The PEN Ten with Megan Abbott
"The big issues of life are explored in crime fiction because so much is laid bare there. They are about loss, guilt, survival—everything that matters." More
The PEN Ten with Emily St. John Mandel
I sometimes used to describe my time in Montreal as an unmitigated catastrophe, but that was untrue. I got a novel out of it. More
The PEN Ten with Maxwell Neely-Cohen
I think that publishers and editors have a great deal of responsibility, but I’m not sure that writers do. Write the best book you possibly can. That’s it. More
The PEN Ten with Forrest Gander
Is the conscience the soul’s surveillance of the self? When are observations neutral? Does a writer, even without knowing, intend to “use” observations for the benefit of the writing… More
The PEN Ten with Peter von Ziegesar
Writing about my family in a memoir was about as daring as it gets ... I was sure that when the book came out I was going to be… More
The PEN Ten with Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo
Fidel Castro as the measure of all things. Why is it that no Latin American writer, after almost a century of tradition with the so-called “novels of the dictator,”… More
Thai Freedom: We Can’t Breathe
He was speaking in code, of course, as many Thais do when discussing Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code that states: “Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King,… More
Hairy Bacon and Digital Censorship in China: an Interview with Jason Q. Ng
Why is the term hairy bacon banned online in China? We spoke with the author and tech activist to learn more about microblogging, censorship, and what issues to watch… More
The PEN Ten with Michael F. Moore
As an interpreter I’m a bit of a stage mother, pushing the writer or director for whom I’m interpreting to jump into the conversation (Forza! Dai! Sfondi! I whisper).… More
The PEN Ten with Kyle Minor
I wish American writers in general were less anti-intellectual, more interested in the interior life and exterior systems of power. I don't come from a subculture that had much… More