The PEN Pod: Learning from Russian Short Fiction with George Saunders
“What happens in a short story is that somebody concentrates for a long period of time to make their story as truthful and empathetic as possible, and then they… More
Temperature Check, Vol. 10: Family Through The Walls
Explore the issue of carceral family separation through an award-winning piece of fiction by incarcerated writer Amy Bishop Anderson and Works of Justice Podcast episodes with Ebony Underwood and… More
What To Expect When You’re Electing: A Reading List
Curated by PEN America’s Literary Programs Department, this reading list highlights books and complementary titles from our signature PEN Out Loud event series. More
Temperature Check, Vol. Nine: The Election Issue
Manhattan DA Candidate Lucy Lang explores a district attorney’s role during COVID-19, and writer/activist Corey “Al-Ameen” Patterson details the importance of voting behind bars. More
Healing through Stories: A Latinx Heritage Month Reading List from Tia Chucha Press and Bookstore
This reading list celebrates Latinx Heritage Month and centers on the work of Chicanx and Indigenous writers in collaboration with Tia Chucha Press. More
The PEN Pod: On Loose Ends and Plot Twists with Lisa Jewell
“The feeling of the book comes first. . . and then the bigger themes that encompass society and where we find ourselves now come much further down the line.” More
The PEN Pod: On Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary with Fredrik Backman
“I was going to try to write something about the things that everyday people go around carrying—that feeling that everybody else has their life figured out, except for me.” More
The PEN Pod: On Myths, Magic, and Intergenerational Narratives with K-Ming Chang
“There is so much that is inexplicable in myth. There’s so much magic and strangeness, and it doesn’t conform to conventional plot oftentimes—things turning into animals, or pumpkins.” More
Essential Books by Iranians Available in English: A Reading List
This reading list celebrates the works of Iranian writers amid the obstacles facing the dissemination and promotion of Iranian voices, particularly those that are subversive. More
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