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Iowa Law that Led to Thousands of Book Bans in School Libraries Will Go Back Into Force, as Judge Lifts Injunction
“As we have already seen, Iowa’s SF 496 is a perfect recipe for censorship,” said Jonathan Friedman, Sy Sims director of US Free Expression programs at PEN America. “The… More
Urgent Concern for the Safety of Nobel Peace Laureate Narges Mohammadi and Other Women Imprisoned in Iran
According to her cellmates, Mohammadi—who has been denied direct communication with her family since November 2023—was repeatedly punched in the chest by security and military forces. Experiencing severe pain,… More
Florida’s Governor “Exploits” Concerns Over Antisemitism on Campuses to Advance His Campaign of Intellectual Repression
“Once again, the DeSantis administration is exploiting concerns about antisemitism as cover to advance their campaign of intellectual repression,” said Katie Blankenship, director of PEN America Florida. “Mandating a… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended And Celebrated Free Expression the Week Of Aug. 5
Here are some of the latest ways PEN America defended and celebrated free expression in the week of Aug. 4. More
The Book of Judith: Honoring Judith Tannenbaum (1947-2019)
PEN America's Works of Justice series features four selections from "The Book of Judith: Opening Hearts Through Poetry," an anthology in remembrance of teaching artist Judith Tannenbaum (1947-2019), who… More
C. Fausto Cabrera and Zeke Caligiuri on Precarity and Critical Resistance
C. Fausto Cabrera and Zeke Caligiuri speak with PEN America's "Works of Justice" podcast about bringing writing programs into Minnesota prisons and editing "America Precariat" while incarcerated. More
Michigan & Me
In this Works of Justice feature, Curtis Dawkins reflects on how he wrote his debut collection of stories, The Graybar Hotel (Scribner, 2017), while incarcerated, and how the prison… More
Anatomy of a Misinformation Campaign: Olympic Boxing Edition
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has excelled within the boxing ring at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Outside the ring, however, Khelif is taking on another fight. In recent days, she… More
PEN America Condemns Arrest of Journalist for Documenting Vandalism Over Gaza Conflict
Viktorya Vilk, Digital Safety program director at PEN America, said: “The work of journalists is protected by the First Amendment and can require proximity to criminal activity. This arrest… More
Popular and Critically Acclaimed Book Titles Banned Statewide in Utah Schools
“It is a dark day for the freedom to read in Utah,” said Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read program director at PEN America. “The state’s No-Read List will impose… More
Support for the freedom to read with exclusive designs by Todd Parr, Mike Curato, Art Spiegelman, and more!
