Why We Need Stories: A PEN Ten Interview with Sophia Shalmiyev
"The kind of writing I believe we need more of is jagged, way stranger, and structurally embodying the thinker, the visionary, the hermit, and the loudmouth." More
Celebrating Pride Month 2019: A Roundup
In celebration of Pride Month, PEN America has curated a selection of the best poetry, interviews, readings, and more by LGBTQIA+ writers. More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Poet Brenda Shaughnessy
"Just like all politics are identity politics, and just like the personal is political—all poems are love poems, all poems are political poems." More
“We Think in Stories”: A PEN Ten Interview with Namwali Serpell
"We think in stories. It’s so constitutive that 'need' is an understatement. It’s more like blood than water." More
National Poetry Month 2019: A Roundup
For National Poetry Month, PEN America has curated a selection of poetry, readings, and more, from our decades-long history with the celebrated art form. More
“A necessary voice on the page”: a PEN Ten Interview with Amber Flora Thomas
"Yes, I do experience this persona. She (generally) is a necessary voice on the page—she gives me distance from experiences I cannot hold in my body any longer." More
“To Write is to Take Action”: A PEN Ten Interview with Diane Mehta
"To write is to take action, and then you have to follow up your words with deeds—practice kindness, form opinions, stand up for others." More
On Writing Fearlessly: A PEN Ten Interview with Lilliam Rivera
"I’m just trying . . . to find joy in the littlest of things—in working with young people, in laughing out loud with my friends, and in writing fearlessly." More
Defying Constraints: A PEN Ten Interview with Brionne Janae
"So my act of resistance is to first and foremost curate and protect joy in my life, and second to remember to write . . . about more than… More
“I Use Fiction as a Way to Find Truth”: A PEN Ten Interview with Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
"I think writers can continue to speak truth to power. I think writers can advocate for the most vulnerable and make their pain heard." More
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Prisons Are Banning Books That Teach Prisoners How to Code #BannedBooks #BooksInPrison #RightToRead https://t.co/FY5yXDeJGt
“Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”
How a New Generation of Nigerian Writers Is Salvaging Tradition from Colonial Erasure https://t.co/gEKrZcnRRn
Popular Knitting Website @Ravelry Bans Expressions Of Support For Donald Trump https://t.co/D9Hmeep6Ra via @HuffPostPol