The PEN Pod: Finding Inspiration in History with Maaza Mengiste
“What writers and novelists force us to do in the work is to pause. . . And if there’s anything that COVID has made me consider, it’s how we… More
The PEN Pod: A Reckoning in Hollywood with Kim Masters
“True power—defined as the ability to get something made because you feel like it, because you think it’s a good idea—is in very few hands.” More
The PEN Pod: Confronting a History of Hate with Seyward Darby
“The alt-right was frequently described as angry white men. . . but it struck me as wrongheaded to assume that women would not be in the movement.” More
The PEN Pod: Challenging Our Paradigms with Julia Alvarez
“What [reading] asks of us is to become the other, to become someone else. And those are the same muscles that we use when we’re activists for social justice.“ More
The PEN Pod: On The Importance of Centering Marginalized Narratives with Jaquira Díaz
“I would hope that they would find in my story that my story was not unique, that so many of us go through this suffering in silence.” More
Black Literature – Past, Present, and Future: A Reading List
This week’s reading list features a mix of classic and contemporary novels, essay collections, and poetry collections from Black authors. More
Toward a More Just World: A PEN America Statement
Bigotry is also an affront to free speech, for when words and acts willfully inflict terror and harm, they subvert open discourse. More
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Don’t miss the last two events in @penamerica’s #PENOutLoud author conversation series—catch Claudia Rankine & @proseb4bros on 9/30, and Marilynne Robinson & @alexanderchee on 10/6. Tickets on sale here: https://bit.ly/3mWvW7Z.
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As we approach #BannedBooksWeek, PEN America is dedicated to fighting against censorship. Make your gift and support the #FreedomToWrite today. https://bit.ly/3i1gy6F