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The Writer as Activist

May 2, 2010 | powerHouse Arena, 37 Main Street | New York City

With Homero Aridjis, Ariel Dorfman, and Irakli Kakabadze; moderated by Sarah Schulman

Co-sponsored by powerHouse Arena

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Central to PEN’s mission is the belief that writers play significant roles in their societies and in the world, not only as creators, but also as witnesses, critics, visionaries, activists, and gadflys—and at key moments in history, as the voices of conscience. Novelist and playwright Sarah Schulman leads a conversation with acclaimed writers from around the world who have distinguished themselves by their art and by their actions, and who have served at various times as the consciences of their countries. Homero Aridjis, a poet, environmental activist, and former UNESCO chair from Mexico, Ariel Dorfman, the award-winning playwright and novelist from Chile, Irakli Kakabadze, an exile from the Republic of Georgia who teaches peace-building and playwriting in the U.S., come together to explore the essential role writers play as agents of change in the world and why activism is important to each of them.