10/06/2026
While the topic of the September 29th visit by Russian American author and NY Times op-ed columnist M. Gessen was autocracy, many of the biggest lessons involved writing. Gessen writes their columns with pen and paper. They teach a weeklong intensive course on ‘writing as thinking.’
Fellow journalist Elena Kostyuchenko, the James K. Batten Professor of Russian Studies, joined Gessen for a public event. The two recalled the growth of autocracy in Russia where the government’s decrees in black and white ink sparred with reporting by journalists.
From a shared stage in the United States, their message: read and write carefully to be guardians of democracy. 🗳️
Thank you to everyone who attended and thank you to the students, faculty, and community members for your wonderful questions during the Q&A segment of the event! 🌎