# Event Details - **Event Name**: Continental Drift Book Launch - **Event Start and End Date**: Sat, 11 Jul, 2026 at 02:00 pm – Sat, 11 Jul, 2026 at 04:00 pm - **Event Description**: Join us in Merced to celebrate the launch of Mai-Linh Hong's debut poetry collection, CONTINENTAL DRIFT, winner of the 2025 Trio Award!About this EventFriends, family, and Merced poetry lovers!Mai-Linh Hong's debut poetry collection, CONTINENTAL DRIFT, lands soon from Trio House Press, and we can't wait to celebrate with you!The book launch party features words from California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick, poet and professor Sam Tetangco Ocena, and critical refugee studies professor Ma Vang. A book reading and signing by Mai-Linh will follow. Copies of CONTINENTAL DRIFT will be available for purchase.We'll provide vegan, nut-free baked treats and drinks from Quichey Creations. We're grateful to the Merced Multicultural Arts Center for hosting us in their beautiful Main Gallery.Kindly RSVP by reserving free "tickets," as space is limited. Families welcome. See you soon!//CONTINENTAL DRIFT: POEMSWinner of the 2025 Trio Award, landing July 1, 2026 from Trio House PressBooks will be avilable for purchase at the book launch event on July 11. You can also pre-order from Trio House or wherever you buy books.“To survive is to refuse / death, but how / to tell refusal from retreat?” In the 2025 Trio Award winning poetry collection Continental Drift, Mai-Linh Hong honors and explores the geography that made and continues to shape her ancestors’ story, her own story, and the future story of her descendants. From Vietnam to Virginia, California to Thailand, Hong plumbs the fault lines, crosses the oceans, crystallizing moments into meaning. Whether luxuriating in the small joys of nature and of existence, or marveling at the process of geological shift, these artfully crafted poems bring the reader into the complex promises and griefs of migration, navigation, and claiming space in a postcolonial world.Lee Herrick, California Poet Laureate, writes:“How, where, and why we drift after displacement is a central concern in Continental Drift, a marvel of a book that gives dignity to the refugee. The mother laughing in Vietnam with her whole body and ‘a forest of aunties,’ Mai-Linh Hong shares spirit with all of them, and as migration is an American concept, she shares it with all of us. ‘We never finish/making refuge,’ she reminds us. This is an urgent, brilliant debut.”Follow Mai-Linh on Instagram for more blurbs and book-related updates! - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/merced/continental-drift-book-launch/100001991811267118 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art, parties, entertainment - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Duration: 2 hours - Location: Merced Multicultural Arts Center - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Merced - **state**: CA - **country**: United States - **location**: Merced Multicultural Arts Center - **lat**: 37.3025763 - **long**: -120.4857462 - **full address**: Merced Multicultural Arts Center, 645 West Main Street, Merced, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Continental Drift Book Launch - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events6/banners/07cbfed0a184550df641fe7a038a56b72513cea1538969657191d107b259bf1b-rimg-w1200-h600-dc49a18c-gmir.jpg?v=1781590625 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Continental Drift Book Launch being held? - **A:** Continental Drift Book Launch takes place on Sat, 11 Jul, 2026 at 02:00 pm to Sat, 11 Jul, 2026 at 04:00 pm at Merced Multicultural Arts Center, 645 West Main Street, Merced, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Continental Drift Book Launch? - **A:** Continental Drift Book Launch is organized by Mai-Linh Hong. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Continental Drift Book Launch is ideal for party-goers, social butterflies, and anyone looking for a great night out with music, drinks, and good vibes. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Merced, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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