News & Analysis
The latest news and analysis from PEN America’s research and advocacy.
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Press Releases • Commentary
Derrick Barnes Calls Canceling School Visits Cowardly
Award-winning author Derrick Barnes’ school visits to Alabama were canceled after the superintendent called him a “controversial guy.” More
PEN America Decries Another Attempt by Georgia to Deny Entry to Russian Journalist
“The decision to deny Filipp Dzyadko entry to Georgia raises serious questions about Georgia’s space for free media and expression,” said PEN America's Eurasia and Advocacy Director Polina Sadovskaya. More
Forcibly Expelled, Stripped of Their Citizenship and Deported to the U.S., Nicaraguan Writers and Artists Face “Fear and Uncertainty”
“We are relieved that these individuals are no longer behind bars after being unjustly detained by the Ortega government. However, we are deeply concerned that they were deported against… More
Closure of Exhibit on Diversity and Civil Rights at Florida College, as Some Items Are Deemed “Offensive,” Sends the Wrong Message About Higher Ed and its Values, PEN America Says
(NEW YORK)– PEN America today said objections made over pieces of art in an exhibit at the State College of Florida—that led organizers to cancel it— were “clearly political… More
Arbitrary Arrests of Six Artists and Activists in Cuba Strike at Silencing Dissent and Curtailing Artistic Freedom
“The arbitrary arrests of multiple young members of Cuba’s artistic community are part of a broader systematic effort to silence dissent and to curtail artistic freedom in the island,”… More
The Most Banned Picture Books of the 2021-2022 School Year
These are the most banned picture books of the 2021-2022 school year. Several are nonfiction, including histories of civil rights and gay pride. Others are lighthearted fiction about animals… More
PEN America Condemns Prison Summons Issued to Reza Khandan, Husband to Prominent Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh
(NEW YORK)—In response to the news that Reza Khandan--the husband of prominent human rights lawyer, writer, and PEN America 2011 Freedom to Write honoree Nasrin Sotoudeh--has been summoned to prison… More
Plan to Digitize Mail at NYC’s Rikers Island Prison Would Affect Books, Too
By Moira Marquis Being poor and unable to afford bail in New York can be a death sentence. The vast majority of people who died on Rikers Island prison in… More
PEN America Calls on Algeria to Release Journalist Mustapha Bendjema from Detention
“By arresting journalists and shuttering human rights organizations and independent media outlets, the Algerian government is signaling that it is doubling down on repression instead of allowing the Algerian… More
Florida Book Bans: Why Are There Empty Shelves in Florida Schools?
You may have seen pictures of empty bookshelves in Florida classrooms, or heard about book bans across the state. What’s happening now is that new laws passed last year in… More