Ithaca City of Asylum
Providing refuge for persecuted writers and artists
Category: free speech
Remembering Russell Banks
The novelist Russell Banks died on January 7, 2023. Henry Reese, co-founder of City of Asylum Pittsburgh, remembers him as a central figure in the City of Asylum movement.
Read MoreICOA condemns Rushdie attack
In a statement, the board of directors of Ithaca City of Asylum expresses its outrage and solidarity in the wake of the August 12 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie and human rights advocate Henry Reese.
Read MoreSept. 23: DISSIDENCE: Exiled writers on resistance and risk
City of Asylum writers in residence in Ithaca, Pittsburgh, and Detroit will share their experiences in “DISSIDENCE: Exiled Writers on Resistance and Risk” on Friday, September 23, 7 p.m. at the Community School of Music and Arts. Timed for Banned Books Week, the event also celebrates ICOA’s 20th birthday.
Read MorePodcast features asylum cities movement
The latest episode of the Peace Talks Radio public radio show and podcast looks at the cities of asylum movement. ICOA board member Jonathan Miller interviews former ICOA artist-in-residence Pedro X. Molina, City of Asylum Pittsburgh co-founder Henry Reese, and International Cities of Refuge Network program director Elisabeth Dyvik.
Read MoreSolidarity in times of crisis
We send you greetings in this time of collective isolation. We hope that you are healthy, safe, and supported by family and friends. Like many of you, we have been asking ourselves what we can do to pitch in, both…
Read MorePEN America launches free speech campaign
PEN America, an important partner of Ithaca City of Asylum, has launched a campaign called Free Speech 2020 to “catalyze action across the country to defend press freedom, fight online harassment, combat disinformation, and uphold protest rights.” The initiative seeks…
Read MoreExiled journalists share their stories
In an emotional discussion before a rapt audience, ICOA’s three most recent writers-in-residence shared their stories of adjustment and perseverance while living in exile in Ithaca. All three were forced to leave their home countries because of their work as…
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