Directed by Steven Okazaki Cast: Genny Lim, Kelvin Han Yee Documentary | English | 1983 | 20 Mins.
The Only Language She Knows is an intimate portrait of poet and playwright Genny Lim and San Francisco’s Chinatown in the early 1980s. This rarely seen film, recently restored and remastered, will be screened for the first time in more than 40 years.
This special screening honors one of the city’s treasured gems, Genny Lim—who has been a vital and irresistible force in the cultural, social, and political life of the Bay Area for fifty years; who, in 1980, premiered her groundbreaking play Paper Angels, about Chinese immigrants on Angel Island; and who, in 2026, is San Francisco’s first Chinese American Poet Laureate.
The Only Language She Knows, shot in three days with no budget, was a collaboration among Asian American artists during the early stages of their careers. It was the second film by Steven Okazaki, who received his first Oscar nomination two years later and won the Oscar five years after that for his short documentary Days of Waiting. Producer Amy Hill, then an actor with the Asian American Theater Company, has most recently been heard as a voice in Kung Fu Panda and seen in main roles on Magnum P.I. and Ballard. The film also features cameos by Asian American Theater Company regulars Victor Wong and Dennis Dun, who went on to co-star in Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor and John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China, and Kelvin Han Yee, the star of Peter Wang’s A Great Wall, familiar for his TV performances in Beef, Law & Order, and Glow.
This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.
SFJAZZ Resident Artistic Director MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO “A Love Letter to The Bay Area”
SAT, May 2 · 3PM & 7:30PM MINER AUDITORIUM
GRAMMY-winning bassist, singer, and songwriter performs covers and compositions that speak to American protest
GRAMMY-winning bassist, singer, and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello is an uncompromising trailblazer whose deliriously funky, soulful work doubles as potent commentary on race, gender, and LGBTQ+ rights.
For the family-friendly matinee and evening shows on Saturday, May 2, Meshell and her ensemble will be joined by some of the Bay Area’s most groundbreaking poets, including Aja Monet, Genny Lim, Tongo Eisen-Martin and Mimi Tempestt for two concerts that bring together jazz, soul, and spoken word.
San Francisco Public Library Presents 21st Annual Poems Under the Dome
April 24th 2026, 5:30-8:00pm North Light Court, San Francisco City Hall
San Francisco Public Library presents Poems Under the Dome at San Francisco’s majestic City Hall. The 21st annual event features an all-ages open mic to celebrate National Poetry Month. San Francisco Poet Laureate Genny Lim will read the first poem. All poets and poetry lovers are welcome to attend. Participants put their name in a hat for a chance to read one poem in under three minutes in the North Light Court of San Francisco City Hall.
WHO is coming??? SF Poet Laureate Genny Lim reads the First Poem! Youth Poets! And… E.K. Keith and Global Val Ibarra and Charlie Getter and Richard Ivanhoe and Dan Brady will be there too! Jorge Molina will give us a community blessing! And…. and you come too! See you there!
Special thanks to the San Francisco Public Library, and the Friends of SFPL, the Mayor, & the Board of Supervisors, for all these years of support for this amazing community event!
In Loving Memory of Poems Under the Dome Organizer Diamond Dave Whitaker (1937-2026)
“Cast a wide net! Find the common thread! Let life flourish! Don’t panic… Keep it organic!”
Photo: Genny Lim in “Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco; Chinatown" (1995)
Wednesday, April 29, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. CCSF Chinatown Campus Auditorium, 628 Washington Street
Film screening and post-film discussion with Director, Felicia Lowe and San Francisco Poet Laureate, Genny Lim.
Through interviews and archival images, Chinatown offers an intimate look at San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood. The film, which features the poetry of Genny Lim received an Emmy Award for Best Cultural Documentary.
“Chinatown is definitely a living neighborhood, one that reflects, almost block by block, the long struggle of a people trying to gain a foothold here, often against overwhelming odds.”
FELICIA LOWE
Chinatown — A Portrait of a World-Renowned Neighborhood
Thousands of tourists flock through its streets every day; its curio shops, all-night restaurants and crowded alleys have been celebrated from Broadway to Hollywood. But few people know the human drama and history that are hidden in the streets and faces of San Francisco’s Chinatown. This one-hour documentary tells the neighborhood’s story from the point of view of those who have lived their lives there, from the first immigrants who came to “Gold Mountain” in search of work and wealth, through the pain of a century of isolation and racism, to the recent arrivals who even today are revitalizing America’s gateway.
Early Chinatown was populated primarily by men, so it was called a “Bachelor Society.” It was a world without women, though many men were married with families in China. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 banned the immigration of Chinese laborers for 61 years.
Photo Credit: D.H. Wulzen/Frank E. Wulzen
The Chinese Telephone, or “China 5” as it was called, served Chinatown’s residents from 1894-1949. It’s a perfect example of how the neighborhood took care of itself.
