PEN Pals: Nikki Grimes and Padma Venkatraman Discuss Challenged Books
“I created my [Dyamonde Daniel book] series so that emerging Black readers would see themselves represented in that genre.” More
The PEN Pod: The Other Black Girl with Zakiya Dalila Harris
“I’d always wanted to be a writer before working in publishing. . . . I was also feeling fatigued as the only Black woman on my floor and in… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Brian Broome
“I’m trying to tell the truth every chance I get. Storytelling in front of an audience has become a big part of that.” More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Hanif Abdurraqib
“I’ve needed stories as a way to keep loved ones alive, as a way to contextualize histories, as a way to push back against things I was told to… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Renée Watson
“Writing from a true place for me is more about creating stories that resonate with my readers so that even if they’ve never been in that particular circumstance, they… More
Celebrating Debuts from Black LGBTQIA+ Authors: A Pride Month Reading List
This reading list, which aims to amplify the voices of recently debuted Black queer writers, establishes a foundation for how we might reimagine the future. 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
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Entertainment Weekly (@EW) asked LGBTQ authors to pick books by other queer authors that bring them joy. https://ew.com/books/lgbtq-books-queer-joy-celebrating-art/
What are the 25 most influential New York novels published between 1921 and 2021? @nytimes judges share their top picks, including PEN America president @ayadakhtar’s HOMELAND ELEGIES! https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/t-magazine/new-york-city-novels-books.html
Is it true that since K-12 teachers don’t have free speech rights in the classroom, educational gag orders don’t raise any Constitutional concerns? Here are 5 popular myths about educational gag orders debunked by PEN America: https://bit.ly/3n9QviZ.
