Chinua Achebe: “The Day I Finally Met Baldwin”
You should have seen his severe countenance crumble instantly into boyish happiness…With typical hyperbole, Baldwin called me his buddy, a brother he had not seen in 400 years. More
Hilton Als on James Baldwin
I had wanted to dislike him more than I do in order to have some distance from his influence, but it is an influence I have absorbed. More
Nikki Giovanni: Making James Baldwin
Never deny what your heart knows is the truth. Never turn your back on what your mind knows is right. Never refuse to hear the cry of the angry… More
Carl Hancock Rux Reads James Baldwin
To celebrate James Baldwin's birthday, here's a 2001 recording of poet, playwright, and novelist Carl Hancock Rux reading Baldwin's work at PEN America's Twentieth-Century Masters Tribute event. More
Christopher Hitchens On George Orwell
In this 2002 recording from the PEN America Digital Archive, Christopher Hitchens offers a critical analysis of Orwell's works from his own intellectual perspective. More
On the Launch of the PEN America Digital Archive
The multimedia materials found in the archives are a testament to the profound impact writers have had on the history of our nation and of our world. More
Sekou Sundiata and Charles Lynch on Influences
Poets Sekou Sundiata and Charles Lynch discuss early memories, adolescent anxieties, and the denouement associated with the future of the city. More
Opening Lines of Lolita
In this archival recording, James Mason reads from one of the most recognizable beginnings of twentieth-century literature. More
Adam Michnik on Revolution
One could say that every revolution has two phases. The first is very beautiful, it is the struggle for freedom. The second is horrible, it’s the struggle for power. More
Wayne Koestenbaum Reads Antonin Artaud
It probably couldn’t be published anywhere in the world today, except the fact that he’s dead makes it possible to be published. More