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How She Penetrates
According to family lore, there was a great bonfire in which all of Jane’s possessions perished. Her journals, her clothes, her scrapbooks, her books, her typewriter, her school papers,… More
Realist Fiction
Last night, in a biker bar, I overheard two men discussing what distinguished “realist” fiction from more “experimental” work. Although one shouldn’t generalize, I never expect bikers to be… More
Etgar Keret & George Saunders
I was amazed by your stories, by the quality and quantity of imagination, and the unbelievable overflow of ideas. So I wanted to ask a question that’s probably unfair.… More
Bwana Burton’s Binoculars
“Tell me, Baba Sidi, I’ve never understood, what exactly did you do on that journey?”“Good question.”“You didn’t carry…”“True.”“You didn’t fight…”“True.”“You didn’t cook…”“True.”“You didn’t wash clothes…”“There were others to do… More
The Messiness of Now: A Conversation
Amitava Kumar: There was a man in the nineteenth century who anticipated everything that Ilija was going to do and write, and lived his life accordingly: Richard Francis Burton.… More
Excerpt of The Lion Dreaming
I invented Rome. The new Rome. The Rome where life is sweet, the place people imagine when they hear the name—that was my idea. It was just an idea,… More
Inventing the Past: A Conversation
Suddenly, one day, I felt a certain pleasure, and this pleasure was greater than the sorrow of the therapeutic writing that I was doing. Suddenly I recovered my sense… More
The Acrobat
Palm Springs, California, 18 January 1954Sharpen the blade on the strop fixed to the wall, moisten the soap in the bowl with hot water, remove any loose bristles from… More
Yu Huafeng Released from Prison in China
PEN American Center welcomes the early release of Yu Huafeng, Deputy Editor-in-chief and general manager of the Guangzhou-based daily Nanfang Dushi Bao (Southern Metropolis News). More
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