PEN Across America
About PEN ACROSS AMERICA
With mounting threats to a free press, breakdowns in civil discourse, and the marginalization of important voices, PEN America has a vital role to play in defending free expression. That’s why we’re engaging PEN America Members and allies across the country to lead efforts to promote informed debate, defend press freedom, engage in literary advocacy, and facilitate dialogue across barriers of all kinds.
Our PEN Across America initiative provides resources to mobilize PEN America communities nationwide to carry forward our mission to defend and celebrate free expression. Chapters in Arizona, Utah, the Piedmont Region of North Carolina, and elsewhere are organizing public forums to debate critical issues, hosting writers for literary conversations, conducting advocacy campaigns, offering workshops on media literacy, storytelling, citizen journalism, and much more.
Find an event in your region below. Don’t see one? Apply for funds to defend press freedom! Interested in starting a PEN America chapter near you? Let us know!
PEN America Chapters
Regional Activity
Recent Events
Recent Events
October 14, 2023 |
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The Holy Days of Gregorio Pasos: A Book Launch/Summer Mixer
July 11, 2023 |
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Meet Your Media: A Celebration of World Press Freedom Day
May 3, 2023 |
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Reproductive Writers: A Night of Free Expression, Fun, and Body Autonomy
January 21. 2023 |
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Band Against the Ban in Arizona
September 18, 2022 |
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Joys of Queerness and The Word: An Indigiqueer Reading
June 25, 2022 |
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October 10, 2017 |
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Presenetation of Digna with Audience Talkback
October 5, 2017 |
Recent Events
Recent Events
Recent Events
Moonrise Over New Jessup: Jamila Minnicks and Jamise Harper
January 10, 2023 |
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D.C. Event: Combatting Disinformation that Suppress the Vote in Black Communities
September 28, 2022 |
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Let’s Get Organized: Fighting Book Bans Together
September 24, 2022 |
Recent Events
Recent Events
Recent Events
PEN America at the Fall 2022 Augustana Symposium Day October 12, 2022 Rock Island County, IL |
Recent Events
Spirit and Place Festival: The World We Live(d) In |
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Undocumented: Great Lakes Poets Laureate on Social Justice |
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Alabama Story September 28, 2018 Indianapolis, IN |
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Break Out: Voices from the Inside—Indianapolis September 10, 2018 Indianapolis, IN |
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In the Balance: Press Freedom & The Public Good in The USA Gymnastics Investigation March 22, 2018 Indianapolis, IN |
Recent Events
Our East Kentucky Home: A Community Conversation August 1, 2019 Pikeville, KY |
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Voice For A Free Press December 9, 2018 Newport, KY |
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Ethical Appalachian Reporting: A Community Conversation March 31, 2018 Whitesburg, KY |
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A Community Conversation: Real News, Real Issues, Fake News, Fraudulent News March 27, 2018 Erlanger, KY |
Recent Events
[VIRTUAL] A Conversation with Jarvis DeBerry and Kelly Harris-DeBerry November 19, 2020 |
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Words & Music Festival: NOJO performs “Vengeance” November 23, 2019 New Orleans, LA |
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Words & Music Festival: Journalism and Justice November 22, 2019 New Orleans, LA |
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Words & Music Festival: Joy & Justice November 15 – November 18, 2018 New Orleans, LA |
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Blue House Nola: Mixed Media Project May 25, June 5 2018 New Orleans, LA |
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8 Years of Accountability: Supporting The Lens’ Birthday April 25, 2018 New Orleans, LA |
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Making Connections New Orleans: Media Fellowship Training January 26, February 10, February 17, March 10, 2018 New Orleans, LA Dialogues and media training with journalism, documentary, and photojournalism Fellows, in partnership with Crescent City Media |
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Writers In Community: New Orleans November 10, 2017 New Orleans, LA |
Recent Events
Race In the Public Dialogue: Understanding Criminal Justice Reform November 7, 2019 Boston, MA |
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Boston Book Festival: Activism, Free Expression, and Dissent in Eurasia October 19, 2019 Boston, MA |
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Race In the Public Dialogue: Hate Speech and Free Speech In America Today October 17, 2019 Boston, MA |
