It would be easy to reduce the controversy over Patti Smith’s VersoFest appearance to a few contentious sentences:
A group protested the National Book Award winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s invitation to the 4th annual music/media and more event.
Citing her Instagram account, which included (among other things) a reposted flyer saying “Palestine belongs to Palestinians,” they called Smith antisemitic, and demanded the Library cancel her kickoff conversation with Westport journalist Alisyn Camerota.
The Library refused, citing its own commitment to “the free and open exchange of ideas.”
A group of about 75 people protested outside the Library an hour before Thursday’s event. Smith and Camerota went on as scheduled, in front of a sellout crowd of about 500.
Patti Smith at VersoFest. (Photo/Dinkin ESH Fotografix)
But that was not the whole story.
On a table near the Trefz Forum, 4 posters on 2 tables paid tribute to the 378 attendees killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, at the Nova Music Festival.
Near flickering candles, the posters showed the young revelers.
“Music and art have the power to unite us in both darkness and light,” the first poster read.
“May these flames be a symbol of our shared humanity, and our unwavering belief that love is stronger than hate.”
One part of the Nova Music Festival display …
Another poster included the words to Bob Dylan’s universal anthem, “Blowin’ in the Wind.”
The display had been created in just 24 hours by Representative Town Meeting member Melissa Levy. And it was there because Library executive director Bill Harmer had heeded her request.
… and the other. (Photos/Sal Liccione)
Her pleas to Harmer — and his reversal of his previous position, to allow the counter-programming — is the real story of the Patti Smith controversy.
When she shared her concerns about Smith’s appearance in her first email to Harmer and Library board of trustees president Pat Wieser, and a subsequent meeting, antisemitism was on Levy’s mind.
Her 12-year-old son was recently a victim. (The school handled it swiftly and well, she says, and the young perpetrator and his family have been very open and receptive too.)
Noting that antisemitism and hate speech stem from a lack of education and awareness, Levy urged Harmer and Wieser to include counterbalanced programming at Smith’s VersoFest appearance.
Harmer said no.
Levy replied with some concrete ideas — including tying in the Nova Music Festival in Israel with Westport’s VersoFest.
On Wednesday — 24 hours before Smith’s appearance, and the demonstration that preceded it — Harmer said yes.
Melissa Levy
“He sent a lovely message,” Levy says. “He said this would be very meaningful, and he was happy to include it.”
And, the director told her, he looked forward to getting together after VersoFest to plan other activities.
Levy quickly put her display together.
On Thursday it was there in the Library, a few steps from the stage.
Yesterday, Harmer emailed Levy: “The display is now prominently centered in the Hub — front and center for everyone to see as they enter the Library.
“With an expected 3,000 people visiting over the next 3 days, our hope is that all of our festival-goers, community members and neighbors will take a moment to experience the powerful and thoughtful exhibit you’ve helped bring to life.
“We’re grateful for your collaboration and your commitment to honoring these stories in such a meaningful way. It’s a strong reminder of the role we all play in lifting up compassion and community.”
Levy says, “My goal was not to be divisive. Bill’s ‘180’ says a lot.
“I was willing to stand up for what I, and others, believed in. Bill had been focused on his ideas. But he came to the table. It’s good for the community to know that you can get your point across without being divisive.
“This shows how kind activism can lead to collaborative results. And that we have highlighted how important education and understanding are around these very sensitive subjects.
“This is the happiest ending I could have asked for.”
(“06880” covers entertainment, politics — and their intersection. If you appreciate our work, please click here to support this hyper-local blog. Thamk you!)
The uproar over everything is antisemitism smacks of senator Joe McCarthy and his counsel Roy Cohn. And wasn’t Cohn idealized by trump.
It’s this type of minimization that has created such a stir. I’m very proud of you Melissa!
Thank you Iris! I agree 💯
I understand and respect your concerns, but I don’t see it as clear as black and white. It is important to understand, and tease out, the differences between freedom of speech, hate speech buried within the construct of social justice, and the very serious dangers of losing our rights to speak at all.
it would have been more significant had Ms. Smith herself made some reference to the Nova attack (and the global antisemitic backlash following)
It would be wonderful if she had the chance to see it.
The significance was there all the same.
Thank you Melissa!!!
💕
Over 500 attendees had a chance to see the Nova story. I hope the important person at Versofest — Patti Smith — also saw it and absorbed its message.
I hope so too…
Melissa, proud to be your colleague in both church and state. Shabbat Shalom, and may G-d bring peace to all who are still suffering, and the Strength to those still in chains.
Thank you Ari!
Thank you Melissa. To me, that tribute is beautiful and more meaningful than a protest against someone who truly is meaningless in most people’s lives. I hope there are more permanant tributes to Nova and the kibbutz attacked on Oct 7 all over the world.
Thanj you Stephanie. I am grateful to have had the opportunity and the support of community and good friends.
