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

BIBA IN THE SUN Documentary Pre-Production Kick-Off at The Betsy Hotel Miami Beach, FL – November 19, 2025 — The Betsy Hotel will host an event for BIBA IN THE SUN—a new documentary in development celebrating the extraordinary life, creative legacy, and ongoing work of Barbara Hulanicki, visionary founder of the iconic 1960s fashion brand BIBA.

The evening will feature a conversation moderated by George Neary with Barbara Hulanicki and Nada Ray, the documentary filmmaker, along with a cocktail reception and an inside look at the creative process behind the project.

Supported by The Betsy Hotel, this special gathering marks the start of pre-production on Biba in the Sun—a cinematic journey offering a South Beach perspective on Hulanicki’s enduring influence on fashion, design, and culture.

Production: Ocean Ray Media Private event RSVP required: via Eventbrite Enclosed: Official Biba in the Sun poster

Event Details: Date: November 19, 2025, 6:00-7:30 PM Location: The Betsy Hotel, Miami Beach

Recharge & Destress: A Walking Zine Release with Beatriz Monteavaro

Join EXILE and artist Beatriz Monteavaro for a late-afternoon walk through South Beach to celebrate the release of her new zine, Recharge & Destress — a playful guide that invites you to slow down and reconnect.

We’ll meet at The Betsy Hotel and take a leisurely, art-filled stroll as Beatriz shares how walking became both her meditation and artistic practice. The route winds along the boardwalk, through Lincoln Road and Española Way, and concludes at the legendary Mac’s Club Deuce, where a few zines will find their resting spot by the pool table.

Come stretch your legs, recharge your spirit, and explore South Beach through the artist’s eyes. Free and open to the public — zines provided!

Sunday, November 16 4:00–5:30 PM The Betsy Hotel 1440 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139

SWWIM Reading Series at The Betsy Writer's Room presents eight celebrated women poets in residence, September 2025-April 2026. Each visiting poet pairs with Miami's vibrant literary voices for intimate readings, fostering cross-generational dialogue and celebrating contemporary women's poetry.

This series offers audiences rare access to emerging and established poets in an intimate setting, fostering meaningful connections between writers, readers, and Miami's thriving arts community. Presented with support from the Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation CreARTE.

ABOUT THE POETS

Dr. Taylor Byas, Ph.D. (she/her) is a Black Chicago native who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she is a Features Editor for The Rumpus, a Poetry Acquisitions Editor for Variant Literature, an Editorial Board Member for Beloit Poetry Journal, and an Editorial Advisor for Jackleg Press. She is the author of two chapbooks, her debut full-length, I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times, from Soft Skull Press, which won the 2023 Maya Angelou Book Award, the 2023 Chicago Review of Books Award in Poetry, and the 2024 Ohio Book Award for Poetry, and Resting Bitch Face, forthcoming in August 2025. She is also a co-editor of The Southern Poetry Anthology, Vol X: Alabama from Texas Review Press, and of Poemhood: Our Black Revival, a YA anthology on Black folklore from HarperCollins. 

Rosa Sophia Godshall is the author of Many Miles (Harbor Editions). Her work has been published in Philadelphia Stories Magazine, Sentience Literary Journal, SoFloPoJo, SWWIM Every Day, Islandia Journal, Thimble Literary Magazine, Limp Wrist, and others. She was the recipient of the 2023 Christopher F. Kelly Award for Poetry, sponsored by the Academy of American Poets, through Florida International University. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a degree in automotive technology. She is also the managing editor of Mobile Electronics magazine, a publication for the aftermarket car audio industry. Rosa lives in Palm Bay, Florida, where she enjoys working on her 1960 Jeep CJ5, repairing typewriters and writing typewriter poetry on demand. Visit her website to learn more: www.torquesgarage.com

SWWIM Reading Series at The Betsy Writer's Room presents eight celebrated women poets in residence, September 2025-April 2026. Each visiting poet pairs with Miami's vibrant literary voices for intimate readings, fostering cross-generational dialogue and celebrating contemporary women's poetry.

This series offers audiences rare access to emerging and established poets in an intimate setting, fostering meaningful connections between writers, readers, and Miami's thriving arts community. Presented with support from the Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation CreARTE.

ABOUT THE POETS

Lisa Rhoades is the author of three collections of poetry, The Long Grass, (Saint Julian Press), Strange Gravity, (Bright Hill Press) and the forthcoming Central to the Task. A former poetry fellow at the Creative Writing Institute at the University of Wisconsin, she holds MFAs in writing from Columbia University and LSU. Her poems recently have appeared or are forthcoming widely, including at Rust+Moth, Rogue Agent, Pirene’s Fountain, Permafrost, Windhover, Barrow Street, and The Southern Review. She currently works as a pediatric nurse in New York City where she lives with her spouse and their children.

Yael Valencia Aldana is a Black-Latine poet and writer. She is the author of the poetry collection Black Mestiza (University Press of Kentucky, 2025) and the chapbook Alien(s) from (Bottlecap Press 2023). She is a Pushcart Prize winner, and her work has been featured by Ms. Magazine, Hip Latina, and The Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club, among others. She is the Editor in Chief at Purple Ink Press. She teaches creative writing near the ocean, where she lives with her family and too many pets. You can find her online at YaelAldana.com and @yaelwrites.