PEN America Urges Tennessee Gov. Lee to Reject Legislation that Would Subject Publishers and Book Distributors to Criminal Penalties for ‘Obscene Materials’ Sent to Public Schools
Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America’s Free Expression and Education program, issued the following comments on the bill: "Regardless of what the supporters of this law say, it serves little… More
Nineteen Writers Win Coveted Awards in 2022 Prison Writing Contest
Caits Meissner, director of PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing program, said: "This year's submissions underscore the extraordinary resilience, individuality, and indomitable artistry of writers inside prisons. These indispensable… More
Removal of 327 Books with LGBTQ+ Themes by TN School District Is “Heartbreaking” Censorship
Jeremy C. Young, senior manager of free expression and education programs at PEN America, said in response to the news: “This is a heartbreaking case of administrative censorship and… More
A Movement to Bend the Arc: Keeda J. Haynes’ Memoir on Second-Chance Culture
Emma Stammen reviews Keeda J. Haynes' memoir, "Bending the Arc: My Journey from Prison to Politics" (Seal Books, 2021). More
The PEN Pod: On Conflicts of Interest between Free Expression and Powerful Institutions with Suzanne Nossel
“The most heartening piece of it is that the people of Myanmar, who for so many years lived under such brutal repression. . . They’re incredibly brave to take… More
Discriminatory LGBTQIA+ Education Bill in Tennessee is Attempt to Silence Truth
"This bill is an appalling assault on freedom of expression at its most basic level—the freedom to represent the truth of human existence." More
New Tennessee Law Represents Blow to Free Speech and Assembly Rights
“To Tennessee officials, we say: Stop making it easier to arrest protesters. It is your job to safeguard constitutional rights, not tread on them.” More
Tennessee’s Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act Would Censor Books, Jail Librarians
“This bill would empower a small group of people to act as morality police for entire communities and would punish libraries and librarians who act to safeguard the fundamental… More
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