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Lily La Tigresse: A Melodrama
Sometimes I see less significant people too—girlfriends, high school teachers, men I once went to bed with. A few days ago, for example, I clearly saw Bruria Zimmel, who… More
Time Together
I was hardly proud that my son had somehow pulled off the incredible feat of impregnating some random girl while still tethered to me umbilically. Obviously. I mean, my… More
Music Doesn’t Want Me
For my work and worship I was rewarded / With secondhand inspirations / But they felt new to me, / Mysterious and timely. More
Writer and Human Rights Lawyer Muharrem Erbey Released After More Than Four Years in Pre-trial Detention
Upon his release, Muharrem Erbey thanked all PEN members who sent letters and postcards. "Those messages were tremendously important to me; they were what kept me going." More
PEN American Center Defies Chinese Government, Brings Ai Weiwei to New York
Nearly 200 writers, artists, and activists joined PEN American Center at Brooklyn Public Library last night to protest the Chinese government’s relentless efforts to undermine free expression. More
Concerto for Jerusalem
For so long I’ve begged bread to criticize salt. Many times, I’ve heard people ask me, whispering, “Why is death always late in Jerusalem, … More
Mapping Metaphors to Fight Surveillance
Over 62 days, PEN analyzed the use of metaphors in surveillance news coverage. We found that there is rich thematic diversity in the types of metaphors that are used,… More
Ilham Tohti on His Concerns Before His Detention
There is a lot of tension around here. In the past few days, I have been under constant surveillance by police vehicles and national security police officers. I have… More