New York cultural center harshly criticized after canceling event featuring author critical of Israel

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Cultural center 92NY announced it was putting its widely admired literary reading series on pause following criticism and boycott over having canceled an appearance by Viet Thanh Nguyen, a prominent writer who has condemned Israel. 

Key Players 

92NY, short for 92nd Street Y and commonly referred to as “the Y”, was founded in 1874 as the Young Men’s Hebrew Association with the mission of serving “the social and spiritual needs of the American Jewish community.” In the 20th century, the institution became a leading culture and arts organization. The center’s Unterberg Poetry Center was founded in 1939 and has played host to a variety of prestigious authors. 

Viet Thanh Nguyen is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author based in Los Angeles. His work largely centers around the themes of war, refugees, exile, memory, and identity. 

Further Details

On Oct. 20, 2023, six hours before Nguyen was slated to appear at 92NY’s Unterberg Poetry Center alongside novelist Min Jin Lee to discuss his memoir A Man of Two Faces, the institution canceled the event. The conversation was held that afternoon at a different venue, the McNally Jackson bookstore in Lower Manhattan, without sponsorship from 92NY.  

The following day, 92NY released a statement that cited Nguyen’s criticism of the Israeli government as justification for his cancellation. The statement highlighted the position of 92NY as a “Jewish institution that has always welcomed people with diverse viewpoints,” but claimed that “given [Nguyen’s] public comments … on Israel” in light of “the brutal Oct. 7 attack by Hamas … we felt the responsible course of action was to postpone the event while we take some time to determine how best to use our platform.” 

Nguyen was among 750 artists who signed an open letter in the London Review of Books calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and accusing the Israeli government of committing “grave crimes against humanity.” On instagram Nguyen has also emphasized his support for BDS, the movement to boycott, divest from, and sanction Israel, which purportedly  seeks to “end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with International law.” 

Outcome 

Writers scheduled to appear in future Unterberg literary reading series pull out

Critics Christina Sharpe and Saidiya Hartman and writer Dionne Brand canceled their upcoming appearances at a 92NY event. In a joint statement issued on Sharpe’s X (formerly Twitter) account, the trio explained that their actions were informed by their roles “as writers of conscience, as anti-imperialist, anti-racist and anti-colonial thinkers.” Poet Paisley Rekdal also withdrew from her 92NY events. In an email, Rekdal expressed her sympathy for the difficult position the organization was put in, but warned that “Y’s decision has unintentional knock-on effects for the writing community as a whole, in particular an implicit chilling effect on free speech.”  

Members of Unterberg Poetry Center Staff resign

Sarah Chihaya, the poetry center’s director, and senior program coordinator Sophie Herro both left their posts following the cancellation of Nguyen’s event. 

Over 30 writers sign open letter

On the Literary Hub website on Nov. 3, a group of writers who previously worked with 92NY posted a joint statement in opposition to the institution’s actions against Nguyen. The statement acknowledged that “the Y has a right to take a political stance on Gaza,” but urges it “to recommit to its core values of intellectual pluralism and free speech before it does irreparable harm to its reputation and legacy.” The writers also warned that “many of us will be forced to reconsider present and future association with this institution … if the Y continues down the dark road of stifling dissent.”