PEN to Paper: The Revision Cycle with Emily X. R. Pan
In this week’s PEN to Paper lesson, YA author Emily X. R. Pan takes us on a deep dive into her favorite part of writing, the revision process, which… More
The PEN Pod: Writing as Witness with Wayétu Moore
“Representation is important—not just what’s on the page, but who’s holding the pen.” More
The PEN Pod: Looking to the Past to Imagine a Better Future with Helen Zia
“Every Asian American in the United States and people with Asian faces all over the world are experiencing this global pandemic of racism and hatred.” More
PEN to Paper: Embrace the Incongruity with Adam Falkner
In this week’s lesson, poet and educator Adam Falkner encourages us to embrace the incongruities of life with a writing prompt inspired by Shakespeare. More
The PEN Pod: Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel
“This [question of surveillance] is something we, as a free expression organization, have concerns with.” More
The PEN Pod: Diving Beneath the Waves with Carmen Boullosa
“Books control, in such a way, their authors, that you only prepare the soil for them, work for them, so they can flourish or be.” More
The PEN Pod: Keeping Hope Alive with Jewher Ilham
“Only standing up, speaking up, on my father’s behalf, on Uyghurs’ behalf, to work on something, then we can at least try to make a small change.” More
The PEN Pod: Defending the Freedom to Write with Karin Deutsch Karlekar
“[It’s] important to not just look at numbers and to give trends a human face, and to really look at the individual cases of writers and intellectuals behind bars.” More
PEN to Paper: Embellishing Memory with Porsha Olayiwola
PEN to Paper brings you powerful espresso shots of creative inspiration to jumpstart your writing. In this week’s lesson, poet and performer Porsha Olayiwola guides us through a brief… More
The PEN Pod: Looking Through Time with Rebecca Makkai
“Look at the ways that the American healthcare system, in times of crisis, exacerbates the fissures that are already there, the inequalities that are already there.” More
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On Thursday, Hong Kong’s legislature approved a contentious bill that makes it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem. The legislation was approved after pro-democracy opposition lawmakers tried to disrupt the vote. Learn more about it here: https://bit.ly/2UaZ0fj
"Stories help us imagine what it is like to be another person—to strive as they do, to cope as they do, to celebrate as they do—and that’s a vital task of imagination." Read our full #PENTen interview w/ editor & author @MeghaMaj at
https://bit.ly/2XZo7TA.
"I've seen dictators rise and fall. Beware, America." Novelist and former PEN America president @SalmanRushdie writes about his experience seeing dictatorships succeed and crumble, and what these lessons offer America right now in the midst of chaos. https://wapo.st/3eUcggt