PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression This Week
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
Scholar-Author Imani Perry on Listening Deeply, Turning 50, Writing About Historical Atrocities and Being a Mother
Prize-Winning Author of South to America is featured speaker in finale of Birmingham Reads, PEN Birmingham’s collective reading experience of her book. More
PEN America Calls on Cooper Union to Reopen an Exhibit on the Legacy of Vkhutemas, a Design School Shuttered by Joseph Stalin
Kristen Shahverdian, senior manager of free expression and education, released the following comments: “Cooper Union’s decision to halt the opening of Vkhutemas: Laboratory of the Avant-Garde, 1920–1930 raises serious questions… More
Suspension of Virtual Library App by CA’s Orange Unified School District Is An Overreaction and Sets a Worrisome Precedent
Allison Lee, managing director of PEN America’s Los Angeles office, released the following comments: “The decision to immediately remove access to thousands of books for students due to a few… More
PEN America supports challenge to DeSantis’ ‘Stop WOKE’ law
PEN America filed an Amicus brief in Honeyfund v. DeSantis, saying the law had a “profound chilling effect,” not only on employers like Honeyfund, but on educators across the… More
FL Governor DeSantis’ Proposals on Higher Education Pose a Grave Threat to Academic Freedom and Free Speech at Public Colleges and Universities
Jeremy C. Young, senior manager of free expression and education at PEN America, said: “These proposals represent nothing less than an effort to substitute the dictates of elected officials… More
College Board’s Revision of AP African-American Studies Curriculum Dilutes the Course Content in Apparent Capitulation to Censors
Jeremy C. Young, senior manager of free expression and education at PEN America, released the following statement: "Coming in the current political climate, the proposed changes appear to be an… More
Oklahoma teacher is still fighting book bans, now from Brooklyn
Summer Boismier lost her job after she gave students a QR code to the Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned project. Now she’s helping teens fight book bans. More
Salman Rushdie’s New Novel Turns a Spotlight On the Enduring Power of Stories
The publication of a new novel by Salman Rushdie is always a high point on the literary calendar and Victory City, due out Feb. 7, brings added celebration, joy,… More
PEN America: Arrest of Protesters in Georgia on Broad and Vaguely-Worded ‘Domestic Terrorism’ Charges Could Chill the Right to Protest
“News that Governor Kemp and law enforcement in Georgia are arresting protesters on charges of ‘domestic terrorism’ is deeply concerning and could have wide-reaching chilling impacts on the right… More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?
PEN America On 
Join us 6:30pm ET on Feb 9 for an exclusive online event as two global stars of the book world, @MargaretAtwood and @neilhimself, chaired by @EricaWgnr, join forces to celebrate @SalmanRushdie’s literary genius and discuss his new novel #VictoryCity: https://pen.org/event/celebrating-salman-rushdies-victory-city/
Had a blast @PENamerica LA’s New Year New Books party! 📚
Thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate New Year New Books in Los Angeles last night at #seankellylosangeles!
See the full album on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/penamericancenter/sets/72177720305736341/
#losangeles #writers #literarycommunity #events