Book release celebration for Keana Aguila Labra new book of poetry THE LANGUAGE OF UNBREAKING(Sampaguita Press 2025). Keana will be reading from their new book of poetry and will be joined by fellow poets Nik Vik, Lorenz Mazon Dumuk, Ellie Lopez, Arlene Biala, Reggie Imbat, and more TBA,
Nik Vik (he/they) is a comedy performer who has done a variety of acts across the Bay Area, including improv and stand-up comedy. In 2019, they were the frontman of the freestyle rap improv duo “F$#K.” who regularly performed at Syzygy SF. Currently, he is a cast member with the improv team “Quality Control” who have performed at venues such as Endgames Improv and All Out Comedy Theater, and have been featured in shows like “Jokeland” and “Haight to Laugh.” Outside of their on-stage performances, Nik is the writer of the slice of afterlife web comic “The ‘Guardian’ of Purgatory,” which they create with illustrator Meena Vempaty. They are also a filmmaker who has written and directed videos for the YouTube channel “Los Jackals,” and has starred in one of their latest films “Join Our Team!” Follow Nik on instagram @notnikvik to stay updated on current and future projects of theirs, and follow his team “Quality Control” @qc_improv to learn of upcoming shows!
Lorenz Mazon Dumuk is a poet and spoken word artist from San Jose, California. He is the author of the book, Held (Sampaguita Press), as well as the author to two self published chapbooks, Ay Nako: Writing Through the Struggle, and I Think In Poetry. He is a VONA alumni, and a MALI (Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute) alumni, which is a Silicon Valley based program that focuses on developing leaders of color in the arts, culture, and entertainment sectors. He is one of the curators for, Glowing with the Moon, an open mic and interactive community space in San Jose. Lorenz writes with, against, and through the contradictions he encounters, which allows him to explore the different silences in his life through his poetry. His spoken word performances are painfully heartfelt as well as magnificently healing. An awkwardly adorable poet who can be caught doing hip-circles before a poetry reading.
Ellie Lopez (she/her) is a photographer & storyteller from the 209. She is a community college dropout and failed music journalist. When she’s not ear hustling for the best chismes she writes poetry about grief, pop culture and her family chismes. Her work has been published in Sin Cesar (formally DRYLAND), Maria’s at Sampaguitas, and CWAA Fresno Flies, Cockroaches & Poets. “While in Mourning” is her first chapbook BuiLit Zine.
Arlene Biala (she/her) is a Pinay poet and performance artist born in San Francisco, CA and raised in the South Bay. She has been participating in poetry performances and workshops in the Bay Area for over 30 years and was Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County for 2016 and 2017. She is the author of several collections of poetry: bone, continental drift, and her beckoning hands, which won the 2015 American Book Award. Her latest book, one inch punch, was published in 2019. Arlene’s poetry has been described as "grounded in ritual object and ritual practice, mantras that resonate within the body and plant the body firmly in the world. Her work responds to the call of ancestors and our own broken bodies, spirits, and the spaces we inhabit. Her poems are prayer flags offered to those whose stories have been silenced, hidden, and ignored. Arlene’s work centers on stories of family, of generations who have left their native lands to live in diaspora, particularly those from the Philippines. She writes poetry to serve as witness, to create space for recognition and dialogue toward healing.
Reggie Imbat (he/him) is an Ilocano Filipino from the Bay Area. He loves playing the guitar and watching movies with his best friends. His love language is bringing food over to the house and playing with cats.
Keana Aguila Labra (they/she) is a Cebuano-Tagalog Filipino from San Jose. They are the co-founder of SAMPAGUITA PRESS and their first full-length collection THE LANGUAGE OF UNBREAKING released today at this event!
Sampaguita Press is a nonprofit independent micropress committed to serving underrepresented voices and communities who may not have access to traditional publishing spaces. Sampaguita Press publishes works by and for Black, Indigenous, and POC artists of all genders and LGBTQIA+ identities.