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    a real page-turner

    Houston's powerful Pulitzer Prize-winning poet headlines Inprint's storied Poets & Writers Ball

    Tarra Gaines
    Feb 16, 2023 | 2:30 pm

    Bibliophiles had much to celebrate at the Inprint Poets & Writers Ball this season, as Houston foremost literary organization marked its big 40th anniversary. The gala itself raised a big 44 — $447,000 that is — for Inprint’s myriad literary, performance, and educational programs, as well as support for Houston-based emerging writers.

    Chaired by Michelle and Rishi Varma (with help from the host committee, Inprint board, advisory board, and presidents council), the event saw some 350 guests at the River Oaks Country Club. The ball featured a flavorful mix of literary voices and delicious dinner menu designed by Robert Del Grande, chef emeritus of The Annie Café & Bar.

    Every year, the Inprint Ball puts its unique and creative imprint on Houston’s gala season, beginning the evening with intimate, salon-style readings from three up-and-coming writers who have benefitted from Inprint programs and support.

    This year showcased poet Josh Estanislao Lopez with his moving, hopeful, and funny work about fatherhood and being a man from his poetry collection We Borrowed Gentleness. Oindrila Mukherjee read from her debut novel The Dream Builders, an Indie Next Pick about a new and rising city in India.

    PhD candidate in Literature and Creative Writing at UH, Joy Priest, read from her debut poetry collection Horsepower, which focuses on growing up on the more interesting side of the Churchill Downs/Kentucky Derby tracks.

    All three writers began their readings with thanks to Inprint for their support when living and writing in Houston.

    Inprint Poets & Writers Ball
      

    Photo by rmfoto.com

    Inprint treasurer Andy Lusk, Caroline Kerr, Inprint president Mary S. Dawnson and Jack Dawson.

    The highlight of the evening came after dinner, with headlining speaker and reader Jericho Brown. The Houston Creative Writing Program alumnus and poet is the first Inprint fellow to win a literary Pulitzer Prize. Brown wove his own poetry around stories of his time at UH and teaching writing in community programs.

    In keeping with Inprint’s 40-year-old message and mission to share the power of literature for everyone, Brown recounted his time leading an Inprint memoir writing workshop for senior adults at the Finnigan Park Community Center and how much those everyday writers taught him.

    At the end of the evening, guests received a very special thank-you gift designed by artists Fiona McGettigan and Alan Krathaus of CORE Design Studio: a handmade limited-edition chapbook, Happy Poems by Jericho Brown — signed by the author — which included poems selected by Brown from all three of his books.

    Seen partying with the poets were Robin Angly and Miles Smith, Candace Baggett and Ron Restrepo, Katharine Barthelme and Shane Frank, Carolyn Russell Brock and Glen Brock, Heather Brown and Hank Segelke, Laura Calaway, Bettie Cartwright, Yini and Dane Collette, Carolyn and Platt Davis, Mary S and Jack Dawson, Susie and Joe Dilg, Debbie Gary, Cullen Geiselman, Marc Grossberg, Matt Henneman, Caroline Kerr and Andy Lusk, Sabria and Kevin Lewis, Misty and Surena Matin, Nancy Powell Moore, Bobbie Nau, Franci Neely, Una and Eamonn Quigley, Kathryn and Craig Smyser, Marcia West, Andrea White.

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    Cultural Opulence

    Shanghai-inspired Tiger Ball raises $1.73M for Asia Society Texas

    Joel Luks
    Mar 14, 2025 | 9:15 am
    Asia Society Texas Tiger Ball 2025
    Photo by Johnny Than
    Pitsami Norm, Mandy Kao, Rose Chen, Aliza Dutt, Alice Mao Brams, Brigitte Kalai, Shaobo Du, Tammy Su, Susan Boggio, and Stephanie Chang.

    When it comes to throwing a party with panache, Asia Society Texas knows how to deliver. The highly anticipated Tiger Ball 2025 on Friday, March 7 transported Houston A-listers, mostly clad in radiant red, to an opulent Shanghai-inspired milieu, setting a new fundraising record. Those $1.73 million? That surely will come in handy to bolster the organization’s cultural offerings.

    Asia Society Texas Tiger Ball 2025
      

    Photo by Johnny Than

    Pitsami Norm, Mandy Kao, Rose Chen, Aliza Dutt, Alice Mao Brams, Brigitte Kalai, Shaobo Du, Tammy Su, Susan Boggio, and Stephanie Chang.

    With 600 elegant guests stepping into a sea of red and gold splendor at the Asia Society Texas Center and its transformed gala pavilion, the night paid tribute to two of Houston’s most respected global citizens — Y. Ping Sun and David Leebron. Their leadership has strengthened the city’s international connections, making them a fitting pair to honor at an event that celebrates cross-cultural exchange.

    Applause to ball chairs Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan and Michelle and Rishi Varma, alongside honorary chairs Nancy C. Allen, Anne and Albert Chao, and Margaret Alkek Williams.

    Board chair Marty Goossen praised the honorees for their unwavering commitment to fostering understanding and friendship. Bonna Kol, alongside Stephens and Jordan, presented Sun and Leebron with a stunning Auratic fine bone porcelain tea set with 24K gold accents, a symbolic nod to their dedication to global connection.

    A Shanghai Dreamscape in Houston

    As guests arrived for the main event, a vibrant lineup of Hanfu performers and the rhythmic beats of traditional drummers welcomed them to the pavilion.

    Inside the tented pavilion — a posh extension of the Asia Society Texas Center’s grounds — the magic continued. Designed by Prashe Décor, the space shimmered in rich crimson and gold, with suspended lanterns, lush red bougainvillea, and flowing drapery enveloping guests in a vision straight from an old-world tearoom.

    A silent auction tempted bidders with a Harry Winston Midnight Monochrome timepiece, a five-night Telluride retreat, Paris Fashion Week tickets, and a private tour of The Met’s Japanese art collection. Dinner, presented by City Kitchen, continued the indulgence with five-spice roasted duck, pan-seared sea bass with XO sauce, and scallion-braised fava beans.

    Dancing the Night Away

    With dinner plates cleared and desserts enjoyed, the dance floor called. DJ Alx of Karma DJs kept the energy boisterous as revelers celebrated a night of cultural immersion.

    Notable attendees included Shiang Ling and George Yang, who will be honored at next year’s Tiger Ball on March 6, 2026. Among the 600 guests were Durga and Sushila Agrawal, Leslie and Brad Bucher, Gracie and Bob Cavnar, Theresa and Peter Chang, China and Roberto Contreras, Molly and James Crownover, Jay Cuclis, Donna Fujimoto Cole, Aimee and Craig DiTomasso, Lily and Charles Foster, Kathy Gondo, Kathy and Marty Goossen, Marie and Vijay Goradia, Dr. Mikki Hebl and David Harvey, Mohsin Imtiaz, Renu and Suresh Khator, Kelley and Steve Lubanko, Sabria and Kevin Lewis, Sultana Mangalji, Petra Martinez, Gordon Quan, Sue and Randy Sim, Leigh and Reggie Smith, Anne-Laure and Steve Stephens, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Stephanie and Frank Tsuru, and Shiang Ling and George Yang.

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