Barack Obama Receives 2020 PEN America Voice of Influence Award, Re-Embraces His Identity as a Writer
“My politics, my public life, and my more interior writing life have never been that far apart," More
“James Baldwin Didn’t Have to Go Out and Get Votes.” Obama Reflects on Race, Dialogue, and Disinformation in PEN America Interview
In an interview with PEN America, President Obama reflects on race, dialogue, and disinformation as the country confronts a new political future. More
PEN America to Confer Voice of Influence Award on President Barack Obama
“As an organization of writers, we have always seen President Obama not just as a leader, but as one of us: an author.” More
PEN America to Honor Darnella Frazier, Young Woman Who Documented George Floyd’s Murder
“With nothing more than a cell phone and sheer guts, Darnella changed the course of history in this country, sparking a bold movement demanding an end to systemic anti-Black… More
2020 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award: Xu Zhiyong
PEN America bestows its 2020 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award on detained Chinese essayist and activist Xu Zhiyong. More
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DYK: In the 2021-22 school year 317 PICTURE BOOKS were banned. Most feature a protagonist of color or characters who reflect the LGBTQ+ experience. Many are nonfiction, including histories of civil rights & gay pride. Many are books about animals or babies https://pen.org/banned-picture-books-2022/
Keeping it 💯 at 100. #BannedBooks #FreeTheBooks
Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Ban Books - PEN America https://pen.org/report/banned-usa-growing-movement-to-censor-books-in-schools/