Prudence Peiffer Interview
Prudence Peiffer talks about The Slip, the community at the heart of her award-winning book, and her writing and research process. More
PEN America Calls on S.C. Library to Reverse Restriction on Books about Transgender Subjects
Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read program director at PEN America, said the board should reverse its decision, which she said was based on “viewpoint discrimination” and noted that book… More
Chelsea G. Summers Interview
Chelsea G. Summers discussed the genesis of her first novel, moving between nonfiction and fiction, her response to the virality of her writing, trends in contemporary fiction and media,… More
Champions of Higher Education Unite to Fight Educational Censorship
PEN America was joined by 13 former college presidents for a summit to discuss legislative assaults on higher education and what academics and their allies can do to fight… More
Khaled Hosseini Shares Heartfelt Letter to Book Banners
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini was returned to shelves in Brevard County, Florida. Hosseini wrote a letter to the school board citing the letters he receives from students… More
Nearly 700 books, including celebrity bestsellers, banned in Orange County, Florida
Nearly 700 books, including recent bestsellers by Jon Stewart and Amy Poehler and classics by Maya Angelou, Ovid, and Marcel Proust, were removed from classrooms in Orange County, Florida,… More
101-Year-Old Grace Linn: ‘Banning Books and Burning Books Are the Same’
Others protesting book bans have held up signs in protest. Grace Linn held up a quilt. The 101-year-old talked to PEN America about the importance of spreading the word… More
Roxane Gay Interview
Roxane Gay spoke to PEN America about Opinions, avoiding being pigeonholed, and more. More
Laurie Halse Anderson: Speaking for the Voiceless
Laurie Halse Anderson’s celebrated young adult novel Speak was an immediate target for censors. We talked to Anderson about the current book banning crisis. More
The Topics Teachers Are Too Afraid to Teach
Frederick Douglass, women’s suffrage, jazz and the blues, Batman, reproductive biology, philosophy. In states with restrictive educational policies, teachers and professors have questioned if they are allowed to teach… More