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The Black Count
Today, the world is so awash in sugar—it is such a staple of the modern diet, associated with all that is cheap and unhealthy—that it’s hard to believe things… More
An Open Letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron
In light of the most recent revelations on surveillance in the U.K., the U.S., and beyond, PEN American Center joined PEN International, English PEN, PEN Canada, and a host… More
Dawn, Third Shift
so much carnage, joy en bloc / you were struck by scalding water // light without warmth // comfort without pleasure / heaven poured gasoline over // what does… More
The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau
His home is a shabby little studio, where one pot of stew must last the whole week. But every morning he wakes up and smiles at his pictures. More
Gun Dealers’ Daughter
In the chapel, Baroque music played from invisible speakers, and the haunting tones of a sourceless cantata convinced me momentarily of the presence of God. He was there in… More
Poet Aron Atabek Held in Karagandy Detention Center, Still No Contact with Family
PEN International believes that the imprisoned Kazakh poet Aron Atabek is being held in a detention center in Karagandy, and that he has been moved there in order to… More
Back to Court on Surveillance
This past week, The New York Times revealed that the federal government has used evidence gathered by secret surveillance in criminal cases without disclosing the source of the information,… More
Subliminal
He decided to guess who the perpetrator was, even though he had nothing to base his suspicions on, like a poker player going all in with a pair of… More
Like Any Normal Day
While the sport would never be entirely free of peril, the dangers that remained embedded in it called upon young men to prove themselves in ways that no other… More
The PEN Ten with Saïd Sayrafiezadeh
After I eat breakfast I clear off the table and wheel in my ergonomic chair which I have to keep in the bedroom for space reasons. The light is… More
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