Kate Ruane Joins PEN America as Inaugural Sy Syms Director, U.S. Free Expression Programs
(WASHINGTON)-- PEN America, the free expression and literary advocacy organization, today announced the appointment of Kate Ruane as the inaugural Sy Syms Director, U.S. Free Expression programs. Ruane joins… More
Letter to the Burbank Unified School District
PEN America urges the Burbank Unified School District to rescind its policy which prohibits any instructional materials with the "N-word'' from being used as mandatory reading. More
Educational Gag Order Proposals Spike by 250% in 2022, PEN America Reports
“Our report documents in alarming detail the threats to how young people learn and are taught in American schools,” said Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer of PEN America. “Lawmakers… More
Order to Remove Dozens of Challenged Books in Texas, Including the Bible, Is an Appalling Violation of Students’ Rights
In response to the news, Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs at PEN America, said: "The sweeping attempt to remove these titles from classrooms and libraries… 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
Arizona Law Outlawing Recording of Police Threatens Basic Constitutional Rights
"Arizona's new law threatens fundamental constitutional rights, and the ability of the public to hold public servants to account. In 2020, a recording of the Minneapolis police's murder of… More
Fireproof Edition of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale Sells for $130,000 at Auction, with Proceeds to Benefit PEN America
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said: “We are thrilled and grateful to Margaret for her wondrous idea to support our fight against this unprecedented and spreading censorship. This imaginative… More
Open Letter to the School Board of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
PEN America urges the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District not to pass the “Resolution Opposing the Teaching of Critical Race Theory.” More
Advancement of Ohio Bill Ominous Sign for Protest Rights
(New York, NY) — A proposed state law in Ohio threatens to unduly restrict protest rights and undermine First Amendment freedoms, PEN America warned today. The legislation—HB 109—was voted… More
Alert Us
Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is?
PEN America On 
When it announced its A.P. course, the @CollegeBoard clearly believed it was providing a class whose time had come. After heavy criticism from Gov. DeSantis, it has removed much of the subject matter that had angered the governor and other conservatives. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/01/us/college-board-advanced-placement-african-american-studies.html
I'm in awe of the strength and grace of @MsBoismier_ELA and so grateful I got to interview her about helping students fight book bans. https://twitter.com/PENamerica/status/1620784813719564288
SOUTH TO AMERICA is "an essential meditation on the South, its relationship to American culture—even Americanness itself," wrote Tayari Jones in @nytimes.
Join us for a conversation with @imaniperry at @milescollege 6PM CT Feb 1.
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/birmingham-reads-a-conversation-with-imani-perry-tickets-508100551427 #BlackHistoryMonth