By Jewelle Gomez—
If you’re looking desperately for something to read, wander over to the Catskill Mountain region of New York to the village of Hobart, which apparently has more bookstores per capita than any village in the country. And if you go in early June, when the Hobart Festival of Women Writers (https://bit.ly/4eWiuyw) is in full swing, you can even have some books read aloud to you by the writers themselves. Founded fourteen years ago by poet Cheryl Clarke, historian and bookstore owner Barbara Balliet, and novelist Breena Clarke, the festival includes writing workshops, panels, and lunches by the Delaware River.
Writers who’ve been part of the festival (which is open to all) are Irene Klepfisz, Alexis de Veaux, Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Elisabeth Nonas, and Nancy Bereano. A stalwart of the festival has been poet Esther Cohen, who does a regular column of her poetry, Overheard, on Substack.
Esther, who has wild red hair, a penetrating voice, and a finely crafted poetic vision, was recently named the first Poet Laureate of Greene County, which is an hour and a half outside of New York City and has a population somewhere around 50,000. But, before Esther could accept her (virtual) crown, the county legislators rescinded the award, citing online posts someone said were inciting violence. Although most of the legislators had not seen the posts—which were actually reposts—they voted unanimously against her and refused her request to appear before them.
Quoted in a Guardian article, Esther said that she wasn’t upset and quipped she’d later ask her therapist why. The ramifications of the dismissal of a woman and her accomplishments as a writer and community activist are truly distressing. Esther is white, Jewish, married to a male, and is not a wild-eyed, youthful insurrectionist (a fave group of mine), yet the county found it easy to marginalize her. They also chose to ignore all those who wrote in support of her, including local Republicans (in this Republican county) who love Esther.
The thing to fear here is that it’s a short road from this censure to a law forbidding dissenting poets from participating in any municipal events or receiving local funds, with “dissenting” being defined as lesbian, transgender, gay, people of color, immigrant, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Palestinian, etc. When careerist politicians insist on protecting their jobs more than the Constitution, we, the people, are in great danger. It’s like we’re in the Upside Down and Vecna is running things.
Lesbians fought just as hard as anyone for women’s right to abortion, for women’s right to vote, and the Voting Rights Act; for Obamacare, for equality for girls in sports, for raising the minimum wage, and for all the other things any civilized society should grant automatically. Yet, Vecna and his minions are rolling back our rights faster than a ball barreling down the lane straight for the head bowling pin. We’re already mobilizing voter strategies in the hope the elections don’t get canceled.
Lesbians specifically and women in general have the privilege of a long history of surviving brutal punishments from burning at the stake to rape. Esther Cohen will be just fine; she’ll continue being celebrated by women, publishing books, doing her progressive activism, and teaching. Her six-hour writing workshop at the Hobart Festival has a waiting list every year, so sign up soon.
Jewelle Gomez is a lesbian/feminist activist, novelist, poet, and playwright. She’s written for “The Advocate,” “Ms. Magazine,” “Black Scholar,” “The San Francisco Chronicle,” “The New York Times,” and “The Village Voice.” Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @VampyreVamp
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Published on May 7, 2026
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