A panel discussion planned for Saturday as part of the Albany Book Festival will not proceed after two of the authors apparently refused to appear alongside another. But the writer in question says she wanted to press ahead.
The panel at the high-profile sprawling literary event hosted by the New York State Writers Institute was scheduled to include Elisa Albert in conversation with Aisha Abdel Gawad, Lisa Ko and Emily Layden.
Speaking Friday afternoon, Albert said she was eager to go ahead with the appearance, even solo, and has never met or spoken with the other authors. Albert
tells WAMC it was an unpaid appearance and she was "appalled, shaking, and sick" to learn the event was off.
The panel, called "Girls, Coming of Age," had been scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. at the University at Albany campus center.
"If I have to sit there alone and discuss with whoever shows up why I am sitting there alone, I'm going to rise to that occasion," Albert said. "This is not something to duck, this is something to unequivocally stand up to."
According to a screenshot of an email sent by the Writers Institute’s Mark Koplik to Albert on Thursday, which was shared on social media, Koplik wrote “We have a crazy situation developing…Basically, not to sugar coat this, Aisha Gawad and Lisa Ko don’t want to be on a panel with a ‘Zionist.’”
Elisa Albert, https://t.co/TR9ghSssie, award winning feminist writer, just had her Albany book event cancelled b/c 2 panelists wouldn’t appear w/a “Zionist.” The talk was about coming of age! Organizer was “nonplussed”but cancelled anyway. Shame on these authors & shame on @nyswi pic.twitter.com/GRUjqUrkV0
— Joni Kletter (@JoniKletter) September 20, 2024
Reached by WAMC News Friday morning, New York State Writers Institute director Paul Grondahl confirmed the panel is not taking place as scheduled and referred a request for comment to the University at Albany, where the institute is based.
Later Friday, Grondahl issued a statement to WAMC, writing, "The Writers Institute was disappointed that the Girls Coming of Age event at the Festival this weekend couldn’t take place. We are proud to provide the community with a diverse range of programs and voices that inform and educate the public about the experiences of those around us. Sharing the differences between us can be an exceptional opportunity for conversations that raise awareness and empathy. But we also understand that such discussions can be difficult and support everyone’s right to advocate for themselves."
Albert contends scrapping the talk was the wrong move.
"I told them very clearly this is absolutely wrong. You're making a mistake and this is something to be faced head on," Albert said. "I love them. I've been working with them for years. I'm like a friend to the Writers Institute."
WAMC requested comment from the authors who had been booked on the panel through their official sites.
Albert, who says she agreed to participate in the panel months ago and has done previous events with the Writers Institute, takes particular issue with the reference to the word "Zionist," saying it has been used especially since last Oct. 7 as an anti-Semitic euphemism.
On Instagram, Albert claimed the panel was called off due to the "capitulation to the Stalinist bullshizz of some ignorant bigots."
With local ties to Albany and Israel, Albert was promoting a new essay collection, “The Snarling Girl,” and has written recently about the Israel-Hamas war, which has been raging for nearly a year.
"I stand by all of it," Albert said, adding, "My position on the war is war is very bad and I think wars should end. I am against war. I don't think anyone should start them. I don't think anyone should try to annihilate another people. I was in Israel on Oct. 7, I have personal lived experience, I have personal grief and trauma. Whether or not that's beside the point, I don't know. This war is a travesty, this conflict is a travesty."
In an email to WAMC after this story was published, Koplik writes, "We unequivocally condemn anti-Semitism," adding, "I can’t tell you how sad and upsetting this is for me personally."
Koplik writes, "We did not remove Elisa from the authors’ panel that she agreed to moderate (“Girls Coming of Age”). Indeed, we refused to remove her. As a result, one participant refused to participate, and another decided not to do so in support. A third wanted to avoid controversy. We never would consider removing Elisa, and we stood up to those who wanted to remove her. We no longer had a panel to be moderated. We fully support Elisa’s expression of outrage and disappointment. We believe in civil dialogue, and we condemn intolerance of any kind."
Albert, who says Layden is the third author who did not want to get involved in the disagreement, adds the appearance fell apart in just a matter of hours Thursday.
"None of this helps anybody directly impacted by horrific violence," Albert said.
A number of cultural events nationwide have broken down since the start of the war over disagreement about calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.
