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Journalists Single Out Extremism as a Topline Concern Ahead of 2024
A year ago, PEN America published Hate in the Headlines: Journalism and the Challenge of Extremism, a report examining the blurring line between right-wing and antidemocratic extremism and U.S.… More
More than 1,600 books banned in Escambia County, Florida
Five dictionaries are on Escambia County's list of more than 1,600 books banned pending investigation in December 2023, along with eight different encyclopedias, The Guinness Book of World Records,… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of Jan. 1
PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. More
Nearly 700 books, including celebrity bestsellers, banned in Orange County, Florida
Nearly 700 books, including recent bestsellers by Jon Stewart and Amy Poehler and classics by Maya Angelou, Ovid, and Marcel Proust, were removed from classrooms in Orange County, Florida,… More
10 Writers on Writing: PEN America Interviews
PEN America has been in conversation with authors, poets, and other artists from its inception. This holiday season, we are sharing 12 pieces of writing advice. More
101-Year-Old Grace Linn: ‘Banning Books and Burning Books Are the Same’
Others protesting book bans have held up signs in protest. Grace Linn held up a quilt. The 101-year-old talked to PEN America about the importance of spreading the word… More
PEN America Town Hall: Conversation Amid Crisis
In a conversation that explored the ripple effects of the conflict in Israel and Palestine, a panel of writers with disparate views came together to discuss the challenge of… More
Yes, Florida Bans Books: Why Can’t Gov. Ron DeSantis Read His Own List?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed that book bans in his state were a “false narrative.” Don’t take our word for it that Florida bans books – take DeSantis’. More
The Topics Teachers Are Too Afraid to Teach
Frederick Douglass, women’s suffrage, jazz and the blues, Batman, reproductive biology, philosophy. In states with restrictive educational policies, teachers and professors have questioned if they are allowed to teach… More
PEN America: What’s at Stake in Book Banning Movement Is ‘Traditions of Freedom and Democracy for Us All’
PEN America's Jonathan Friedman testified that what's at stake in book ban movement is "Whether we can live in a diverse society that upholds our traditions of freedom and… More