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Lifetimes Out of Moments
A small boat crowded to the gunnels with journalists met the docking of Gertrude Stein’s steamship in New York. Her name ran like an illuminated rabbit around Times Square.… More
Laughter in the Dark
We went on to talk about other things, and then, out of the blue, ten or fifteen minutes later, apropos of nothing, he leaned forward across the table and… More
On American Language and Culture
People in this country understand that we’re a nation made up of foreigners; that’s our identity. And those of us who have chosen to live in New York City… More
Blood Feather
As Marcia does the dishes, she hears her daughter call from upstairs. “Mom, Mo-o-o-m . . . ” She races up but Ruthie isn’t in her room or even… More
On American and European Relations
There is no doubt great opposition among the citizens of Europe to the Iraqi adventure. But while the opposition to that war may not be as great in the… More
Tiresias Tries to Talk Sense to Liriope About Young Narcissus
"Ille per Aonias fama celeberrimus urbesinreprehensa dabat populo responsa petentiprima fide vocisque ratae temptamina sumpsitcaerula Liriope, quam quondam flumine curvoinplicuit clausaeque suis Cephisos in undisvim tulit: enixa est utero… More
WiPC Case List: January to June 2004
The Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN was set up in 1960 as a result of mounting concern about attempts to silence critical voices around the world… More
The Language Barrier
About a year after my father was transferred from the American Consulate in Montreal to the Consulate in Salonika, Greece, my brothers and I began to speak to our… More
November & Persephone
A golden shredding of light, slow unfolding, the airy geometry of trees revealed in a day by day transfiguration of tough vegetable matter into clearer and clearer frames of radiance, until you scarcely know… More
Multiple Rebirths
This talk was presented, in slightly different form, at a PEN Tribute to Gabriel García Márquez. It is often remarked that Gabriel García Márquez’s writings are read by people… More