A woman with long, dark, curly hair smiles at the camera. She is wearing a dark navy blouse and is posed in front of a plain, light-colored background.

Julia Goldberg

Assistant, Communications

Julia Goldberg is the Communications Assistant at PEN America. Previously, she served as the editor-in-chief of her college’s student newspaper and as a reporting intern for local news outlets in New York City. Most recently, she worked as the Communications Intern at PEN America, researching and writing articles, developing graphics and video footage, and drafting social media posts. She holds a BA in English from Williams College, where she graduated as valedictorian.


Articles by Julia Goldberg

Two people sit and speak on a stage in front of an ornate church altar. A screen shows photos and names of two individuals. A PEN America banner reads “The Freedom to Write.” An audience is implied off-camera.
U.S. Free Expression
Wednesday April 15

For a Future Free of Fascism, Scholar Jason Stanley Says We Must Reexamine Our Past 

In conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones, Jason Stanley examines how embracing American exceptionalism makes us susceptible to fascism.

A person stands at a podium on stage at an awards ceremony. Behind them, a screen displays Nicholas Boggs, Baldwin: A Love Story as the winner of the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography. A band and another person are also on stage.
Literary AwardsWriting as Craft
Tuesday April 14

What Can Writers Do That AI Can’t? 

At the 2026 Literary Awards Ceremony, PEN America asked our honorees what writers can do that AI can’t. Here are six of our favorite answers. 

A woman in pink pajamas enthusiastically reads a book to a group of young children sitting on the floor in a colorful classroom decorated with educational posters and shelves of supplies.
Banned Books
Tuesday April 7

A Banned Children’s Book Author Fled the United States for Uruguay. American Parents Had Her Fired After a Week. 

Dr. Megan Pamela Ruth Madison relocated to Uruguay seeking freedom from censorship only to face backlash again over her inclusive books.

More Articles by Julia Goldberg

Four people sit on a stage in armchairs, holding microphones, participating in a panel discussion. A large Baltimore sign and cityscape are displayed on a screen behind them. A PEN America banner stands in the background.
Writing as Craft
Friday March 27

Authors Discuss the Promises and Perils of AI for Literature at AWP 2026 

A Zoom call with eight people smiling and waving. Three participants hold up a colorful book titled We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices. Bookshelves and home decor are visible in the background.
U.S. Free Expression
Thursday March 26

‘We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices’ Anthology Contributors Reunite to Support Minnesota Students 

A diagonal grid of book covers featuring four different titles. Designs include a yellow hand illustration, a green pattern, a black-and-white cityscape, and a dark cover with white text. The covers repeat in a diagonal arrangement.
Literary Awards
Wednesday March 25

A Peek Behind the Literary Awards Curtain: How the 2026 PEN Poetry in Translation Award Panel Chose Its Winner 

A smiling man with glasses and long braids appears next to the cover of a book titled “Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age” by Ibram X. Kendi.
Banned BooksU.S. Free Expression
Wednesday March 18

Ibram X. Kendi Has Received a Lot of Hate. His New Book on Authoritarianism Helped Him Realize It Was Never Personal. 

Claudia Rankine speaks at a podium labeled PEN America as she wins a literary award for Citizen: An American Lyric. Behind her, people sit at tables and the book cover is displayed on a large screen.
Literary Awards
Wednesday March 18

‘A Wonderful Spotlight’: Open Book Award Recognizes Exceptional Literature by Authors of Color

A man stands at an outdoor table covered with PEN America materials, talking to another man carrying a backpack. The table is set up in front of a building with large windows.
Campus Free SpeechEducational CensorshipU.S. Free Expression
Thursday March 12

Inside the Fight to Keep Academic Freedom Alive at Texas A&M

A colorful collage of LGBTQ+ themed childrens book covers, featuring diverse characters, rainbows, and titles like Queer History A-Z, A Kid Called Gavin, Love, Violet, and Pride.
Banned Books
Tuesday March 10

‘Essential for My Career’: Six Authors Explain Why They Need Their Books on Library Shelves

A collage of diverse childrens and young adult book covers, including titles like Queer History A to Z, My Gender Your Rules, Red, White & Royal Blue, Pride Puppy, and When Aidan Became a Brother.
Banned Books
Monday February 23

Book Bans ‘Kill Creativity,’ Sow Self-Doubt in Authors 

A collage of colorful children’s book covers featuring diverse characters and LGBTQ+ themes, with titles like “Queer History A-Z,” “Pride Colors,” and “Gender Identity for Kids” arranged in a diagonal pattern.
Banned Books
Monday February 2

Book Bans Are Leaving Authors Frustrated, Fatigued, and Frightened 

A colorful assortment of books laid out, with visible titles including A Court of Mist and Fury, A Clockwork Orange, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, and Beastless among others.
Banned Books
Monday January 26

Authors and Illustrators Are Paying a Steep Price for Book Bans

A smiling woman with gray hair stands outdoors beside the cover of the book Wishtree by Katherine Applegate, which features a large tree with colorful ribbons tied to its branches.
Banned Books
Wednesday January 14

Katherine Applegate’s Book Was Labeled ‘Deliberate Indoctrination.’ It’s About the Power of Kindness.

A woman with short reddish hair, glasses, and a mustard yellow jacket smiles beside the book cover of Pretty Perfect Kitty-Corn, featuring a white unicorn and a pink cat, both with horns. The book is by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham.
Banned Books
Tuesday January 6

‘I Never Saw That Coming’: Shannon Hale Couldn’t Believe Her Children’s Book About a Unicorn Was Tossed Off Shelves

Event graphic for Reading from Best Debut Short Stories 2025 featuring the book cover, nine author headshots, host Lydi Conklin’s name, event partners’ logos, and colorful circles as design elements.
Literary AwardsLiterary Community
Monday January 5

‘A Dream Come True’: 12 Debut Writers Celebrate Winning the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize

Five people sit on a stage in a panel discussion at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Four listen while one person speaks into a microphone; water bottles are on the tables in front of them.
Global Free ExpressionPress Freedom
Tuesday December 16

‘We’ve Seen This Before’: Lessons for the Press on Authoritarianism 

A large audience listens to two women having a conversation onstage in a cozy library with shelves of books, under string lights, at a PEN America event.
Writing as Craft
Monday December 15

Nearly 20 Years in the Making, Kiran Desai’s Third Novel Was Her Longtime Companion  

A smiling man with a beard and short hair stands against a gray background. Next to him is the book cover for Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg, with colorful icons and bold, playful typography.
Banned Books
Wednesday December 10

A ‘Hugely Valuable’ Resource: Author Bill Konigsberg Explains Why Queer Teens Need Books About Sex and Sexuality 

A group of people stand outside holding colorful signs that say “Freedom to Read” and “Read Rise.” Two speakers stand at a microphone in front of the group, with a building lit by yellow lights in the background.
Banned Books
Tuesday December 9

New Yorkers Urge Governor Hochul to Sign Freedom to Read Act