Photo Credit: Pacific Bell Museum Archives
Chinatown’s children had everything they needed within the boundaries of California and Broadway, Kearny and Powell. The public school, Commodore Stockton, was segregated until the 1940s.
The oral histories and thoughtful profiles of CHINATOWN provide students and teachers with a colorful journey through the history of a unique neighborhood. Classes will find stimulating ways to study how immigrants contributed to the building of San Francisco and how the local and federal government responded to immigration in California during the last 150 years.
Educators can use CHINATOWN to integrate historical, geographic and economic topics into the curriculum. To help educators explore the rich historical materials, this resource guide provides lesson ideas for elementary, middle and high school. The program may be recorded off-air for educational use by K-12 schools and kept in perpetuity.
NEIGHBORHOODS: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco is an ongoing television series designed to explore the rich history of this unique American city. From the earliest Native American villages of the Mission District to the ethnic enclaves of Chinatown and North Beach, each program will reveal the city as a mosaic of communities with interconnecting pasts.
NEIGHBORHOODS:The Hidden Cities of San Francisco reveals the social, political, economic and cultural movements that create this city. Viewers will be fascinated by the stories as they discover the meaningful connections between our daily lives and our historical past. As we continue to grow in our appreciation of diverse cultures, NEIGHBORHOODS will give viewers a crucial sense of the traditions that link us, not only to the past but to one another.
An Evening with San Francisco Poet Laureate Genny Lim
Mon, Apr 6 / 6:00 PM PDT Commonwealth Club 110 The Embarcadero San Francisco, CA
The star of the evening is Genny Lim, San Francisco’s current poet laureate—an acclaimed poet, playwright and performer whose work reflects the rhythms, struggles and resilience of the city we call home. Appointed poet laureate in 2024 by London Breed, Lim is the city’s first Chinese American poet laureate. Drawing inspiration from her upbringing in Chinatown and North Beach, her poetry invites us to listen more deeply—to one another and to San Francisco itself. The evening will also feature remarks from Commonwealth Club World Affairs Board Member Claudine Cheng, with a moderated conversation led by Dion Lim, former ABC7 news anchor.
Enjoy an intimate evening featuring: a live poetry experience with Genny Lim, accompanied by musicians Chris Trinidad Collective and Unpil Baek, a Bay Area-based pianist anchored in improvisation and cross-genre collaboration; reflections on poetry as connection, healing and civic voice; and time to mingle with fellow members over light refreshments. Come for the poetry. Stay for the conversation. Join us for an evening designed to inspire, connect and remind us why shared cultural experiences matter. No-host bar and lite bites.
Sunday, March 22, at 2pm Golden Sardine 362 Columbus Avenue North Beach, San Francisco
Join Feather Press for the next book release party for Tender Hearts Club, Love Poems Anthology on Sunday March 22, at 2pm at Golden Sardine, 362 Columbus Ave, North Beach SF. Featuring all new poets and a special winemaker takeover from Dario Serrentino pouring wines from Il Mortellito Winery, Sicily, Italy.
Featuring poets: Al Averbach, Char Lacsina, Jennifer Barone, E.K. Keith, Gail Mitchell, Genny Lim, Heather Romero-Kornblum, Kelechi Ubozoh, Natasha Dennerstein, Patrick Cahill, Paul Corman Roberts, and Peggy Morrison.
This anthology of love poetry gathers love in all its forms. Tender Hearts Club: Volume One is a gathering of voices that refuse to let love be diminished. These poems do not ask love to be easy. They let love be honest, messy, radiant, and real.
OPENING RECEPTION Saturday, March 21, 6pm Public Atrium in Bldg 12 at Pier 70 1070 Maryland @ 22nd St
San Francisco’s current Poet Laureate Genny Lim will be featuring this Saturday, March 21 at 6pm for the Ferlinghetti event Kick-off in the public atrium of Bldg 12 at Pier 70, 1070 Maryland @ 22nd St. Presented by 3RD ST CREATIVE ARTERY, the event also features Mauro Aprile Zanetti, one of Ferlinghetti’s final collaborators, and a performance by long-time Ferlinghetti Day friends, The Conspiracy of Beards, a 30-member male choir that performs dynamic, original, a cappella arrangements of the poetic songs of Leonard Cohen.
The exhibit and reception are part of festivities related to Ferlinghetti Day, an annual literary walkabout on March 24th, in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s birthday.
The primary intention of 3RD ST CREATIVE ARTERY is to highlight and amplify the efforts and output of artists, makers, movers, and shakers who have a connection to San Francisco’s 3RD ST through engaging exhibits, curated events, and creative programming. A cornerstone of our offering will be exhibiting the visual artwork of Lawrence Ferlinghetti who has deep and long-standing ties to the area, as he maintained a light-filled art studio at Hunters Point Shipyard for almost 40 years. We’ll also feature books, objects, and artifacts from his personal library.
