I’ll be doing a sharing and book signing with CSU San Marcos students, also open to the public, location TBD. Check out my instagram @jensorianowrites for updated information.

Thank you to Kundiman South for inviting me to do this free virtual session on “Dropping In and Showing Out: How to Write Your Culture Without Translation or Apology.” This one hour session will include a brief craft talk and reading from NERVOUS , followed by a writing exercise and Q&A. Free and open to the public! Register here.

Reagan Jackson launches Still True, a time capsule of a decade of her choices as a journalist, part memoir and part essays. Cultural leader Tim Lennon and author Jen Soriano will join Reagan in conversation.

In Still True: The Evolution of an Unexpected Journalist, author and activist Reagan Jackson chronicles her journey into the world of journalism. Art, cinema, social justice, feminism, Black reparations, health & reproductive rights, dance, education—while Jackson’s subjects range far and wide, her writing brings an intimacy & immediacy to all.

Reagan Jackson believes in creating communities of belonging and the efficacy of critical thinking followed by action. She is a multi genre writer (poet, novelist, award winning journalist, children's book author), an artist, activist, and international educator with an abiding love of justice, spirituality, and traveling to new places. Reagan is passionate about providing young people with the opportunities and support. To that end she is the co-Executive Director of Young Women Empowered and has taken over two hundred youth abroad to Japan, Guatemala, and Mexico respectively. She is the cohost and producer of the Deep End Friends Podcast. You can find our more about her at www.reaganjackson.com

Originally from Providence, RI, Tim Lennon has been working in Seattle’s cultural scenes since moving here in 2001. In that time he has held leadership and programming positions at several Seattle non-profit and public sector organizations, including: LANGSTON, The Vera Project, Seattle Music Commission, Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle Center Foundation, and One Reel. He has also been a planning advisor to the Movimiento Afrolatino Seattle (MÁS), the Historic Central Area Arts & Cultural District, Leadership Tomorrow's curriculum committee, and National Arts Strategies. Tim lives in Beacon Hill with his wife, Vi, son, Gus, and dog, Hopey, and aspires to be half as awesome as they are.

Why feel, especially now? How might feeling help us cultivate freedom and healing, for ourselves as educators, our learning communities, and beyond?

Join us on Wednesday, March 26, 5-6:3pm PST for a virtual conversation with Prentis Hemphill and Jen Soriano to discuss ways we can practice healing justice as educators.

The Zoom link will be sent out to registrants each Friday leading up to the event. Free and open to all!

The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Stephanie Cariaga, Associate Professor in Teacher Education at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). This event is part of the bi-annual Justice & Equity Teacher Education Speaker Series at CSUDH, led by Dr. Ed Curammeng.

Register here, free and open to all: tinyurl.com/FeelingFreedom-DH

My high school alumni association is hosting a book discussion about NERVOUS thanks to my high school roommate Ann H. Chen! The event is open to all IMSA alumni and current students as well as current and former faculty. See the IMSA alumni facebook page or get in touch with me through the webform for information on how to join.

I dreamt about getting to have an event with Putsata Reang from the moment I started listening to her memoir Ma & Me on audiobook. Thanks to Mam’s Bookstore, Filipinotown Seattle, and the Khmer Advocacy and Advancement Group for making this dream come true! Join us as we talk NERVOUS and Ma & Me and writing memoirs while Southeast Asian and queer. So excited to bring some cross community building to life through literature and our very own bookstore in Seattle’s historic Chinatown/International District.

The event is free and open to the public with limited seating, first come, first served.

About Mam’s: https://www.mamsbooks.com/about

mam's books is the only independent Asian American bookstore in Seattle and the entire Pacific Northwest. Our focus is on providing books and titles to the community by Asian American authors and writers.

Our vision is to create a physical space in the community that uplifts Asian American voices and perspectives. We see ourselves as a community "living room". We want to see the community engage authentically with themselves and each other in this space. We want the bookstore to be a place to have fun, enjoy good conversations, explore new ideas (or maybe revisit old ones!), and where all Asian Americans feel heard and seen. 

We're committed to having mam's books as a resource and platform for the Asian American community. We believe in serving this community and the even brighter future of the Asian American experience and movement here in Seattle's Chinatown/International District. We'd be so honored if this bookstore can even play a small role in what makes this neighborhood so special. 

Join me, Robyn Rodriguez, and Alexis David for an afternoon of reading and discussion about mental health care for Filipinx communities. Is there a common experience of Filipino historical trauma, and if so, how does it affect mental health? What does science tell us about transgenerational trauma and healing? What do we know beyond science about ancestral trauma and ancestral healing? How can we create culture and practice and policy shift stoward more and better mental health care for all of us? We’ll talk about these questions and more. Musical guest(s) TBD. Merienda will be provided by PAWA and SFPL!

Co-sponsored by Filipino Mental Health Initiative-SF, The Amado Khaya Foundation, and Philippine American Writers and Artists, and hosted by the Filipino American Center and the James Hormel LGBTQIA+ Center at SF Public Library, with special thanks to Cristina Mitra, Abe Ignacio, and Beverly Parayno.

For every book bought at this event, I’ll donate to FMHI-SF and to the Amado Khaya Foundation.

Event details here!

Accessibility information for the San Francisco Public Library: All San Francisco Public Library facilities are accessible for wheelchair riders. There are automatic entrance doors and ramps and elevators.

Image description: A graphic with a yellow background swirled with other faded colors. In the top right corner is an image of a sunburst, with the text “Filipino American History Month.” Below that is the cover of NERVOUS. The middle reads, “Jen Soriano with Dr Robyn Rodriguez & Alexis David.” Below that, it reads, “Sunday, 10/29, 2 pm, Hormel LGBTQIA+ Center, 3rd Floor, SFPL Main Library, 100 Larkin St, San Francisco.” Below that, it reads, “sfpl.org,” next to the SFPL’s logo, which is a shell. On the right are photos of Soriano, Rodriguez, and David. Soriano is smiling softly as she looks directly at the camera. Her black hair is swept to the side and she is wearing red lipstick and a white blouse. Rodriquez is looking to the left. Her brown hair is tied back. She is wearing long earrings with a red ball at the end, a thin gold necklace, and a white blazer. David is looking directly at the camera. Her black hair is below her shoulders. She is wearing a periwinkle blue top and thin gold necklaces. Below the photos is a blurb for NERVOUS by Angela Garbes, which reads, “The essays in NERVOUS crackle and pulse with a beautiful bodily wisdom that animates a sparkling intellect. Jen Soriano tenderly, unflinchingly excavates layers of history and pain—found both in her body and our body politic—and offers all of us tools and materials to build a path toward wholeness. I’m in awe of Jen Soriano and you will be too. —Angela Garbes, author of ‘Essential Labor’ and ‘Like a Mother.’”

Join me and one of my besties, the phenomenal Malkia Devich Cyril, for a conversation about trauma, grief, and transformation. In the 2000’s I had the great honor of co-founding the organization now known as MediaJustice with Malkia, and since then Malkia and I have walked parallel paths as movement builders, writers, conveners, and now journeyfolk exploring the depths of individual, community, and structural experiences of the overlapping but distinct terrains of psychological trauma and grief. Bay Area community, hope you’ll come out to be part of the conversation.

Hosted by Pegasus Books in Downtown Berkeley.

Event info here!

Accessibility information for Pegasus Books: The bookstore is located three blocks from the Downtown Berkeley BART. The space is wheelchair-accessible. It is not scent-free., and there are LED lights. For events, the bookstore has a wheelchair-accessible gender neutral bathroom.

Image description: A graphic with a purple background. At the top, it reads “NERVOUS.” Below that, it reads, “Essays on Heritage and Healing.” On the left side of the image is the cover of NERVOUS. Next to the cover are photos of Jen Soriano and Malkia Devich-Cyril. Jen is smiling softly as she looks directly at the camera. Her black hair is swept to the side and she is wearing red lipstick and a white blouse. Devich-Cyril is looking directly at the camera, a slight smile on their face. They are wearing a black cap, narrow black glasses, and a blue plaid button-down. Below the photos, it reads, “Jen Soriano in conversation with Malkia Devich-Cyril.” Below that, it reads, “Thursday, 10/26 at 7PM,” and then below that, “Pegasus Downtown | 2349 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley.” Next to that is Pegasus’s logo, a pegasus with its head looking down, as if eating something from the ground.

Join us at Liwanag Lit Fest 2023, a free literary festival shining a light on the vibrant diversity of Filipinx storytelling, organized by the Long Beach Public Library, Bel Canto Books, and our amazing volunteer team of book lovers!

