Event

January 28, 2027

6:30 p.m.–8:15 p.m.

American Occupation: Dispatches from Minnesota's Resistance to ICE—Book Launch

Please join us for the launch of American Occupation: Dispatches from Minnesota’s Resistance to ICE.

Editors and contributors will gather for an evening of readings and reflection to celebrate its publication and commemorate the anniversary of Operation Metro Surge. This gathering offers an opportunity to remember what our communities endured, recognize the strength we found in one another, and reaffirm the importance of bearing witness, caring for our neighbors, and continuing the work of collective resistance.

Following the program, attendees are invited to meet the book’s editors and contributors, as well as connect with local mutual aid organizations tabling at the event. Representatives will share information about their work and ways to support their efforts.

Join us in celebrating not only the stories of resistance documented in American Occupation, but also the community networks and collective care that continue to sustain that work.

This event is hosted by the University of Minnesota Press, The Loft Literary Center, and the Hope Arts Center/House of Hope Presbyterian Church.

EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Thursday, January 28, 2027
Location: Hope Arts Center, House of Hope Presbyterian Church, 797 Summit Ave, St. Paul, MN 55105
Doors: 5:30 p.m. CT
Program: 6:30 p.m. CT; approximately 70 minutes,
Admission: Free and open to the public; registration is required. This event is free to attend, but your gift by selecting pay-what-you-can helps support the mission of the Loft.
Books: Copies of American Occupation will be available for purchase through Moon Palace Books
Reception: Light refreshments served by Oro by Nixta following the reading/program
Parking: Free church lots and ample street parking available
Registration: Please register in advance to attend. We look forward to gathering in community to celebrate this important book, remember the events of the past year, and honor the stories, solidarity, and resistance that emerged in Minnesota.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Published by the University of Minnesota Press, American Occupation is an urgent compilation of reflections and accounts that emerged during the shocking, months-long ICE operation in Minnesota. Two days after Alex Pretti was killed on January 24, 2026, Literary Hub published the first of forty-four Letters From Minnesota, an online rapid response series that invited novelists, journalists, poets, and memoirists to document their experiences under occupation. Gathering these crucial essays with twelve new contributions, American Occupation offers a mosaic of testimonies illuminating the creative solidarity and resolve of Minnesotans confronting fascist cruelty.

Contributors: Angela Ajayi, Anonymous, Charles Baxter, Victoria Blanco, Jennifer Eli Bowen, Katherine Packert Burke, Zeke Caligiuri, David Aiona Chang, Dana Chiueh, Heid E. Erdrich, Nick Estes, Nimo Farah, V. V. Ganeshananthan, Shannon Gibney, Dobby Gibson, Sarah Green, Molly Beth Griffin, Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, Marian Hassan, Hedgiee, Laurie Hertzel, Carolyn Holbrook, Siri Hustvedt, Đenise Hạnh Huỳnh, Andrea Jenkins, Michael Kleber-Diggs, Ed Bok Lee, Josina Manu Maltzman, Will McGrath, Jim Moore, David Mura, Nia Navarro, Sahra Noor, Kara Olson, Peter Pearson, Angela Pelster, Bao Phi, Kaia Preus, Susan Raffo, Marcie Rendon, Kate Romero and Gustavo Romero, Sean Sherman, Sun Yung Shin, Gabriela Spears-Rico, Michael Torres, Kawai Strong Washburn, Sana Wazwaz, chaun webster, Diane Wilson, A. E. Wynter, Kao Kalia Yang, Ahmed Ismail Yusuf, Michelle Zamanian. Editors: Jonny Diamond and Su Hwang