It is a falsehood espoused by Trump and his allies that support for Palestinians constitutes antisemitism. Sad to see that lie repeated here unquestioningly, the same twisted logic that had people protesting the UN. Such McCarthyism is an insult to anyone who cares about real antisemitism. This is your April Fool’s Day post come to life.
This issue is not related to Trump at ALL. I can guarantee it, because I was the one making the points.
The issue is about understanding the difference between supporting Palestinians and saying things that exacerbate the hatred or demise of another group of people while claiming to be supportive.
It IS possible to be supportive and not divisive.
Our words matter.
I believe we have the power and ability to use our words more carefully when showing support.
I am hoping that education and understanding can lead the way.
Richard, I hate Trump as everyone in this town probably knows. He is an evil and mentally ill human. But the truth is, The UN never condemned Hamas for the atrocities of the Oct 7 attacks and did not come to the defense of the woman raped that day! They instead blamed Israel! The UN is complicit with terrorism. Period. I am a Democrat saying this! Also, please watch the movie Oct 8 to see the connections between protests on campuses and funding by terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Iranian proxies and Qatar. I believe in freedom of speech but not freedom to support terrorists on a college campus and target Jews on campus, you can be against more war like I am without being funded by terrorist groups. I also believe in due process and not deportations. I think Americans need to SEE and HEAR the evidence of these terrorism connections in court cases!
Thank you for standing your ground and making a wonderful exhibit of this subject.
Phyllis Nova
Thank you Phyllis! I’m glad you had a chance to see it and enjoyed it.
There is a film called Bearing Witness. It shows raw footage of the Oct 7 attack. It may be appropriate for the Westport Library. Patti Smith and colleges need to see it.
That’s a great idea! There is also a movie called Storms of Emotions that I recently saw that is a documentary about what happened in 2005 when Israel had to do the hard job of forcing their own people out of Gaza for a chance at peace.
in retrospect the library should have included the film Bearing Withess before Patti Smith spoke. The footage are from cameras of the terrorists. The library should make it available. Synagogues and churches should show it to their congregants
They should screen “No other land” too. You know speech being free and all
It is often said that music brings people together. Patti Smith has made several statements on her social media claiming them “indisputable” — and then surprised that anyone in our town would disagree and want dialogue. Thank you Melissa Levy for speaking up, and to the Westport Library for finally allowing our voice to be heard by incorporating the Nova Festival display. Hundreds of music goers were killed at that festival and this is a meaningful tribute.
Why are some deaths tragic and meaningful and others are treated as a statistic? 17,000 children have died since 10/7 and yet no mention?
I’ve followed Patti Smith’s life and career since the 70s and for many of us, she has been an enduring symbol of artistic freedom and rebellion against the mainstream. While she has supported Free Tibet, Patti Smith’s work – her poetry, music, etc – like Bob Dylan, has never been politically focussed but about the creation of art. I think the library’s decision to allow the tables was correct – but to go looking for anti-semitism in the wrong places is misplaced and ultimately backfires. Trump is using antisemitism to deport people and cut funding for universities, which is obviously a smokescreen for legal abuses down the road. Figure out who your enemies are and who they are not.
We need due process so Americans can see and hear the evidence!
Good on Melissa for her commitment, and good on Bill for respecting it. A fine example for us all.
Inviting an avowed antiSemite to be celebrated in the town library is downright offensive. The answer to this mess should have been not inviting her or disinviting her. Someone who advocates for women’s rights was completely silent on October 8th and not only dismissed the brutal attack, rape and murder of Israeli women, but proudly chanted “Palestine is for Palestinians.” The counter-protests were of course a proud and necessary reaction to this blunder. The town’s response was lame – Bothsideism is an insult to the victims of Oct 7th. Drawing attention in the way it was done revealed the depths responsible members of this town went just to pursue the “star” power of an artist. A table display with some posters and candles is analogous to igniting a fire and having an exhaust fan on standby.
Constantly calling people who are opposed to the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu “antisemites” (and, curiously, “avowed” antisemites) is not the kind of thing that that makes one sound credible.
I would venture to guess that none of us know what Patti Smith said on October 8. But I also wonder what you have said about the 40,000 dead in Gaza. You can’t criticize “bothsideism” when 40,000 (mostly) civilians have been killed and you dare not acknowledge their basic humanity. So spare me your decrying “bothsideism.”
We honored Patti at Booked for the Evening, this breaks my heart 💜 As a librarian and a supporter of all libraries, let’s keep our thoughts about a very sad situation off the shelves at a special event.
I think the library handled this very well. Allowing her to speak and at the same time allowing the memorial. Very balanced. It’s unfortunate these days that anybody supporting Palestinians or criticizing Israel for what it’s done in Gaza is automatically branded as anti-Semitic. Deporting people and revoking visas over a freedom of speech issue is unacceptable. As Barack Obama said wisely not too long ago there is plenty of blame to go around.
