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Jeanie Austin and Patricia Prewitt: An Interview
She described her day, emphasized the importance incarcerated people place on books, and emphatically asked that ALA not forget about incarcerated people. More
Forbidden Knowledge
History warns us of the dangers of banning books, but the effects of information control on imprisoned women are intimate and profound. More
Prison Book Bans, Protect Mass Incarceration
I resist the dehumanization that prisons create, which is further maintained by unjust censorship. More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with the 2022 Emerging Voices Fellows
Identity can serve as a type of complex shorthand. It gives us the power to declare ourselves to the world, but it can also flatten and politicize us in… More
Court in India Urged to Release Writer Vernon Gonsalves, as His Health Worsens
“The continued detention of Vernon Gonsalves puts his life at imminent risk and stems from arbitrary accusations which have yet to be proven, while he has languished for years… More
PEN America Calls for the Immediate Acquittal and Release of Mongolian Activist Munkhbayar Chuluundorj Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Protesting China-Mongolia Relations
“The harsh and unjust verdict in Munkhbayar Chuluundorj’s trial is a grave violation of the fundamental right to free expression,” says Liesl Gerntholtz, director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to… More
New Financial Help to Sustain Ukraine Artists, as War Tears Apart Their Creative Practice
Julie Trebault, ARC director, said: “The war in Ukraine has torn apart the lives of Ukrainians, including many artists, who, despite the brutality, have lent their talent and courage… More
Jenny Holzer Art Installation to Light Up Rockefeller Center Buildings with Prose in Celebration of PEN America’s 100th Birthday, Starting Wed., 9/14
The outdoor installation, titled SPEECH ITSELF, will include quotes from more than 60 authors in a visual tribute to the right to express ourselves freely. Among the authors whose… More
Today’s Book Bans Might Be More Dangerous Than Those From the Past
Bans are targeting books that young Americans want to read, not texts that a teacher tells them they must. More
Concern Raised Over Censorship Threat Against Netflix, Disney from Saudi Arabia, Gulf Neighbors
“These calls are unfortunately no surprise coming from regimes all too accustomed to censoring the stories and ideas their own citizens can access. But their attempt to inflict that… More