Author Paisley Rekdal will appear at Colorado College on Wednesday after the Air Force Academy canceled her scheduled talk because she criticized President Donald Trump. 

Rekdal, a University of Utah professor, was on the verge of canceling her trip to Colorado Springs when she was invited to appear at Colorado College instead, she said. 

She expected to discuss how wars are memorialized and remembered at the academy as part of the annual Jannetta Lecture Series focused on bringing in writers and artists that have contributed to our understanding of war. 

Air Force Academy cancels lecture after discovering speaker disparaged Trump

The talk planned for Colorado College will cover similar ground, including readings from her book “The Broken Country,” which explores the traumatic legacies of the Vietnam War. It will also feature a reading from her upcoming book focused on her father’s military service and reflections on how the Civil War and wars with Native Americans of the plains shaped the West.  

The academy canceled Rekdal’s original lecture saying in an official statement her appearance would not be consistent with the U.S. Air Force Academy’s nonpartisan obligation. 

Rekdal reflected on the cancelation in a recent New York Times guest column, noting that her experience may prompt other professional writers to fall silent, among other impacts. 

Trump celebrates after West Point alumni group cancels Tom Hanks honor

“But while my cancellation may be chilling to writers, it’s not nearly as scary as the message it sends to the academy’s cadets and all Americans,” she wrote. “When speakers are disinvited because they criticize politicians, we give these politicians pre-emptive carte blanche. Implicitly, we suggest that certain people should be outside the realm of political and moral judgment. Perhaps they should be above public opinion itself.”

Since the Air Force Academy canceled Rekdal’s talk, the alumni association that supports West Point canceled an awards ceremony scheduled to honor Tom Hanks. The actor has led fundraising initiatives to benefit and honor veterans. He has also been critical of Trump. 

Rekdal’s lecture is open to public and will take place from  6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Packard Performance Hall, 5 W. Cache La Poudre St.