PEN America pays tribute to Russell Banks, a giant of letters and staunch ally
PEN America paid tribute on Monday to novelist Russell Banks, a longtime advocate of free expression and member of PEN America, who died over the weekend at age 82. More
The Opposite of Hate: A Reading List
We are living through one of the most divisive periods in American history, with hate-filled rhetoric fueling disagreements on a wide range of issues — from LGBTQ rights to immigration policy… More
PEN Out Loud with Jason Reynolds and Greg Pardlo: A Reading List
This February, join best-selling and multi-award winning author Jason Reynolds and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Greg Pardlo in conversation for the launch of the 2018 season of PEN Out Loud,… More
Chinua Achebe: “The Day I Finally Met Baldwin”
You should have seen his severe countenance crumble instantly into boyish happiness…With typical hyperbole, Baldwin called me his buddy, a brother he had not seen in 400 years. More
Hilton Als on James Baldwin
I had wanted to dislike him more than I do in order to have some distance from his influence, but it is an influence I have absorbed. More
Nikki Giovanni: Making James Baldwin
Never deny what your heart knows is the truth. Never turn your back on what your mind knows is right. Never refuse to hear the cry of the angry… More
Carl Hancock Rux Reads James Baldwin
To celebrate James Baldwin's birthday, here's a 2001 recording of poet, playwright, and novelist Carl Hancock Rux reading Baldwin's work at PEN America's Twentieth-Century Masters Tribute event. More
On the Launch of the PEN America Digital Archive
The multimedia materials found in the archives are a testament to the profound impact writers have had on the history of our nation and of our world. More
Nikki Giovanni: Making James Baldwin
"Never refuse to hear the cry of the anguished, or the laughter in the blues." Nikki Giovanni pays tribute to James Baldwin. Listen to this week's #PENpodcast in honor of… More
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