Rx for Writers Targeted by Hate Speech and Trolling
As the internet and social media become ever more influential in writers’ careers, we discuss how they can deal with hate speech and trolling targeting their work and, in some cases, their sense of personal safety. This discussion aims to surface the experiences of writers facing such harassment and equip them with the tools and techniques available to combat this kind of assault on their work and online presence.
This event will take place at Portland Ballroom 255, Oregon Convention Center, Level 2.
Viktorya Vilk is the manager of special projects for Free Expression Programs at PEN America. With over eight years of experience working in museums and arts nonprofits, she is firmly committed to protecting freedom of expression and expanding access to the arts. Prior to joining PEN America, she worked on organizational strategy and development at the Art & Global Health Center Africa, a Malawian NGO that advocates for health and human rights through the arts. She has organized exhibitions, developed public programs, managed a collection re-installation project, and created innovative digital platforms showcasing art and architecture at the Jewish Museum, the Clark Art Institute, The Frick Collection, and the Courtauld Gallery. She graduated summa cum laude from Boston University with a BA in art history and completed graduate degrees in art history and museums studies as a Marshall Scholar at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London.
Panelists:
Yumi Wilson is president of Journalism and Women Symposium and a tenured journalism professor at San Francisco State University. She is a former reporter and editor at the Chronicle and a former communications manager at LinkedIn. In 2013, she was chosen as one of Twitter’s “12 Smartest Women of Color on Twitter.”
JoBeth McDaniel is a magazine journalist, nonfiction author, and graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University MFA program. Her work is published widely, with essays selected for anthologies and college textbooks. She founded Facebook’s School After 30 to encourage age diversity in higher education.
Candace Williams is a black queer nerd, poet, and middle school educator. Her chapbook, Spells for Black Wizards, won the TAR Series. She’s appeared in Sixth Finch, Bennington Review, and Bettering American Poetry 2016. In a past life, she was in charge of digital marketing at tech startups.
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