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From A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
The designation 02 was stenciled above the truck bumper in white paint, meaning it belonged to the Interior Ministry, meaning there would be no record of the arrest, meaning… More
The King of Little Things
After marching for days, King Normous and his armies at last neared the land of the King of Little Things. This would not be a fair fight. And that’s… More
Introduction by the Author
Facts of the past slip away into constellations, forever subject to interpretation. But words? Ah, words will dig their serif'd fingers into gray matter and take hold. More
On Beauty: Banning Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
The narrative that Pecola absorbs from the world around her is simple. It tells her that to be beautiful is to be white. It shapes her identity at the… More
Future Fiction of America
In the spirit of celebrating the honorees for this year’s PEN Literary Awards on September 29th, we’re holding a contest for best book title. More
Student Languishes in Detention for Facebook Post in Nigeria
PEN Nigeria responds to the detention of a Nigerian student for over 20 days for Facebook posts criticizing a state governor. More
Bird Brains
What’s in it for ESPN to support this book? Why would the network that stages the rough equivalent of a Harry Potter movie every week let us dig into… More
domina Un/blued
The body took paths through waste-land woods / followed her back to the apartment / Her body / hid from its parents / Forgot its sisters / Bathed /… More
National Coalition Against Censorship Announces Winners of Cameron Post Essay Contest
The contest, co-sponsored by PEN and other free expression groups, invited high school students in Delaware to write a 250-500 word essay saying what they felt school board members… More
In Search of Salvation
He stood about six feet but weighed, at most, 110 pounds. His face was so emaciated that you could see nearly every bone. The few remaining teeth he had… More