PEN America Applauds Congressional Resolutions Condemning Book Bans and Affirming the Right to Free Expression in Schools
"Book bans are a blatant affront to free expression, the lifeblood of our democracy,” said Nadine Farid Johnson, managing director of PEN America Washington and Free Expression Programs. “Encroachments… More
New Report: 2,500+ Book Bans Across 32 States During 2021-22 School Year
“While we think of book bans as the work of individual concerned citizens, our report demonstrates that today's wave of bans represents a coordinated campaign to banish books being… More
Virginia State Judge Affirms First Amendment Rights in Ruling on Obscenity Lawsuit Targeting Books
“This decision is a victory for our Constitution and the vast majority of Americans who believe in preserving a free society and unfettered access to literature. The open exchange… More
Removal of 327 Books with LGBTQ+ Themes by TN School District Is “Heartbreaking” Censorship
Jeremy C. Young, senior manager of free expression and education programs at PEN America, said in response to the news: “This is a heartbreaking case of administrative censorship and… More
Florida School District Slaps Stigmatizing and Alarming Warning Labels on Books Deemed “Unsuitable” for Children
Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at PEN America, said in response: “This alarming development is just the latest in an onslaught of attacks against students’… More
Ban on 52 Books in Largest Utah School District is a Worrisome Escalation of Censorship
“This is a concerning escalation of the book banning we saw last school year. Elected officials and attorneys general are now easing and encouraging banning, facilitating the fulfillment of… More
Protest Over Books by Amazon Workers Was “Counterproductive” By Silencing Celebrants at a Pride Month Event
“Workers at Amazon have a right to protest the sale of books they find objectionable. But doing so at a company event celebrating the start of Pride Month through… More
PEN America Calls Restriction of 400 Books in Texas Predictable, Unfortunate
Today, PEN America denounced North East ISD, one of the largest school districts in Texas, for removing more than 400 books for review while responding to a request from… More
The PEN Pod: On Book Bans with George M. Johnson
“I’m proud that they’re trying to stop my truth in many ways. I can’t be intimidated. I mean, I put my story out there for the world to see,… More
PEN America Denounces Texas House Committee’s Investigation into School Districts’ Books on Race, Sexuality, and Gender
The investigation comes at a time when books addressing these issues are being challenged in schools across Texas. More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?
PEN America On 
SCOTUS has agreed to hear #GonzalezVGoogle and #TwitterVTaamneh. Both cases concern whether tech companies could be held legally liable for what users post on their platforms, as well as for content that users see because of the platform’s algorithm. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/supreme-court-agrees-hear-cases-social-media-immunity-section-230_n_633b15efe4b02816452c84f6
Stacks! I got to speak in a library in WI today about book bans, and took a quick perusal of the shelves. So many titles from ban lists! Kind of shocking to think of all the libraries pulling these books all over the country. How do they fill the gaps? #FreeTheBooks #FReadom
While some states are trying to prohibit universities from teaching about the history of racism, @EddieRCole writes, "these attacks are not new and, like today, limitations placed on academic freedom have a history long rooted in racism." https://www.washingtonpost.com/made-by-history/2022/10/03/limiting-academics-freedom-tell-truth-about-racism-is-not-new/