The Black Mountain Institute, which is essentially the literary arm of UNLV, has a summertime event that addresses a pretty serious topic: the intersection of race and location as we careen into an unknown future.

Four Asian-American/Pacific Islander poets and writers will consider that topic, especially through the lens of climate change and environmental destruction. The specific areas of discussion listed on the event page include: racial climate disaster; the militarized destruction of land, waters, and people; and writing into multiple world endings.

It’s pretty heavy. But the description of the event is careful to note that the discussion will land things in a hopeful direction, where writers and their audiences might find an empowering future.

The writers, by the way, are: Nicola Andrews, JM Huck, Sheila Navarro and Lehua M. Taitano -- and JM and Shiela live in Las Vegas.

The moderators are: Muriel Leung, professor for the MFA in Creative Writing program at California Institute of the Arts, and our own Mark Padoongpatt, Associate Professor of Asian American Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies and the Director of the Asian and Asian American Studies Program at UNLV.