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Character Development: A National Novel Writing Month Pep Talk

BlogOctober 19, 2022

Writer William Myrl Smitherman writes a pep talk for incarcerated writers for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). More

On Pressing the Bounds of What’s Possible: A Conversation with Emile DeWeaver

Blog
By: Charley Burlock | October 19, 2022

PEN America Prison and Justice Writing intern Charley Burlock interviews writer Emile DeWeaver. More

Break Out: Celebrating the 2022 PEN America Prison Writing Award Winners

Friday, December 2, 2022 | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
 More Information

Writing Inside: An Evening of Stories

Thursday, November 10, 2022 | 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm ET
 More Information

Mentoring Incarcerated Authors

Thursday, December 15, 2022 | 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm ET
 More Information

Interview with Stevie Wilson, an incarcerated writer in Pennsylvania

Interview
By: Anthony Johnson | September 21, 2022

Before incarceration, I was an avid reader and understood the power of language and reading. Upon incarceration, I quickly figured out that the DOC wasn't going to provide the… More

Record Label Die Jim Crow Gives Incarcerated Artists the Spotlight

Blog
By: Tomás Miriti Pacheco | September 16, 2022

PEN America intern Tomás Miriti Pacheco features Die Jim Crow Records, the first record label dedicated to incarcerated artists in the United States. More

Washington’s Ban on the Booty

Essay
By: Ray Williams, Christopher Blackwell | September 15, 2022

These policies are not only controversial; they also have harmful impacts on prisoners, their relationships, and female staff working in the institutions. More

Abolitionist Organizing: Brick by Brick, Book by Book

Essay
By: Erica R. Meiners, Eliza Gonring, Timmy Châu | September 15, 2022

Struggles against prison censorship remind us that information is power and that prisons maintain their power, in part, by preventing the spread of dangerous ideas. More

Jeanie Austin and Patricia Prewitt: An Interview

Interview
By: Jeanie Austin | September 15, 2022

She described her day, emphasized the importance incarcerated people place on books, and emphatically asked that ALA not forget about incarcerated people. More

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penamerica PEN America @penamerica ·
2h

"Amid efforts to restrict books that include race-related themes, several new book clubs have launched around the country to keep literature by Black authors in the spotlight." #BlackHistoryMonth https://www.moultrieobserver.com/news/local_news/black-history-month-black-authors-keep-history-alive-amid-efforts-to-suppress-blackness/article_ff445067-f6a1-5ad9-892b-360850922553.html via @themobserver

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_richardhall Richard Hall @_richardhall ·
6h

Read our story on the DeSantis book bans ⬇️ https://twitter.com/penamerica/status/1621508379586985985

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msboismier_ela Ms. Boismier, M.Ed. @msboismier_ela ·
4 Feb

🧵4/8: This week @BKLYNlibrary & @PENamerica @jonfreadom launched the 1st session in our 4-week Freedom to Read Advocacy Institute. What struck me most in that workshop session was the craving our teen participants had for community, for connection. https://tinyurl.com/yy5ek3s5

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