With Edward Albee, Paul Auster, Sandra Cisneros, Don DeLillo, Dave Eggers, Martín Espada, Philip Gourevitch, Jessica Hagedorn, Heidi Julavits, Nicole Krauss, Rick Moody, Walter Mosley, Grace Paley, Emma Reverter, Salman Rushdie, Martha Southgate, and Colson Whitehead

PEN American Center’s 2005 State of Emergency event offered a special evening of readings in opposition to United States policies on the treatment of detainees in this country and abroad. A stellar group of writers came together to read and bring national attention to abusive government policies including torture, arbitrary detention, and extraordinary rendition.