The PEN Ten with Janet Peery
I would caution us to refrain from spending too much time in articulating [writers'] collective purpose for fear of leaching the blood out of the “uncontrollable mystery on the… More
A Body of Athletics
Coach Larry taught us, Defense is the best offense. If memory is passed down in DNA, I learned defense long ago, from my ancestors, from all they had to… More
The PEN Ten with Rachel Eliza Griffiths
"The responsibility of the writer is a hydra-headed practice of witnessing and action. That means accountability—to a greater world and to, especially, my own spiritual ecosystem." More
Dispatches from Civitella Ranieri: On the Sixth Day, the Animals. On the Eighth, Jon Kessler’s Curlz.
The third dispatch from PEN Member and poet Natalie Diaz's residency at the Civitella Ranieri castle in Italy. She shares about the animals she encountered, and pays tribute to… More
Dispatches from Civitella Ranieri: A Tour of the Castle
Poet Natalie Diaz brings us on a tour of Civitella's 15th-century castle in Umbria, Italy, where she spent two months as the first PEN/Civitella Ranieri Foundation Fellow. More
The PEN Ten with Joy Harjo
"I have to take care of what I was given. I am aware of carrying a gift that belongs to my people. It doesn’t belong to me. It’s ancient… More
Dispatches from Civitella Ranieri: On the “Musical Disaster” of Language
"One of the most wonderful experiences of being here in this castle, besides watching Lars Lauman’s cigarette smoke snake its silvery way from the tower and ramparts up among… More
The Quantum Theory of Suffering or Why I Look at the Moon
I only know this small piece of quantum theory: a thing does not exist until it is looked at or measured. That is, the moon does not exist until… More
PEN DIY: Natalie Diaz on How to Sacrifice Your Brother, Even When He is an Aztec
It’s said that losing a language is “like dropping a bomb on the Louvre.” When a language is lost, it’s the people that are betrayed. More
Watch & Listen: PEN DIY with Natalie Diaz
Listen to poet Natalie Diaz grapple with betraying her family in her book of poetry "When My Brother Was an Aztec" and share about the ongoing Mojave Language Revitalization… More
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