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Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret—Boston, MA September 23, 2019 Boston, MA |
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Race in the Public Dialogue: The Power and Presence of Women in the Civil War July 18, 2019 Boston, MA |
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Myth, Fate, and Family October 13, 2018 Boston, MA |
PEN America at the Boston Book Festival October 13, 2018 Boston, MA |
Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret—Boston, MA September 24, 2018 Boston, MA |
South Side Free Press November 2017 – January 2018 Framingham, MA |
Recent Events
Recent Events
March 29, 2023 |
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Solutions Journalism Network: What’s Working In Indian Country? September 18, 2019 Prior Lake, MN |
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Journalism as Storytelling: A Press Freedom Celebration May 11, 2019 Minneapolis, MN |
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Break Out: Voices From the Inside—Minneapolis September 9, 2018 Minneapolis, MN |
Big Ideas: Bunk, Featuring Kevin Young & Marlon James March 19, 2018 Minneapolis, MN |
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Our Stories: Our News: A Conversation About The Power of The Story March 3, 2018 Minneapolis, MN |
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Be the Facts You Wish to Read: A Press Freedom Discussion November 20, 2017 Minneapolis, MN |
Recent Events
Recent Events
Maus, Banned Books, and the First Amendment |
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[VIRTUAL] THIS IS OHIO: THE OVERDOSE CRISIS AND THE FRONT LINES OF A NEW AMERICA BY JACK SHULER September 9, 2020 Cincinnati, OH |
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World Press Freedom Day: Cincinnati, OH May 2, 2019 Cincinnati, OH |
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Press Freedom Cincinnati: A Traveling Tour February 23, 2019 Cincinnati, OH |
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Covering a Crisis: A Conversation With the Writers of Behind “Seven Days of Heroin” February 23, 2018 Cincinnati, OH |
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Literary Activism Workshop Series: Writivism February 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2018 Cincinnati, OH |
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Be the Facts You Wish to Read: A Press Freedom Discussion November 19, 2017 Cincinnati, OH |
Recent Events
Recent Events
Imagining the Future of Oregon’s Local Journalism October 27, 2022 |
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PEN America & Lit Crawl Portland Present: Sample Me November 9, 2018 Pittsburgh, PA |
Recent Events
The Freedom to Read Panel: A Discussion with Sigal Beb-Porath, Kadey Meehan, and Samantha Hull October 5, 2023 |
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January 7, 2023 |
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PEN Presents: Ayad Akhtar and Alexandra Schwartz |
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A Conversation with Chad Sweeney |
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Risk and Reward: Local Journalists Covering the Front Lines of War in Syria and Yemen October 22, 2019 Philadelphia, PA |
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Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret—Philadelphia, PA September 23, 2019 Philadelphia, PA |
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World Press Freedom Celebration Open Mic June 3, 2019 Philadelphia, PA |
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Media & Marginalization – Positively Queer April 24, 2018 Pittsburgh, PA |
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The Bridge February 28 and April 15, 2018 Pittsburgh, PA |
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PEN America Town Hall Meeting In Pittsburgh July 27, 2017 Pittsburgh, PA |
Recent Events
Pressing Concerns: The State of the Free Press in Nashville March 13, 2018 Nashville, TN |
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Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret With Special Guest PEN America September 30, 2017 Murfreesboro, TN |
Recent Events
Recent Events
A Read-In to Celebrate the Freedom to Read January 25, 2023 Salt Lake City, UT |
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Free Speech & Banned Books: A Conversation with Azar Nafisi in Utah September 22, 2022 Salt Lake City, UT |
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David P. Gardner Lecture in Humanities and Fine Arts with Ayad Akhtar March 29, 2022 Salt Lake City, UT |
Recent Events
Best Practices For Journalists Reporting On Domestic & Sexual Violence August 28, 2018 Petersburg, VA |
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Southern Nightmare: The Hunt for the South Side Strangler – Podcast Launch May 2, 2018 Richmond, VA |
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Local Voices Live April 10, 2018 Richmond, VA |
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WRIR Presents: Women in Audio RVA January 27, 2018 Richmond, VA |
Meet Our Team
William Johnson
Program Director, PEN Across America
Andrew White
Senior Manager, PEN Across America
Sabrina Adams
Program Manager, PEN Across America
With special thanks to the supporters of this program: