SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE -- But APAture’s greatest success stories extend beyond celebrity names. Kearny Street Workshop has effectively created a network of talented artists in the community, many of whom return to take on mentorship or leadership roles in the organization. Bayani himself is an example of Kearny Street Workshop in action.
Bayani initially became interested in the organization in 1996, while getting his Creative Writing degree at San Francisco State University. There he met mentor and Creative Writing Professor Jaime Jacinto, a Filipino poet published through Kearny Street Workshop Press. This marked “the beginning of my writing journey,” Bayani said. He has since published two volumes of poetry, been a National Poetry Slam finalist and a Kundiman fellow, and performed a solo theatre show in San Francisco, New York and Austin, Texas.