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
Multiplicity and Narratives of Confinement in “Faces of Resilience,” Presented by the Barnes Foundation and Mural Arts Philadelphia
PEN America intern Alexandra Fiorentino-Swinton reviews "Faces of Resilience," a show featuring artists who are justice-involved, presented by the Barnes Foundation and Mural Arts Philadelphia. More
Introducing I am climbing the stairs that I create with these words all the way to the top: A NaPoWriMo Zine
PEN America's Sophia Ramirez introduces our newest Prison Writing poetry zine, "I am climbing the stairs that I create with these words all the way to the top," for… More
“Do you really want to know why the caged bird sings?”: On Marlon Peterson’s Abolitionist Memoir
Emma Stamen reviews Marlon Peterson’s Abolitionist Memoir Bird Uncaged (Bold Type Books, 2021) More
Benevolent Terror: Dorothy E. Roberts on Reimagining the Child Welfare System
Sophia Ramirez reviews Dorothy E. Roberts' new book Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families—and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World (Basic Books, 2022). More
Introducing Mahogany L. Browne’s “Quilted Steel: A Choreopoem”
Caits Meissner introduces Mahogany L. Browne's choreopoem "Quilted Steel," premiering at Lincoln Center. More
Necessary Unlearning: On Derecka Purnell’s ‘Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom’
Prison and Justice Writing Postgraduate Sophia Ramirez Fellow reviews Derecka Purnell’s "Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom." More
Addiction, Subjectivity, and Selfhood: Introducing David Sanchez’s First Novel, “All Day is a Long Time”
Prison and Justice Writing Fellow Emma Stammen speaks with writer David Sanchez about his debut novel, "All Day is a Long Time." More
Introducing ‘Love Lay Dormant’: A 2021 Prison Writing NaNoWriMo Zine
Our Greater Constellations zine springs from the inspired poetic work created by members of our PEN America Prison Writing community during National Poetry Writing Month. More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with the 2021 PEN Prison Writing Award Winners
“Am I a writer imprisoned, or has imprisonment made me a writer? Parallel universes aside, imprisonment. . . does contain all the essential ingredients of a writer’s life.” More