Monthslong Campaign of “Baseless Claims and Conspiracy Theories” May Lead to Shutdown of VA Library
Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read program director at PEN America, said: “What is happening in Front Royal, Virginia should serve as a wake up call for anyone who cares… More
A Year After Assault on Salman Rushdie, PEN America is Heartened by His “Full Force” Return as a Free Expression Champion
A week after the unthinkable assault at a bucolic intellectual retreat center in upstate New York, we were heartened by the outpouring of support for Salman when PEN America… More
Withholding Funds for Palestinian Students is Effort to Entrench a “Separate and Unequal” System Depriving Palestinians of Rights
The Israeli government’s proposed laws concerning Palestinian access to education come amid a broader right-wing legislative push, which has resulted in unprecedented protests throughout Israel this year. This push… More
New PEN America White Paper: The Human Spark That Drives Creativity Must be Safeguarded As Potential Threats Loom from Artificial Intelligence
“Generative AI and automated tools represent a sea change in how artists, journalists, and writers create, interact with, and disseminate content, and how the public understands and consumes it.… More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression This Week
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 on Drag Story Hour Shutting Down Miami Chapter: A “Sadly Predictable” Outcome Due to Anti-LGBTQ Laws in Florida
"Florida’s state-endorsed censorship disrupts the power of art to cultivate connection and unjustly vilifies the LGBTQ community. Free expression in Florida is under threat—and the impact won’t just remain… More
In Christian Evangelical Web Designer Case, PEN America Voices Concern that Supreme Court Ruling Overlooks Risk of Legitimizing Unlawful Discrimination in the Name of Religious Freedom
"As a free expression organization, PEN America stands against efforts to censor speakers on the basis of viewpoint or to compel speech. When a business entity offering a public… More
PEN America Calls Supreme Court Decision in Counterman v. Colorado an “Important and Necessary Protection for Free Expression”
“Nevertheless,” Ruane said, “we would have preferred a more speech-protective standard than the one announced today for true threats. The recklessness standard, appropriate for a stalking case or other… More