Rising Restrictions on Artistic Freedom in Africa Linked to Political Crises, Flawed Elections and Covid
“Over the last few years in Africa, we have witnessed disturbing attacks on artists from around the continent, accompanied by widespread and pernicious efforts to dampen the right to… More
Jenny Holzer Art Installation to Light Up Rockefeller Center Buildings with Prose in Celebration of PEN America’s 100th Birthday, Starting Wed., 9/14
The outdoor installation, titled SPEECH ITSELF, will include quotes from more than 60 authors in a visual tribute to the right to express ourselves freely. Among the authors whose… More
Artist Jenny Holzer to Light Up Rockefeller Center in Tribute to PEN America’s 100 Years of Defending Free Expression
Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, said: “Because her work reifies and celebrates words, there could not be an artist more fitting to celebrate PEN America’s centenary than the… More
The PEN Pod: Fighting for Artistic Freedom in Myanmar with Karin Deutsch Karlekar and Bart Was Not Here
“It’s really striking to see the degree to which writing is at the heart of what we are debating about. . . . we are seeing just… More
A Story of Two Brains
“That’s what artists do: We imagine possibilities. . . . But the thing is, sometimes we get it wrong.” More
Cuban Rapper El Radikal Released on Bail
After 40 days of detention, Cuban rapper Richard Adrián Zamora Brito, known as El Radikal, was released last Friday on bail. More
Cracking Down on Creative Voices: Turkey’s Silencing of Writers, Intellectuals, and Artists Five Years After the Failed Coup
PEN America outlines the legal mechanisms that the Turkish government has used to silence writers, activists, artists, academics, and creative professionals. More
Trial of Russian Artist Charged With “Disseminating Pornography” Begins
A Russian feminist artist and LGBTQIA+ activist is being tried this week on charges of disseminating pornography for her artwork that depicts nude bodies. More
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
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More book purging in FLORIDA https://twitter.com/FLFreedomRead/status/1620457139272814593
DeSantis' "disturbing pattern of silencing Black voices and aggressive attempts to erase Black history is one of the most visible examples of performative white supremacy since the presidency of Donald Trump"—@JNelsonLDF
#BlackHistoryMonth Read free: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/31/opinion/ron-desantis-black-history.html?unlocked_article_code=ihVqWDErMhDhg6k3c2neR43rmBDQJ-ZGYT0K4vIFW1656Ol0iuuZCoNguhERybhjjHxY_on_saXa1h9dkfw4PMDyAPhEB81Z2MpF4xFhXcbJwvM3ob4crJCqdCgSJqnNfCO6oS-22DixWt6x8kbeIm5sTyHf_GuWD9-Z0qQ1WQNc1xI8CWRh9RZWEiM_VppdwfREB89x9Hw6BWDN-Srt5ATsifYAGobICcqo3HRKlmhVrGEsAWrxXhQ-GJpCUKKAt5ClgarNNHZl6yQ8wQ26Y6UQ5HIuR4kR-0CMl0d3rx1RpK92k07qb6HFWf07qSe8morMKPioGBNgZFVkqtJA7AHGwro&smid=share-url
On Feb 14, 6-7 pm, Brooklyn Public Library @BKLYNlibrary will be screening "The Satanic Verses: 30 Years On", a documentary about the controversy surrounding @SalmanRushdie's 1988 novel and the freedom of speech debate it sparked. Sign up: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/litfilm-2023-satanic-central-library-dweck-20230214