PEN America Statement on Canceling of Cultural Events, Amid War
“PEN America objects to the cancellation of book and cultural events, awards and promotions because of viewpoints and narratives that have become contentious in the context of the war… More
PEN America: What’s at Stake in Book Banning Movement Is ‘Traditions of Freedom and Democracy for Us All’
PEN America's Jonathan Friedman testified that what's at stake in book ban movement is "Whether we can live in a diverse society that upholds our traditions of freedom and… More
Amid Campus Protests Over Israel-Hamas War, Students Should Not Face Punishment for Speaking Out
PEN America’s senior manager of free expression, Kristen Shahverdian, made the following comments: "Universities have an obligation to protect the free speech rights of their students. It would be… More
Scholastic Urged to Explore Other Options Instead of Limiting or Partitioning Diverse Book Titles At School Book Fairs
Despite the challenges of this climate, we call on Scholastic to explore other solutions so they can reject any role in accommodating these nefarious laws and local pressures, or… More
PEN America Criticizes U.S. Human Rights Record (Update Oct 16, 2023)
PEN America submitted a report to the United Nations Committee on Civil and Political Rights, criticizing the human rights record of the United States on free expression, discrimination, and… More
Doxxing of Harvard Students is a Threat to Free Expression, Says PEN America.
Kristen Shahverdian, PEN America’s senior manager of free expression and education, said: “Exposing students’ private information and intimidating them into silence is an undeniable threat to freedom of expression.… More
Guidance on Campus Free Speech, Amid Controversies and Protests Related to Israel and Gaza
Students, faculty, and staff can refer to PEN America’s Campus Free Speech Guide and Online Harassment Field Manual for further reading, resources, and practical advice. More
PEN America Responds to Texas Decision to Roll Back “Approved Vendor” Policy in Prisons
Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project, said: “Any effort to limit literacy and access to information is censorship, which should not be the mechanism prisons use… More
PEN America Welcomes Bill to Hold Foreign Governments Accountable When They Trample on the Rights of Dissidents Living in the U.S.
“Writers and artists around the world face continued threats to their safety by regimes seeking to force them into silence. Transnational repression compounds these threats, menacing the exiled and… More
“Shocking Overreaction” as School District in California Closes Libraries to Hunt for Sexual Content After Complaint
“The decision by Superintendent Rankins-Ibarra to halt all school library services in the Escondido Union School District following “the discovery” of one book alleged to be “sexually explicit” is… More