Stories, Stillness, & Connection: Gathering in Grief

This intimate event is free and open to the public. Space is limited! To secure your seat, please RSVP to let us know you’re coming. As grief is deeply personal, please feel free to only stay for the program segments that speak to you.

This event is in partnership with Slipper Assembly and in community with local artists Ben Aqua, Melissa Nguyen, Phương Liên Palafox, and Tiffany Yo. Explore the intersectionalities of grief at the AARC - Community Room 8 (8401 Cameron Road, Austin, TX 78754) on Saturday, January 17, 2026 from 2:00pm - 3:30pm.

Keep scrolling for more event details and FAQs! Please read the Agenda for the full rundown of the event, which includes times and descriptions.

🎨 Graphic by Phương and Tiffany.

Ben Aqua (@b3naqua) is a multidisciplinary artist and photographer based in Austin. Born in Brooklyn, their work explores themes of queer identity, intersectionality, the avant-garde, and technology.

Melissa Nguyen is a writer who has had library cards in Houston, Austin, New York, San Francisco, and Seoul. She recently produced her first audio story on NPR titled, "I have befriended grief", and directed her first documentary short, "Walk With Death", about a death doula in Austin's Indigenous community. She is currently working on a book titled, “Mom, as you lay dying.”

Phương Liên Palafox is a Vietnamese-Chinese speech-language therapist, author, and storyteller. For more than twenty years, she has moved alongside children, families, and communities, listening closely and helping people find meaningful ways to communicate and share their stories. She supports families in her clinic and shares stories globally through keynotes and writing. Her work lives at the intersection of language, literacy, and human connection. She is the author of The Heartbeat of Speech-Language Pathology and Buoy, a children’s picture book inspired by her family’s refugee journey across the sea.

Tiffany Yo is a Chinese Indonesian immigrant, community organizer, and writer in Austin. Her work has been published in The Rumpus and Sierra Nevada Review, and she is a 2026 Periplus Finalist. Tiffany reads essay submissions for The Rumpus and is a co-founder of Slipper Assembly, a community for Asian creatives. You can find her online at tiffyo.com.

Slipper Assembly is a community for Asian creatives & makers in Austin, TX that creates cozy spaces for kinship, self-expression, inspiration, vulnerability, and safety. Follow @slipperassembly on IG to learn more and hear about more events!

Info: Attendees have the option to share their personal lens on grief and community.

Info: Attendees can contribute to the community altar, connect with fellow attendees and panelists, or reflect independently.

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