New PEN America Report: Deep and Persistent Obstacles in Publishing Houses Impede Greater Diversity in Terms of Authors and Stories Told
“Publishers are the curators of America’s stories,” said Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, chief program officer for PEN America’s Literary Programs. “They are gatekeepers who decide whose stories will be told… More
Reading Between the Lines: Race, Equity, and Book Publishing
PEN America undertook this report to better understand why the debate over the lack of diversity in publishing has seemed to stagnate, or to progress only in fits and… More
Cancellation of Down In Mississippi Play on Texas Campus Is An Affront to Artistic Freedom
Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education programs, said: "The decision to cancel this production because of some students' objections is an alarming affront to artistic freedom. While students'… More
Educational Gag Order Proposals Spike by 250% in 2022, PEN America Reports
“Our report documents in alarming detail the threats to how young people learn and are taught in American schools,” said Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer of PEN America. “Lawmakers… More
5 Myths about Educational Gag Orders
The legislators behind these gag orders are not interested in a productive back-and-forth with educators; what they want is simply to dictate the terms of teachers’ surrender. More
Joint Statement from PEN America, AAC&U: Legislative Restrictions on Teaching and Learning Violate Academic Freedom and Threaten Higher Ed’s Autonomy
“Legislators who attack the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of students and faculty are waging war against open inquiry itself,” said Suzanne Nossel, chief executive officer of PEN America. More
For Educational Gag Orders, The Vagueness Is The Point
We find that instead of clarifying the laws, guidance documents have muddied the waters, further eroding academic freedom and students’ right to learn. More
Conservatives Oppose Educational Gag Orders, Too
Casual observers of the recent wave of educational gag orders could be forgiven for thinking that views on this issue are perfectly polarized along ideological lines. Conservatives support these… More
Statement: Publisher’s Decision to Pull “Bad and Boujee” Book is “Misguided and Regrettable”
"When debates over books and authors have a racial dimension, they can get heated quickly because they tap into long histories of exclusion and marginalization of people of color… More
Educational Gag Orders Seek to Enforce Compulsory Patriotism
Three New Bills Become Law in Florida, Mississippi, and South Dakota Monthly Roundup, March This post is part of a series from PEN America tracking the progress of educational gag orders… More
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