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PEN America on Drag Story Hour Shutting Down Miami Chapter: A “Sadly Predictable” Outcome Due to Anti-LGBTQ Laws in Florida
"Florida’s state-endorsed censorship disrupts the power of art to cultivate connection and unjustly vilifies the LGBTQ community. Free expression in Florida is under threat—and the impact won’t just remain… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Emerson Whitney
I see life through the lens of writing to the extent that I’m not exactly sure what life is if not a book? More
Building Resilience: Identifying Community Solutions to Targeted Disinformation
People need reliable information to participate fully in the democratic process. Particularly, they need it to choose their next elected representatives, assess policy and policy proposals both locally and… More
New Report: Communities Can Counter Disinformation by Taking Local and Cultural Context Into Account
Kate Ruane, director, Sy Syms U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America, said: “Much of the conversation about how to counter disinformation pays insufficient attention to how people actually… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with KB Brookins
I love poetry because it is a genre that embraces imitation and history—the fact that we still write sonnets and teach epics is exciting to me! More
PEN America Mourns the Death of Prize-Winning Ukrainian Author and PEN-Ukraine Member Victoria Amelina
Polina Sadovskaya, Eurasia director at PEN America, said: “Victoria Amelina was a celebrated Ukrainian author who turned her distinct and powerful voice to investigate and expose war crimes after… More
On Prison Art and Music
PEN America Prison and Justice Writing Program Manager Robbie Pollock highlights three projects centered on making music from prison: Heartbeat Opera, Die Jim Crow Records, and a recent book… More
Celebrate America’s Founding Bibliophiles on the First Day of July!
A loud minority demanding censorship has put a target on libraries— and library workers— demanding book bans on queer and trans authors and writers of color, the dismantling of… More
In Christian Evangelical Web Designer Case, PEN America Voices Concern that Supreme Court Ruling Overlooks Risk of Legitimizing Unlawful Discrimination in the Name of Religious Freedom
"As a free expression organization, PEN America stands against efforts to censor speakers on the basis of viewpoint or to compel speech. When a business entity offering a public… More
More Than 50 Authors Join PEN America, We Need Diverse Books, and the Florida Freedom to Read Project, in Call to Pinellas County, FL School Officials to Drop Review of 87 Book Titles
Kasey Meehan, director, Freedom to Read project at PEN America, said: “These books by celebrated authors allow students to see themselves in works of fiction or to gain an… More