Your grasp of the situation Tom, is fundamentally lacking. On October 7th, a horrible massacre was perpetrated on innocent Israeli citizens. This horror show was immediately politicized by the likes of Patti Smith and everyone who applauded the catastrophe, on October 8th. “Moving the blame around” is insultingly dismissive of the facts: Jews are held up to a double standard in which self-defense is considered an offense. Pretending to know all the facts, by quoting Obama, affirms the same.
I don’t believe that Patti Smith applauded the slaughter of Jews, which was deplorable. She said Palestinians should have a place in Palestine. Israel’s deadly attacks on Gaza were also deplorable. My grasp of the situation is hardly lacking. I will stick with Obama. You can stick with Trump, who insists that any criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic.
Bravo to Melissa Levy for standing up to controversy and for her commitment to combat antisemitism with education and awareness. We need more individuals like her!
Patti Smith’s rhetoric champions “from the river to the sea; and Palestine is for the Palestinians.” That mantra is mutually exclusive to the State of Israel as the one and only Jewish Homrlsnd. Israel’s response to the worst civilian mass bloodshed since the Holocaust necessitated a major response. The fact is that Hamas constructed a killing machine over the past 15 years which included over 300 km of terror tunnels, munitions factories, and jail cells for hostages. The guerrilla tactics Hamas uses where they hid within the civilian Gazan population among hospitals, schools, and mosques is itself reprehensible and worthy of world condemnation. Israel had no choice but to respond to an enemy which breached Israel’s border with over 3000 strong, for the sole purpose of destroying the country.
The mortality figures provided by Hamas are questionable. The issue is neither Obama nor Trump- just a matter of getting facts and history straight.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0xp969n69o?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
David, I would love your thoughts on Netanyahu and the IDF falsely claiming that 15 aid workers were killed because they were behaving “suspiciously.” Only after mobile phone footage (from a deceased victim) came forward, has the IDF acknowledged “mistakes.” So the IDF lied until footage came forward. But you are telling us not to believe the mortality figures from Gaza (not from Hamas).
You seem interested in “facts,” right?
Chris- war is hell, and throughout history warring parties have pushed the envelope vis a vis extreme brutality. Israel is not immune to that and does investigate and tries at all costs to minimize collateral damage to civilians. That is an undeniable fact, as is the existential threat Israel faces as long as Hamas and its parent – IRGC- remain in power.
How is “Israel… tries at all costs to minimize collateral damage to civilians” demonstrably true?
Hamas as “existential threat” is based largely on their rhetoric, not on their military capabilities. But the IDF can kill 40,000 civilians and claim they are trying to minimize collateral damage? Palestinian words can’t be believed, but Israeli words are gospel?
The October 7 attacks were heinous. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t acknowledge that. But Netanyahu has responded in ways that neither make Israelis safer nor bring most of the hostages home. He has used the attacks as an opportunity to pursue unrelated ends. The tragic victims of the October 7 attacks are only pawns, to Netanyahu.
The October 7 attacks were also (on some level) entirely predictable. Netanyahu’s approach to the Palestinians has been “the beatings will continue until morale improves.” Who in their right mind thinks that is a path to any kind of lasting peace?
I think it’s reasonable to assume that if not for the measures Israel takes to minimize civilian casualties, although they are not perfect and mistakes are made, the death toll would actually be much higher. Given how dense Gaza is and that Hamas is well-known to base military operations in civilian areas, I’m surprised it’s not closer to 100k at this point.
In response to Pearl Harbor, the bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki killed over 200k. Our response to 9/11 killed ~400k civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. I rarely, if ever, hear even bleeding-heart liberals accusing their own country of committing genocide during WWII and post-9/11.
Was Al-Qaeda an existential threat to our country? Easy to Monday morning quarterback this one now, but I guarantee back in late 2001 even most liberals would have said yes. At least Al-Qaeda wasn’t located across the border in Canada or Mexico.
While you could argue the civilian death toll would be lower under a less extreme leader than Netanyahu, let’s not kid ourselves – the response would have been (and needed to be) significant, it’s still likely that thousands of civilians would still be killed, and we’d still be hearing the same ignorant, hypocritical messages from those who for some reason hold Israel to a higher standard than their own country.
I also don’t get this “predicable” comment…if somehow that’s meant to soften Hamas’ actions or make them more forgivable – by that standard, Israel’s response was equally “predicable.”
Well said
An existential threat is different from any other because it is predicated on the annihilation of another. The modern State of Israel was resurrected on the ashes of the Holocaust. No entity on this planet ever had half its population wiped out. Sadly, the world has a short memory. Remember the terror tunnels? Built with Qatari/Iranian billions over a 15 year period, this was the killing machine that had been perfectly positioned, like a dagger into the belly of Israel – some rhetoric, huh Chris? The manual of hate and destruction has been disseminated by UNRWA for four generations. The war which followed Oct 7th was a direct response to an existential threat felt by every Israeli – not just Nethanyahu. While every Israeli may not love him, there is an over 70% concensus that the war cannot end until Hamas is no longer in power, and hey, what about the hostages?
I’d love to see this predictable answer, Chris.