Moscow Court Sentences Playwright and Director in Ongoing Crackdown on Free Expression
Labeling these artists as terrorists or extremists is a grave injustice. ARC calls for the immediate release of Berkovich and Petriychuk. More
Slashing All Arts and Culture Funding in Florida Will Stifle Free/Creative Expression
“A state with an emaciated arts sphere, where books are already banned and classroom dialogue is stifled, is one that is in danger of abandoning freedom of expression altogether,”… More
PEN America Joins with Other Groups in Condemning Cancellation of Play at Santa Monica College
PEN America is joined by the Dramatists Guild, the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, and the National Coalition Against Censorship in condemning the cancelation of a play at Santa Monica… More
PEN America Urges Texas School to Reverse Decision to Kick Trans Student Out of Lead Role in Musical Oklahoma!
“This is a cruel decision guided by a ‘criteria’ that the district admits is applied unevenly. It is yet another example of threats to free expression for LGBTQ+ students,… More
Vinod Kumar Shukla and Erika Dickerson-Despenza to Receive Career Achievement Honors at PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony Mar. 2
Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, Chief Program Officer, Literary Programming at PEN America, said, “The recipients of our Literary Awards’ three career achievement honors reveal the breadth of what human imagination… 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
PEN America Condemns Death Threats and Intimidation Against Oregon Shakespeare Festival Director
As we know from PEN America’s work to support those facing online abuse, however, women of color routinely face disproportionate and uniquely virulent attacks. In our increasingly polarized society,… More
The PEN Pod: On Trauma, Identity, and Reinvention with Dan O’Brien
“It’s so important to me to push through the taboo of what we shouldn’t speak about and can’t speak about, or feel we can’t speak about.” More