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Streets of Pittsburgh
When I was twenty-two, a small design firm in Pittsburgh hired me to make maps. That I had landed such excellent employment despite being a college dropout with no… More
Translator Arrested
Literary translator Mohammad Soleimani Nia has been held without charge since January 10, 2012. The reason for his detention is not known. More
President Obama Presents National Humanities Medal to PEN President Anthony Appiah
President Barack Obama presented the 2011 National Humanities Medal to PEN President Kwame Anthony Appiah today. Established in 1997, the National Humanities Medal honors individuals or groups whose work… More
PEN Appeal: Enoh Meyomesse
February 10, 2012 President Paul Biya Fax: +237 22 22 08 70 Hon. Minister of Justice Amadou Ali Ministry of Justice Yaoundé Cameroon Fax: +237 22 23 00 05 Prime Minister Mr. Philemon Yang Fax: +237 22 23… More
Fears for Writer Hamza Kashgari After Extradition
Writer Hamza Kashgari, who has been extradited to Saudi Arabia to face blasphemy charges, fled to Malaysia on February 7, 2012, after he received death threats following statements he… More
The U.S. Torture Program in Drama and Dialogue
What is the connection between theater, democracy, and human rights? I’m a playwright who has struggled with these issues for 30 years... I came to feel I had to… More
Coup Charges Against Writer Dropped; Still Faces Military Tribunal
The coup charges against writer and political activist Enoh Meyomesse have been dropped, but there remains deep concern that he still faces trial before a military tribunal on charges… More
Splintering in Time Through Image: A Conversation with Amber Flora Thomas
What keeps me writing is what I’ve learned about the poem. The poem, for me, represents this very structured lens for life; it is has the ability to house… More
Majestic Interlude
The rainy season is a league away traveling / at the speed of an era. The cloud formation / does not dissolve as I remove my eyes / from… More
A “Campaign of Genocide” in Syria
This morning, Christopher Merrill of the International Writing Program in Iowa sent PEN a translation of a letter by Syrian novelist Khaled Khalifa imploring the world to help end… More