Call for Indiana University to Reinstate Professor After Suspension for Event with Israeli-American Writer-Activist
Jonathan Friedman, PEN America’s director of the Free Expression and Education team, said: “It’s difficult to see this as anything but an extreme overreaction. While the university was right… More
Journalists Single Out Extremism as a Topline Concern Ahead of 2024
A year ago, PEN America published Hate in the Headlines: Journalism and the Challenge of Extremism, a report examining the blurring line between right-wing and antidemocratic extremism and U.S.… More
In Win For Free Expression, Judge Rules Lawsuit Challenging Escambia County, FL Book Bans Can Move Forward
Katie Blankenship, director of PEN America’s Florida office, issued the following statement: “Today, we urged the court to vindicate the Constitutional rights of students, parents, authors and publishers. We are… More
Oral Arguments Set for 1/10 on Groundbreaking Federal Lawsuit Challenging Book Bans in Florida
Katie Blankenship, PEN America’s Florida director, said: “School libraries are not state propaganda centers. They are meant to be sites of inquiry, where students can encounter a diverse range… More
Artist-Activist Ai Weiwei in Conversation with Author and Cultural Critic Mira Jacob on 1/23 in New York City
From personal experience as an artist who has been persecuted for criticizing the state, Ai Weiwei has a deep understanding of why creative and free expression matters so deeply. More
Tenure Review for Former Chancellor of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Who was Fired Should be Halted
Kristen Shahverdian, senior manager of free expression and education at PEN America, said: “Professors are allowed to have private lives – and private speech. While a Board of Regents… More
Nearly 700 books, including celebrity bestsellers, banned in Orange County, Florida
Nearly 700 books, including recent bestsellers by Jon Stewart and Amy Poehler and classics by Maya Angelou, Ovid, and Marcel Proust, were removed from classrooms in Orange County, Florida,… More
Even in Times of War, Art Must Not be Canceled
Amid rising antisemitism and anti-Muslim bigotry around the world, artists are facing intensified scrutiny for expressing their opinions, including on social media. In response, galleries and art institutions in… More
PEN America Expands Support to Children’s Books Authors, with Rising Book Bans
“The banning of books is continuing to take a toll on authors, students, and families,” said Kasey Meehan, program director, Freedom to Read at PEN America. “It’s vital that… More
101-Year-Old Grace Linn: ‘Banning Books and Burning Books Are the Same’
Others protesting book bans have held up signs in protest. Grace Linn held up a quilt. The 101-year-old talked to PEN America about the importance of spreading the word… More