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.
- PEN America condemned the horrific killing of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk at a college campus in Utah. “Political violence has no place in our democracy, and campuses must be safe spaces for dialogue across a wide range of political views. Ideas must be met with debate and not bullets.” Read the full statement here. Jonathan Friedman, Sy Syms Managing Director of U.S. Free Expression Programs, was quoted in The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Associated Press.
- PEN America said that the firing of faculty and removal of academic heads at Texas A&M University, following pressure from Republican lawmakers, over a children’s literature course signals the death of academic freedom in Texas. “This is a dangerous turning point, with higher education being weaponized for political ends rather than being a forum for open and respectful exchange,” Friedman said. Read the full press release here. Read the coverage in The New York Times here, the AP here, Inside Higher Ed here, the Austin American-Statesman here, and Higher Ed Dive here.
- PEN America is proud to co-present the Eleanor Roosevelt Awards for Bravery in Literature on October 11, celebrating 11 writers including Margaret Atwood. “Mrs. Roosevelt was an icon— an activist, humanitarian, our longest serving first lady, and the force behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At her core, she loved books, reading, and ideas,” writes Suzanne Trimel, Senior Advisor, Communications and Media. Read more about Roosevelt’s legacy here. Read more about the event here and buy tickets here.
- PEN America’s senior manager for the Freedom to Learn program, Amy Reid, was quoted in a story by the Chronicle of Higher Education on the faculty firings at Texas A&M University. Read the story here.
- PEN America’s report on state trends in higher education was covered in a story by KERA radio and news, an NPR affiliate in northern Texas. Read it here.
- A PEN America Champion of Higher Education, Robert Scott, wrote an op-ed that appeared in The Long Island Herald and other papers in the region urging trustees to uphold their responsibilities to protect institutional autonomy and warning that L.I. colleges and research programs are especially vulnerable to government overreach. Read the full piece here.
- Another of PEN America’s Champions of Higher Education, Kevin Reilly, wrote an op-ed in Inside Higher Education on the important role trustees play in college and universities. Read it here.
