Press Releases
PEN America experts are available for interviews with the press. Please direct inquiries to Suzanne Trimel, Senior Advisor, Communications and Media, at [email protected].
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‘Antibodies’ Original Song Channels Fight for Free Expression
“While these two artists come from separate musical traditions and backgrounds, both have found a measure of solidarity in standing for human rights and freedom amid a difficult global… More
Chinese Dissident Poet Wang Zang Arrested
“Wang Zang's arrest is a strike at the heart of free expression and artistic freedom in China." More
Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf to Lead Literary Programming at PEN America
"Clarisse has established a name for herself as one of the country’s most innovative, broad-ranging and magnetic literary leaders." More
Texas A&M Considering Firing Professor Who Protested Racial Injustice
“That the cancelation of a single class and some office hours is gaining such outsized scrutiny raises serious questions about whether the furor here is about the cancellations or… More
DeSantis’ Anti-Protest Proposal Shows Flagrant Disregard for First Amendment
“Florida Governor DeSantis' anti-protest bill politicizes the right to protest and flagrantly disregards the protections provided by the First Amendment." More
PEN America Condemns Belarus’ Campaign of Intimidation Against Nobel-Winner Svetlana Alexievich
"All that stands between Svetlana Alexievich and arrest is international pressure and the physical bodies of European diplomats." More
Professor’s Use of Term “Chinese Virus” Contemptible, Not Alone Rationale for Formal Discipline
"We understand a university dean is reviewing the incident, and we caution against pursuing any formal reprimand based solely on the words in the professor's email." More
Mississippi Official Targets Professor Who Took Part in “Scholar Strike”
"We are concerned that this letter and investigation is part of a concerted campaign meant to intimidate and chill the speech of faculty who are critical of the state… More
PEN America Issues Urgent Call to Release Nasrin Sotoudeh Amid Pandemic
"Nasrin's condition is critical and her life hangs in the balance, but her spirit remains unbroken and her calls for justice are reverberating around the world." More
Trump’s “Patriotic Education” Proposal Is Polarizing, Ideologically Driven
"The prospect of this White House dictating an America First curriculum to schools across the country should send chills down the spines of all who value academic freedom and… More