Works of Justice: An Interview with Writing for Justice Fellow Thomas Bartlett Whitaker
"Within my writings, I am able to take a moral stand against a site and an ideology that I feel to be both overwhelming and inherently broken." More
“We Think in Stories”: A PEN Ten Interview with Namwali Serpell
"We think in stories. It’s so constitutive that 'need' is an understatement. It’s more like blood than water." More
Works of Justice: An Interview with Writing for Justice Fellow Justin Rovillos Monson
"Writing expanded my world at a time when everything felt so small and suffocating. As embarrassingly cliché as it is to say, writing gave me a breadth of hope." More
“A necessary voice on the page”: a PEN Ten Interview with Amber Flora Thomas
"Yes, I do experience this persona. She (generally) is a necessary voice on the page—she gives me distance from experiences I cannot hold in my body any longer." More
Works of Justice: Tim O’Connell on Publishing “Cherry,” Nico Walker’s Acclaimed Debut
In anticipation of the Publishing Power event at Housing Works, we had the pleasure of interviewing Tim O’Connell about his work with author Nico Walker. More
“To Write is to Take Action”: A PEN Ten Interview with Diane Mehta
"To write is to take action, and then you have to follow up your words with deeds—practice kindness, form opinions, stand up for others." More
Works of Justice: Sarah Ross on Art-Making and Incarceration
For our Works of Justice series, we interviewed Sarah Ross, an editor of The Long Term: Resisting Life Sentences, Working Toward Freedom. More
On Writing Fearlessly: A PEN Ten Interview with Lilliam Rivera
"I’m just trying . . . to find joy in the littlest of things—in working with young people, in laughing out loud with my friends, and in writing fearlessly." More
Works of Justice: The Reality Poets on “Wheeling and Healing”
PEN America Prison & Justice Writing Program intern Lisa Nishimura speaks with the Open Doors' Reality Poets on their forthcoming book, Wheeling & Healing. More
Works of Justice: Kyle Swenson on Justice and Wrongful Incarceration
PEN America Prison and Justice Writing Program intern Lisa Nishimura speaks with investigative journalist Kyle Swenson on his book, Good Kids, Bad City. More