The PEN Pod: On White Supremacy and Immigration with Jean Guerrero
“How does the descendant of Jewish refugees, how does that person end up crafting Trump’s harshest rhetoric and policies targeting people fleeing violence and persecution?” More
The PEN Pod: Finding Inspiration in History with Maaza Mengiste
“What writers and novelists force us to do in the work is to pause. . . And if there’s anything that COVID has made me consider, it’s how we… More
The PEN Pod: Unpacking American Myths with Francisco X. Stork
“Books become just more powerful, when they are born out of. . . inner necessity. For me, it’s important to write with young characters, just because it’s a time… More
The PEN Pod: On Race, Place, and Belonging with Sejal Shah
“I’m certainly thinking about kinship. . . What do we owe our neighbors and fellow humans. . . for whom to be alive is a risk?” More
The PEN Pod: Challenging Our Paradigms with Julia Alvarez
“What [reading] asks of us is to become the other, to become someone else. And those are the same muscles that we use when we’re activists for social justice.“ More
DREAMing Out Loud Anthology Centers Undocumented Voices
"These essays reflect the anxieties and traumas confronting an entire generation of would-be Americans, who are part of the tapestry of American life in all but documentation." More
The PEN Pod: How We Write Our Survival with Lisa Ko
“Even when the future does feel uncertain, like right now, it feels important to. . . imagine a future for ourselves as well as our characters.” More
The PEN Pod: Claiming Ourselves Through Language with Jose Antonio Vargas
“There’s an emerging narrative around what it means to claim ourselves as people. . . Writing, for me, as an undocumented person was the only place where I was… More
Decision to Halt Green Cards a Devastating Blow to International Exchange of Ideas
"This decision demonstrates a disturbing disregard and, frankly, disgust for international voices and cultures in American society." More
The PEN Pod: It’s a Magnificent Time to Be a Writer with Parnaz Foroutan
“I think our stories can show that human beings have courage and they are resilient and that hope is a key factor in surviving this period. And the stories… More
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As we approach #BannedBooksWeek, PEN America is dedicated to fighting against censorship. Make your gift and support the #FreedomToWrite today. https://bit.ly/3i1gy6F
Political rhetoric from Trump & the US AG is trickling down, bolstering federal prosecutorial efforts to build a national police power and to impose extreme penalties on protesters. Penalties for First Amendment activity have risen since Trump took office. https://www.npr.org/2020/09/27/917424823/critics-say-federal-prosecutors-are-pushing-the-envelope-with-protest-charges