2025 Leonard Cohen Festival photo by Jon Bauer and Static & Blur
CONSPIRACY OF BEARDS, THE CRUX & SF Poet Laureate GENNY LIM
November 7, 2025, 7:30PM Blue Shield Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
The San Francisco Leonard Cohen Festival, founded in 2018, is an annual celebration dedicated to honoring the poetry, music, and spirit of the legendary songwriter, poet, and author. Presented each November by Conspiracy of Beards—San Francisco’s renowned 30-member male choir devoted to Cohen’s work—the festival has grown from its early beginnings into a multi-day, multi-venue event that draws poets, musicians, artists, and audiences from across the Bay Area and beyond.
The festival emphasizes fresh interpretations of Cohen’s work, encouraging artists to reshape his words and melodies through their own creative lenses. This open, inventive approach results in a diverse program of performances, readings, and collaborations that keep Cohen’s timeless themes of love, longing, humor, and spirituality alive for new generations.
Together, the festival and the choir invite audiences to conspire in celebration of one of the 20th century’s most enduring and influential voices. The result is a vibrant gathering that honors Cohen’s legacy with creativity, reverence, and joy.
San Francisco Poet Laureate Genny Lim will open the evening, accompanied by cellist Kathryn Bates.
San Francisco’s Conspiracy of Beards perform their new show, The Unified Heart of Leonard Cohen, celebrating Cohen’s words, music, and contemplations on “The Order of the Unified Heart,” the symbol of two hearts intertwined that appears on the cover of the 1984 poetry collection Book of Mercy. This book inspired the 1985 album Various Positions, which includes some of Cohen’s most iconic songs, including “If It Be Your Will,” “Dance Me to the End of Love,” and “Hallelujah.”
The Crux is a mad scientist’s music laboratory, where songs are presented as theatrical experiments with odd and beautiful intensity: lullabies to drink your morning coffee to, gospel songs for the faithless, pirate shanties for people who get seasick, and swing music for the graceless. The Crux has appeared as chain-rattling klezmer folk punks, an unhinged revival service, a theatrical film-noir jazz combo, and more. This band is a true North Bay institution with a revolving cast of musicians assembled and coaxed into action by regional impresario Josh Windmiller. The Crux will present Cohen’s New Skin for the Old Ceremony and other favorites.
2025 Leonard Cohen Festival photos by Jon Bauer and Static & Blur
Genny Lim is the ninth San Francisco Poet Laureate and recipient of two lifetime achievement awards from PEN Oakland and the city of Berkeley. She has also served as a former SF Arts Commissioner. Lim’s award-winning play, Paper Angels, the first Asian American play to air on PBS’s American Playhouse in 1985, has been performed throughout the U.S., Canada and China. She is author of five poetry collections, Winter Place, Child of War, Paper Gods and Rebels, KRA!, La Morte Del Tempo, and co-author and translator of Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, winner of the American Book Award. Lim has worked with past Jazz legends, such as Max Roach and long-time collaborators, Jon Jang, John Santos, Francis Wong and Del Sol Quartet. Their recent show, Facing the Moon: Songs of the Diaspora recently premiered at the Presidio Theater in San Francisco. This marks Genny’s second appearance at the Leonard Cohen Festival.
Cellist Kathryn Bates’ boundless energy for sharing musical experiences has shaped a career that continues to explore the intersections of tradition and innovation. Praised for her “beautifully rounded sound” by the New York Times, Kathryn’s performances are hailed as “electrifying” (Boston Globe), characterized by a dancer’s sense of rhythm and captivating theatricality. As the New Fromm cellist of the Tanglewood Music Center from 2008-2010, she was called the “revelation” (Sequenza 21) of the Elliott Carter 100th Birthday anniversary celebration. In 2010, Kathryn joined the renowned San Francisco-based Del Sol String Quartet.
SF Poet Laureate Genny Lim and cellist Kathryn Bates
Genny Lim reads her poem, “Facing the Moon,” along with Clara Hsu’s reading of her Cantonese translation of the poem.
Facing the Moon: Songs of the Diaspora, featuring poetry written by SF Poet Laureate Genny Lim, premieres on October 19, 2025at 2pm at the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco.
Voices of mothers and daughters, across continents and generations, anchor this multimedia performance with new music by Chinese-diaspora composers Theresa Wong, Vivian Fung and Meilina Tsui. Del Sol Quartet centers the collaboration, building on their transformative Angel Island Project, with a theatrical visual experience by Olivia Ting and Mark Hellar. The musicians’ own histories, gathered through Genny Lim’s interviews, build connections between the musical sounds and Lim’s poetry.
Genny Lim, Poet Laureate, accompanied by J. Raoul Brody
Fri., August 8, 2025, 7PM Mile High Theater 7024 Crable Street Frazier Park, CA 9322
Genny Lim accompanied by J. Raoul Brody. Genevieve (Genny) Lim is an American Poet, playwright, and performer. She is the ninth poet laureate of San Francisco.
Fringe of the Woods Festival features a diverse lineup of acts and performances every year, over the course of 3 days.
