News & Analysis
The latest news and analysis from PEN America’s research and advocacy.
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Press Releases • Commentary
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of Jan. 1
PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. More
U of Wisconsin Should Not Punish Former Chancellor on Faculty for Private Speech
Kristen Shahverdian, senior manager of free expression and education at PEN America, said: “Professors are allowed to have private lives – and private speech. While a Board of Regents… More
Nearly 700 books, including celebrity bestsellers, banned in Orange County, Florida
Nearly 700 books, including recent bestsellers by Jon Stewart and Amy Poehler and classics by Maya Angelou, Ovid, and Marcel Proust, were removed from classrooms in Orange County, Florida,… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of December 18
PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. More
PEN America Expands Support to Children’s Books Authors, with Rising Book Bans
“The banning of books is continuing to take a toll on authors, students, and families,” said Kasey Meehan, program director, Freedom to Read at PEN America. “It’s vital that… More
Bullying on DEI by WI Legislature Threatens Academic Freedom and Free Expression
Jeremy C. Young, Freedom to Learn program director at PEN America, said: “What happened in the Wisconsin system is partisan bullying at its worst. Strong-arming university regents into following… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of December 11
PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. More
PEN America Responds to Rutgers University Decision to Suspend Pro-Palestinian Student Group
“There must be a high bar for suspending student groups for political activity, and without full transparency detailing what specific speech or conduct crossed the line, the students are… More
PEN America Warns of “Unintended Consequences” for Campus Free Speech— Including in Classroom Discussions— in Response to Gov. Hochul’s Letter to Public Colleges on Genocide
“This political directive to discipline people for broad and vaguely defined categories of speech will put pressure on university leaders to censor or punish faculty and students, and may… More
Data from Two School Years of Book Banning Show Spread of Copycat Bans and a “Scarlet Letter” Effect for Authors
“Book banners have effectively marked a group of authors with a ‘scarlet letter,” which has intensified the pace and scope of book banning in schools,” said Kasey Meehan, Freedom… More