LIWANAG LIT FEST

Saturday, 10/21/23 from 10AM to 4PM

Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library (5870 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach CA 90805)

Free to attend; RSVP encouraged.

Accessibility information for the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library: The library is fully ADA compliant. There is an accessible main entrance, accessible restrooms, an assistive technology center, a hearing loop in the community meeting room and classroom, and a designated parking lot.

Image description: A graphic with a white background. On the left is the logo for the Liwanag Lit Fest, which is an image of a yellow sun rising over an open book. Below that, “Liwanag” is written on a blue horizontal book spine in a flowing font. Below that, “Lit Fest | Long Beach” is written on a yellow horizontal book spine.” On the right is text reading, “Saturday 10.21.23, 10AM to 4PM.” Below that, it reads, “Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library, 5870 Atlantic Boulevard, Long Beach CA 90805.” Below that, it reads, “Free to attend: RSVP requested.”

Los Angeles! I’ve wanted to have an excuse to talk more with Anthony Ocampo ever since he came out with The Latinos of Asia. Well, here’s my excuse. Join us for a double-header conversation about Nervous and Anthony’s latest book Brown and Gay in LA, and about writing research-driven personal stories and profiles as second generation Filipinx-Americans. Hosted by North Figueroa Bookshop.

Event info here!

Accessibility information for North Figueroa Bookshop: An accessible entrance is around the corner through the parking lot. The bookstore does not have parking for customers, but there is street parking available around Highland Park Pool and the Arroyo Seco Library. Chairs will be available at the event.

Image description: A graphic that reads, “Jen Soriano with Anthony Ocampo” in black text on a green background. Below that is a copy of the NERVOUS book cover and photos of Soriano and Ocampo in circles. Soriano is smiling softly as she looks directly at the camera. Her black hair is swept back and she is wearing red lipstick and a white blouse. Ocampo is smiling as he looks at the camera, his arms crossed in front of his body. He is bald and wearing a light blue jean jacket over a white long-sleeved button-down. Text at the bottom reads, “Monday Oct 16 7 pm, 6040 N Figeuroa.” The logo of North Figeuroa Bookshop is in the bottom left corner.

Join me and 4 Filipina/x/o writers and poets from the Seattle area for this Filipino American History Month Lit Festival at the Columbia City Library in South Seattle, 2-4PM Saturday 10/14. Free and Family-Friendly! The reading and discussion will be followed by a free poetry workshop with Troy Osaki 4-5PM.

Featuring Cesar Cueva, Anis Gisele, Emily P. Lawsin, Troy Osaki, and yours truly.

Organized by Gerie Ventura and Joann Natalia Aquino

Accessibility information for all Seattle Public Library branches: The library fully complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and provides accommodations by request for physical access, communications or other needs that ensure our services, activities and employment are available to people with disabilities.  All library locations, interior book returns, restrooms and meeting rooms are accessible with one or more accessible public computer workstations. Designated accessible parking spaces are available at all 27 locations. There are automatic doors at all main entrances.

Image description: A graphic with a black background and a mix of white, blue, red, and mustard yellow text. The top left reads, “October is Filipino American History Month!” Below that, it reads, “October 14, 2023, 2PM - 4 PM,” and then below that, “Poetry workshop with Troy Osaki, 4 PM - 5 PM.” Below that, it reads, “Columbia Branch, Seattle Public Library, 4721 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle, WA, 98118.” In the middle, it reads, “Featuring: Cesar Cueva, Anis Gisele, Emily P. Lawsin, Troy Osaki, Jen Soriano.” Below that are the logos of the two sponsoring organizations. Below the logos it reads, “Free admission.” On the right of the graphic, it reads, “Filipino American Literary Festival.”

Filipino-American psychologist EJR David’s work on the effects of colonial mentality on Filipino-American mental health has been groundbreaking. His book Brown Skin, White Minds opened the doors to Fil-Am communities and invited us to both confront the negative impacts of colonial mentality and shed the stigma of mental illness while embracing a radical approach to mental health. His book We Have Not Stopped Trembling Yet, was an inspiration to me in its example of telling personal stories to reveal transgenerational trauma and power.

I couldn’t be more honored to be in conversation with EJ. Join us for an event that’s sure to surprise even us, who knows what twists and turns and rabbit holes we’ll go down. Who knows maybe we will talk about parenting, colonial mentality as it relates to trauma (that’s probably a definite) and/or the master himself James Baldwin. What’s for sure is we’re gonna get really real about mental health challenges and opportunities for our communities, and probably also structural approaches to healing and joy.

