Dr. Deborah Willis’ Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers: 1840 to the Present (Liveright, 2025) is an acclaimed collection of Black photography, redefining our understanding of American history.  Dr. Willis will be in conversation with Denise Stephanie Hewitt, Roy Wallace, Cornelius Tulloch and Joan Morgan.

About the Artist

Dr. Deborah Willis is a prominent American artist, curator, and scholar, currently a University Professor and Chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at New York University (NYU). Her work focuses on African American photography, visual culture, and the history of Black people in America, with extensive publications and exhibitions on these subjects. Willis is also the director of NYU's Center for Black Visual Culture and has received numerous honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship. 

Anastasia Samoylova’s Atlantic Coast (Aperture, 2025)  retraces Berenice Abbott’s 1954 photographic journey along the Eastern Seaboard, documenting dislocation, loss, and a shifting American dream. Samoylova's work will be exhibited and discussed. 

About the Artist

Anastasia Samoylova is an American artist (b. 1984, Russia) who alternates between observational photography and studio practice. After relocating to Miami in 2016, Samoylova began developing an immersive, observational approach to photography. This led to her first monograph, FloodZone, a study of how environmental vulnerability is visualized in flood-prone communities. Her Floridas project continued this inquiry with a kaleidoscopic, often contradictory portrait of the state’s layered cultural and political identity. In Image Cities (2023), she turned outward to global metropolises, exploring the impact of media saturation on the urban landscape.

Her recent solo exhibition Floridas: Anastasia Samoylova and Walker Evans was on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from October 14, 2024, to May 11, 2025.

Join us for an intimate panel discussion honoring the legacy of Hyam Plutzik (1911-62), the visionary poet whose spirit lives on in The Betsy Hotel's celebrated Writer's Room.

Three highly regarded Jewish American poets will reflect on the life and work of this midcentury master—a three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist whose powerful verse captured a pivotal moment of cultural transformation against the backdrop of the Holocaust and World War II.

A Personal Connection

This event holds special significance: The Betsy Hotel is owned by the children of Hyam Plutzik, who created The Betsy Writer's Room as a living tribute to their father and the historic 'writing rooms' that flourished in 1940s hotels.

The Writer's Room stands as both memorial and mission—honoring Plutzik's literary contributions while nurturing today's writers in a space designed for creative reflection and artistic community.

About Hyam Plutzik

Hyam Plutzik's poetry emerged during a time of profound historical rupture, giving voice to the complexities of Jewish American identity, cultural change, and the human experience during one of history's darkest chapters. His work continues to resonate with contemporary readers seeking meaning in times of transformation.

Learn more: HyamPlutzikPoetry.com