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Citing Grave Free Speech Concerns, PEN America Rejects Florida Campus Ban on Students for Justice in Palestine
Jonathan Friedman, director of Free Expression and Education Programs, issued the following statement: "This policy is part of a pattern from the Florida government, ready to cast aside free speech… More
New PEN America Report: U.S. Prisons Ban Staggering Numbers of Books
“The extent of prison book banning is alarming and an attack on the written word itself.” said Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project and lead author… More
Reading Between the Bars
In this report, we seek to shine a light on the staggering realities of prison censorship and challenge its normalization, both legally and culturally. More
PEN America Statement on Canceling of Cultural Events, Amid War
“PEN America objects to the cancellation of book and cultural events, awards and promotions because of viewpoints and narratives that have become contentious in the context of the war… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of October 16
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
Strong Condemnation of Russia’s Detention of Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva
(NEW YORK) - PEN America strongly condemns the detention by the Russian government of Alsu Kurmasheva, a Prague-based journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), for failing to register… 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
Kimberly Nguyen | Emerging Voices Fellow
I was really interested in the idea that pain and trauma can actually be embedded in the language itself. More
Amid Campus Protests Over Israel-Hamas War, Students Should Not Face Punishment for Speaking Out
PEN America’s senior manager of free expression, Kristen Shahverdian, made the following comments: "Universities have an obligation to protect the free speech rights of their students. It would be… More
Palestinian People and Culture Under Threat from Israel’s Retaliatory Attacks
Also: See Our Oct. 10 Statement (PEN America Deplores 'Vicious Attack' Against Israeli Citizens) (NEW YORK - Published at 3:48 pm ET)— PEN America mourns the devastating loss of civilian… More