As Woodstock resident and SUNY New Paltz journalism professor Lisa Phillips prepares to bring Writers Resist Revival to the Bearsville stage on April 26, she is doing so alongside a community of local writers, booksellers and organizers, including Gretchen Primack, Nina Shengold, Jana Martin, Beverly Donofrio, Robert Burke Warren and collaborators at The Golden Notebook. The evening will feature readings and appearances by Jessica Valenti, Dinaw Mengestu, Lucy Sante, Abigail Thomas, Mark Whitaker, Lena Moon, Greg Olear, Cheryl Clarke, Linda Villarosa, Primack, Kate Hymes, Donofrio, Timothy Liu, Shengold, Martin, Phillips, Jai Chakrabarti, and Laura Kaplan, along with musical performances by David Gonzalez, Warren and The Goddess Party. Reviving the spirit of the Writers Resist events held at Bearsville Theater and around the country in 2017, the program will pair readings and music with town fair-style activities to benefit the New York Abortion Access Fund, the Ulster Immigrant Defense Network, and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Phillips said the effort also grew out of years of connection among local writers and artists working together to make something meaningful for the community.
In advance of the event, Phillips spoke with The Overlook about reviving Writers Resist, the urgency behind its causes and what she hopes the evening will offer the community.
What prompted you to organize Writers Resist Revival now?
For me, it started with a feeling I couldn’t shake after Trump returned to office: What can I do? I’m not generally an activist, but this moment feels too urgent to sit out. Reproductive rights, press freedom and immigrant rights all feel under threat, and those are causes I feel personally connected to. I had given myself a bit of a pass while my book was coming out, but eventually I felt I had to stop asking what someone else might do and figure out what I could do.
Why did those three causes feel like the right focus for the fundraiser?
They were the issues that horrified me most in this moment, and they all felt immediate. With abortion access, I was especially moved by the work of the New York Abortion Access Fund. It helps people get the transportation, lodging and care they need to actually access an abortion. That felt incredibly powerful to me. Press freedom and immigrant rights also felt urgent and deeply personal.
How did the original Writers Resist events shape this one?
I thought back to the Writers Resist event at Bearsville Theater in early 2017 and to that wave of events around the country. It was literary, joyful and spirited, and it raised real money for important causes. What stayed with me was the energy of it, writers and artists coming together in a way that felt politically serious but also creative and communal. I wanted to bring that spirit back.
What can people expect from the evening?
Most of the people on the roster will be reading, some will be hosting and some will be performing music. We’re also planning what we’re calling town fair-style fun in the bar area, with pop-up portraits, quick sketches, a baking brigade and a book sale table through The Golden Notebook, with a portion of proceeds going to the organizations. Everybody on the list has a role to play, and everyone is volunteering their time.
Why was it important to include press freedom as one of the beneficiaries?
Because the threats to journalism are becoming normalized. Every time a reporter or publication has to go to court or spend money defending access, that takes time, energy and resources away from journalism itself. A large national outlet may be able to absorb that, but a small local newsroom may not. There’s also the rise in suspicion, legal intimidation and harassment. That’s why the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press felt like such an important organization to support.
What has it been like organizing the event with other local writers and booksellers?
That has been one of the most meaningful parts of it. A number of us have been meeting as writers and friends for years, and those bonds really made this possible. Working with Gretchen and with Jackie and James at The Golden Notebook has been wonderful. It shows the power of community and the way bonds forged through making art can also help build something meaningful for the wider community.
What do you hope people take away from the night?
Of course I hope it raises as much money as possible for these organizations. But I also hope people leave feeling that art and justice are connected. For me, this is the way I know how to contribute. I want the evening to bring together the good stuff—art, resistance, writing and community—and make it part of a strong message.
Lisa Phillips is an advisory board member of The Overlook. Jacqueline Kellachan is a co-founder of The Overlook.
Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.