New Book Examines Why Reading Matters in Americaâs Prisons and How Ordinary Citizens Can Make a Difference
The book is a collection of inspiring stories from the prison book movement and a guide for people who want to swell its ranks. More
The “Swirl of Ideas” that Propels Author Jennifer Egan As She Puts Pen to Paper (Literally)
An occasional blog about the writing process and how writers approach their work. By Suzanne Trimel âWriting improvâ is the way author Jennifer Egan describes how she starts a novel. Egan says:… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of January 29
PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of January 22
PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. More
Oral Arguments Set for 1/10 on Groundbreaking Federal Lawsuit Challenging Book Bans in Florida
Katie Blankenship, PEN Americaâs Florida director, said: âSchool libraries are not state propaganda centers. They are meant to be sites of inquiry, where students can encounter a diverse range… More
Data from Two School Years of Book Banning Show Spread of Copycat Bans and a âScarlet Letterâ Effect for Authors
âBook banners have effectively marked a group of authors with a âscarlet letter,â which has intensified the pace and scope of book banning in schools,â said Kasey Meehan, Freedom… More
Band of Bestselling Authors Stand Against Book Bans in Florida and Nationwide
âWhat PEN America is doing in Florida is very important to us and our neighbors,â said Michael Connelly. âWe have been astonished to see books ripped off the shelves and… More
New PEN America Report Warns Against Canceling Books Due to Outrage
In the report, PEN America cautions publishers against giving in to newly-drawn lines that restrict the space for the writerâs prerogative to imagine and create literature: âIt is imperative… More
Hundreds of Books Targeted for Removal in Iowa School District Over New âAge Appropriateâ Law
âOur letter to Urbandale Community School District signals to district leaders and others across the state that âbroad interpretationsâ of vague laws threaten the freedom to read for students… More
More Than 50 Authors Join PEN America, We Need Diverse Books, and the Florida Freedom to Read Project, in Call to Pinellas County, FL School Officials to Drop Review of 87 Book Titles
Kasey Meehan, director, Freedom to Read project at PEN America, said: âThese books by celebrated authors allow students to see themselves in works of fiction or to gain an… More