The remainder of the 92Y poetry reading season, which was set to feature authors like Emily Wilson, Roxane Gay, Tracy K. Smith, and others, is currently on hold, according to a 92Y spokesperson.

Viet Thanh Nguyen, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Sympathizer" and "The Committed," was scheduled to appear on the 92Y channel on Friday to promote his new memoir, "The Man with Two Faces." Nguyen, a well-known writer who often addresses refugee experiences in his work, had recently joined over 700 other writers in signing an open letter published in the London Review of Books, calling for an end to the violence in Gaza.

"We can only express our sorrow and grief for the victims of these recent tragedies and their families, both Palestinians and Israelis," the letter stated. "But the unprecedented and indiscriminate violence that continues to escalate against the 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, with the financial and political support of Western states, can and must be stopped."

Just hours before the readings were to take place, a 92Y representative announced that the event had been "postponed."

In a statement sent to NPR, a representative of 92Y said that the center has always offered various viewpoints. "As a Jewish organization, we believe that the responsible step now is to take some time to determine how best to use our platform and support the entire 92Y community, so we have made the difficult decision to postpone the event on October 20."

Instead, Nguyen hosted the event at the McNally Jackson bookstore in Manhattan.

Sarah Chihaya, Director of the Unterberg Poetry Center, and Sophie Herron, Senior Program Coordinator, both confirmed to NPR that they had resigned from their positions after the cancellation of Nguyen's event but did not provide further comments.

The Unterberg Poetry Center at the 92nd Street Y in New York has been a center for literary events and readings since 1939. It has a long history of hosting canonical writers such as T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, Marianne Moore, as well as more contemporary authors like Sandra Cisneros and Lorrie Moore.

In response to NPR's message, Nguyen stated that he had not directly communicated with the leadership or representatives of 92Y. He wrote on Instagram, "I do not regret anything I have said or done regarding Palestine, Israel, or the occupation and war."