Writers Institute Spring Season Explores Language, Power and the Human Story
ALBANY, N.Y. (Jan. 27, 2026) — From viral linguistics and artificial intelligence to American history, political polarization and contemporary fiction, the New York State Writers Institute is hosting a wide-ranging series of events this Spring at UAlbany, featuring nationally and internationally recognized writers, journalists, scientists and artists.
The season includes dozens of public conversations, film screenings and special events, inviting students, faculty and community members into timely discussions about storytelling, democracy, technology and creativity.
“This spring, we’ll introduce fresh voices in emerging genres such as podcasters and influencers, while honoring canonical literary figures from our past,” said Paul Grondahl, Opalka Endowed Director of the NYS Writers Institute.
“At the Writers Institute, our superpower since 1983 is looking backward and forward simultaneously, while showcasing human creativity,” Grondahl said. “Nothing artificial added.”
Major Highlights
The season opens Thursday with linguist and social media phenomenon Adam Aleksic, a 2019 Albany High School graduate whose New York Times bestselling book Algospeak examines how algorithms, memes and online platforms are reshaping language itself.
Later in the spring, the Writers Institute presents two nationally prominent political figures whose appearances reflect distinct but overlapping approaches to American governance, rather than partisan opposition.
On March 23, former U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin discusses Dead Center, his defense of political pragmatism, institutional stability and compromise after 15 years representing West Virginia in a closely divided Senate. A Democrat often at odds with his party, Manchin argues for governing from the middle during an era of intense polarization.
That conversation is followed April 16 by entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, whose memoir Hey Yang, Where’s My Thousand Bucks? reflects a different path — one rooted in technological disruption, economic reform and the creation of new political structures beyond the traditional two-party system.
Together, the events offer audiences a nuanced look at how political centrism is being defined from inside and outside government.
The Writers Institute also marks Black History Month on Feb. 13 with a daylong celebration honoring Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, who taught at UAlbany from 1984 to 1989, and Frederick Douglass, including a Frederick Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon focused on preserving Black history through archival work. The author of many now-classic works of literature, Morrison wrote her masterpiece, Beloved (1987), while at UAlbany. The exhibit features the writing desk and chair she used during her tenure here.
The season includes a March 13 screening of Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, a documentary honoring Nikki Giovanni, one of the most widely read and influential American poets of the last half-century. Emerging from the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s, Giovanni became a defining voice on race, love, feminism and joy, reaching audiences far beyond traditional literary circles.
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and author Ani DiFranco appears March 24 in a wide-ranging conversation. Joined by coauthor Lauren Coyle, Rosen, DiFranco will discuss her new book, The Spirit of Ani: Reflections on Spirituality, Feminism, Music, and Freedom (2026), an intimate exploration of her personal journey, creative process, spirituality, activism and evolving consciousness. A fiercely independent artist who founded her own record label in her early 20s, DiFranco helped redefine what it meant to build a career outside the mainstream music industry.
The season also features celebrated magazine journalist and UAlbany alum Tom Junod, '80, winner of two National Magazine Awards and one of the most distinctive narrative voices in American nonfiction. On April 7, Junod discusses his new memoir, In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man, a deeply personal exploration of masculinity, memory and his complicated relationship with his father.
For a complete list of spring events, visit the New York State Writers Institute.