U.S. House Probe of Harvard U Should be Carried Out with “Great Restraint,” Respect for Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy
“This investigation is turning into a fishing expedition,” said Jeremy Young, director, Freedom to Learn program at PEN America. “The charges of antisemitism at Harvard are serious and demand… More
Florida Flag Law Would Chill Free Expression in Schools and Colleges, If Passed
In response to the bill, Katie Blankenship, director of PEN America Florida, said: “This vague bill will chill personal and political expression in our K-12 schools and universities,” said… More
PEN America Applauds Reintroduction of the Saving Local News Act
“The retreat of local news across the country has starved Americans of information necessary for effective democratic citizenship,” said Interim Washington Director Hadar Harris. “By easing news organizations’ ability… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of February 5
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
Quiet Rewrite of Barnard College Policy Appears to be an Effort to Suppress Speech
“The swift rollout of these new website policies, without faculty consultation, makes plain that they are a response to pro-Palestinian speech that someone wanted to suppress,” said Jonathan Friedman,… More
Missouri Candidate Turns Flamethrower on LGBTQ-Themed Books
Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge and Marke Bieschke was among the books torched. Belge said: "LGBTQ teens are vulnerable and antics like this only… More
New Effort by Florida Lawmakers to Undermine Press Freedom is an Attack on Democracy Itself
Katie Blankenship, director of PEN America’s Florida office, said: “These bills seek to instill fear in journalists and their sources, chilling constitutionally protected speech. HB 757 and SB 1780… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of January 29
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 Statement on the Disruption of a Los Angeles Book Event by Protests
Allison Lee, Los Angeles director of PEN America said, “PEN America is a big tent organization that values, supports, and creates dialogue, including among writers who hold wide-ranging points… More
‘The Color Purple’ and 30 Other Banned and Challenged Books You Should Be Watching
Dozens of banned and challenged books have been adapted for the screen, and while they aren’t all Oscar nominees, many are as beloved as the books. More