Face-to-Face: Confronting the Torturers: A PEN Freedom to Write Event

April 29, 2010 | Joe’s Pub | New York City

With Alina Bronsky, Rodrigo Fresán, Mohsin Hamid, Aleksandar Hemon, Randa Jarrar, Irakli Kakabadze, Elias Khoury, valter hugo mãe, Sofi Oksanen, Peter Schneider

Co-sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union and Joe’s Pub

LISTEN | Download the mp3

CLIPS: Lawrence Weschler | Sofi Oksanen | Mohsin Hamid | Irakli Kakabadze |
Alina Bronsky | valter hugo mãe | Elias Khoury | Rodrigo Fresán |
Aleksandar Hemon| Peter Schneider | Randa Jarrar

The discovery of a subterranean CIA dungeon at a former riding academy in Lithuania, the flight records of thousands of secret U.S. rendition flights, the testimonies of a growing number of released detainees describing their abuse in American custody—as the evidence around the globe mounts that the United States tortured hundreds of captives in the “War on Terror,” people of conscience everywhere are watching to see if those who ordered and carried out the abuse will be held accountable.

Many of those watching are in countries that have successfully confronted their own legacies of torture and human rights abuses. Join us for an evening of readings from documentary and imaginative literature from around the world, in which people have stood face-to-face with their torturers.

 PHOTO GALLERY
• View the photo gallery on Flickr

PEN BLOGS

• Mindy Aloff: “Face to Face: Confronting the Torturers”—streamed on the PEN Web site to audiences worldwide—was a 90-minute, late-night program of readings at Joe’s Pub…[more]

• Lyn Miller-Lachmann: After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the United States government, which in the past often condoned torture on the part of its allies, became like those disreputable allies an active perpetrator of torture. [more]

• Antonio Romani: L’idea è brillante. Invitare scrittori di fama a leggere brani di scrittori poco conosciuti che raccontano esperienze dirette o immaginate di tortura fisica e psicologica. [more]