Hosted by Books and Books. REGISTER HERE!

Image description: A graphic featuring a photo of EJR David on the left. He has a black goatee and is wearing a gray knit beanie and black glasses, and is looking directly at the camera. Next to him is a copy of NERVOUS. On the right is a photo of Jen Soriano. Her black hair is swept to the side and she is smiling softly as she looks directly at the camera. She is wearing red lipstick and a white blouse.

Join me, Troy Osaki, and Sunu Chandy in person at Open Books in Seattle for a celebration of Sunu’s excellent debut poetry collection My Dear Comrades. Sunu and I were part of the Unicorn Authors Club together, and I’m amazed that our schedules aligned to allow this event to happen. I’m further amazed that Troy was also available to part of this reading, it will be my first reading with not one but two stellar poets who are also attorneys. Beautiful poetry and prose and conversations about art and social justice will be had.

I’ll be reading an excerpt from NERVOUS, and we’ll be having a conversation about each others’ work followed by a Q&A and book signing.

Click here for event information

Accessibility information for Open Books: The bookstore is on the ground floor and the bookstore is wheelchair-accessible. Wheelchair users may have a difficult time accessing the bathroom. Chairs will be available at the event. Masks are required. The event is not scent-free. 

Image description: A graphic for the book event “NERVOUS and MY DEAR COMRADES by Sunu Chandy, Featuring Troy Osaki, at Open Books.” At the top left is the text-based logo for Open Books, which reads, “Open Books A Poem Emporium” in all caps and a red font. Next to the logo, it reads, “Seattle, WA, Oct. 10, 2023, 7-8PM.” Below that, in a teal colored bar, it reads, “Reading and discussion” on the top line, and then below that, “Sunu P. Chandy with Jen Soriano and Troy Osaki.” Below that are photos of Soriano, Chandy, and Osaki, in that order from left to right. Soriano is smiling softly as she looks directly at the camera. Her black hair is swept to the side, and she is wearing a white short-sleeved blouse and red lipstick. Next to her photo is a cover of NERVOUS. Chandy’s photo is black and white. In it, she is smiling widely as she looks at the camera. Next to her photo is a copy of her book “My Dear Comrades.” In Osaki’s photo, his face is angled, and he is looking pensively to the side. He is wearing a black T-shirt, and has short black hair. Below his photo, it reads, “Poet, Attorney & Organizer.”

If you’re in Portland come join us for a sweet evening of community celebration, Filipinx style. Presented by The Filipino Bayanihan Center and the Foundation for Philippine Progress, this special event features a reading, conversation with Bayanihan Center executive director Dr. Adrianne Sebastian, and dinner followed by local artist performances and karaoke.

RSVP here so they know how much food to get!

For every book bought at this event, I’ll donate to both the Bayanihan Center and the Foundation for Philippine Progress.

Accessibility information for the Filipino Bayanihan Center: Entrance 1 at the corner of SE 16th and SE Morrison is ADA accessible, with a ramp/small slope integrated into the sidewalk. Entrance 2, which goes directly into the main event space, is not ADA accessible. As of September 2023, the Center’s bathroom lacks grab bars. The hallway outside the bathroom can be trickier to navigate with an electric wheelchair, compared to a manual one. Our bathroom doorway is 29.5 inches wide. The dimensions of maneuverable floor space inside the bathroom is 4 ft 2 in deep, 7 ft 6 in wide.

Image description: A graphic that reads, “The Filipino Bayanihan Center & The Foundation for Philippine Progress present: Community Book Launch of Jen Soriano’s NERVOUS: Essays on Heritage and Healing.” On the right is a photo of Soriano, looking directly at the camera and smiling softly. Her black hair is swept to the side, and she is wearing a white short-sleeved blouse and red lipstick. In the middle of the graphic is the cover of NERVOUS. The bottom left reads, “Thursday, October 5th, 5-9pm.” The bottom right reads, “Reading and discussion with dinner, local artists, and karaoke!” The bottom of the image reads, “RSVP @ tinyurl.com/nervousbook.” Below that is the text, “Filipino Bayanihan Center, 1537 SE Morrison St., Portland, OR 97214.” The background of the image is a rendering of the NERVOUS book cover in black and purple.