholarship, Carleton College, in person

Artist talk, June 6, 2023, 1 pm, Friends of the St. Paul Public Library, Donor Appreciation Lunch, in person 

Keynote, June 2, 2023, 1 pm, Minnesota Statewide Extension Master Gardener Conference, more info –

The Wet Hex named Poetry contest winner – The Society of Midland Authors 2023 Awards for Books Published in 2022.

Minneapolis Poet Sun Yung Shin on portals, ‘Tygers’ and the magic of collaboration (Minnesota Now, MPR)

Essay reading, Wednesday, May 24 · 7pm CDT, Poetry as Spellcasting Virtual Launch Party, more info and reserve a spot –

Minnesota Book Award Finalist Caren Stelson (2021) moderated a discussion between all four 2023 finalists in contention for the Minnesota Book Award for Children’s Literature. Meet the Finalists: Children’s Literature | 2023 Minnesota Book Awards (YouTube)

May 6, 2023 12-4 pm, in person, Where We Come From reading, Minnesota Humanities Center. More info –

Finalists for the Minnesota Book Awards announced, Poet Sun Yung Shin is a finalist in two categories. See more at Minneapolis StarTribune

Minneapolis author reflects on the winter solstice and ‘tigers in the woods’
As painful as winter can be, author Sun Yung Shin has come to appreciate the quiet pleasures of the season. Special to the Star Tribune (December 21, 2022 )

Friday, March 10, 2023, 10:35 – 11:50 am. AWP Conference 2023 Panel: “So You Want to Edit an Anthology? Editors on Pitch, Process, and Publication.” In person. More information

Thursday, March 9, 2023, 12:10 – 1:25 pm. AWP Conference 2023 Panel: “Defying Tradition in Lyric Flash Creative Nonfiction.” In person. More information

Monday, February 6, 2023, 5 – 6:30 pm. The Wet Hex poetry reading and conversation with Heid E. Erdrich and Douglas Kearney, “Burial Rituals of the Habitual Tomorrow.” University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. In person and virtual. More information

Thursday, February 2, 2023, 7 – 8:30 pm. The Wet Hex poetry reading at Content Bookstore, Northfield, MN. In person. More information

Wednesday, January 18, 2023, 6:30 pm. Conversation with Shannon Gibney for book launch of her new novel The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be.  Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, MN. In person. More information

Where We Come From listed in “Best books to give for the holidays 2022” by Lisa Von Drasek. More info

September-November, Where We Come From art installation, Stars of the North Story Time Exhibit, MSP Terminal 1, Concourse C, near Gate C18. Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport, Minneapolis, MN. In-person. More info

Saturday, December 3, 8am  4pm. Vendor as Tyger Tyger studio. Summit Avenue Artisan Festival, St. Paul, MN. In-person.

Friday, December 2, 7 pm CST. Where We Come From reading and conversation. Bockley Gallery, Minneapolis MN. Free and open to the public. More info

Thursday, December 1, 3:30 – 5 pm CST. IAS Thursdays: The Politics of Futurity. Online. Registration requested

“The Limit Does Not Exist” with Betsy Aoki, Zeina Hashem Beck, Sun Yung Shin & Yanyi. Miami Book Fair. Sunday, November 20 @ 3:30 pm. More info

Saturday, November 12, 1 – 2:30 pm CST. Moving Beyond Rescue and Orphanhood panel. More info

October 29, 2 pm, Where We Come From reading, Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers, Minneapolis, MN. In-person. More info

October 22, 8 am – 5 pm CST. Where We Come From on display, Story Stroll, Midtown Farmers Market, Minneapolis, MN. In-person. More info

October 15, 10:30 am, Where We Come From co-authors, Twin Cities Book Festival, St. Paul, MN. In-person. More info

October 14, 12:30 pm, author conversations, The Moveable Feast, Heartland Fall Forum, St. Louis, MO. In-person. More info

October 8, evening time tbd, Where We Come From book launch, Moon Palace Books, Minneapolis, Minnesota. In-person, masked. More info

October 6, 7 pm, poetry reading, Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality, St. Paul, Minnesota. In-person. More info

September 29, 5 pm, poetry reading, Moving Words, Park Rapids, Minnesota. In-person. More info

September 25, 4 pm, poetry reading, River’s Edge, Minneapolis, In-person. RSVP for address: rivers.edge.create@gmail.com

September 17, 1:45 pm, Where We Come From, Children’s Literature Book Festival, Anderson Center, Red Wing, Minnesota. In-person. More info

September 13, 12 pm, A Good Time for the Truth book discussion, Minneapolis VA Medical Center, (staff-only event). Virtual.

Reading from We Are Meant to Rise: Voices for Justice from Minneapolis to the World. Tuesday, August 30, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM (CST). Online. Free registration at Eventbrite

“Book recommendations that can teach you something new about all 50 states” : NPR

6/21/22, 5 pm — Loft Leadership Gathering Circle, Minneapolis, private event 

6/13/22  — Many Faces of White Bear Lake area, WWHF reading, with Senah and Roy. 6:30-7 pm: Book signing, 7-8 pm: Author discussion, 8 – 8:30: Questions of Authors. Mahtomedi High School Chautauqua Fine Arts Center, FREE with a suggested $10 donation. Books will be able for purchase.

See The Wet Hex in Lit Hub’s “The Ten Best Book Covers of June”

5/19/22, 5:30 pm Carleton College, Benedict Distinguished Lecturer Talk, Northfield, private event

4/30, Saturday, 12-2 pm We Are Meant to Rise virtual panel discussion hosted by Tru Arts Speaks

4/25, Mon — Mankato Blue Earth Library reading, 7pm, Mankato, Minnesota.

4/25, Mon — Minnesota Humanities Center, “Reflection and Renewal through Poetry,” WWHF Storytelling Circle, 6 pm, VIRTUAL (Sun Yung Shin appearing via prerecorded segment)

4/24, Sun — The Long Devotion, Mercy Street. 6 pm, VIRTUAL. Details TBA.

4/12, Tues —  Minnesota Voices Book Club: What We Hunger For, Stearns County History Center, 6:30 pm, VIRTUAL 

4/9, Sat — Moderating Middle Grade & YA novelists panel for the Adoptee Literary Festival, with authors Mariama J. Lockington, Kosoko Jackson, Meredith Ireland, VIRTUAL & free! 

4/6, Wed —  Facebook live, “We Are Meant to Rise” reading and panel discussion, with More than a Single Story, Hamline U, Carolyn Holbrook, Erin Sharkey, Kevin Yang. 7 pm, VIRTUAL.