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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PEN America Welcomes NY Corrections Department Decision to Rescind “Unjustifiable” Proposal to Limit Free Expression for Incarcerated Writers
Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project, said: “Any effort to crush the right of incarcerated people to express themselves, and in particular, to limit literacy and… More
Decision Not to Renew Lone US History Professor’s Contract at New College of Florida— in Effect, Firing Him— Is “An Affront to Academic Freedom,” Says PEN America
Jeremy C. Young, Freedom to Learn program director at PEN America, released the following statement: “The effective firing of Erik Wallenberg, after his job was threatened publicly by a trustee… More
PEN America Opposes New York State Proposal Limiting Incarcerated Writers Ability to Publish
Moira Marquis, senior manager of PEN America’s Freewrite Project, said: “Directive 4406 would essentially freeze PEN America’s ability to publish incarcerated New Yorker’s work, alongside that of similar organizations.… More
“Unjustified” Mass Arrests at Hong Kong Gathering for Tiananmen Square Massacre Anniversary
“Hong Kong authorities demonstrated on June 4 they are in lock step with Beijing in attempting to erase the memory of the Chinese Communist Party’s massacre of peaceful pro-democracy… More
Readings by Noted Authors Headline 6/6 Florida Event Celebrating Books Challenged in Miami-Dade County Schools, including The Hill We Climb by Poet Amanda Gorman
Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America’s Free Expression and Education program, said: "The fact that a bogus challenge from a single individual can get books banned goes to the… More
PEN America Responds to Florida School District’s Offer to Remove LGBTQ Pages from Yearbook
"The campaign to erase LGBTQ+ identities in schools continues to reach new lows. What kind of message does it send to LGBTQ+ students and families that a superintendent would… More
PEN America Decries Continued Imprisonment of Poet Galal El-Behairy, Who is Prepared to Escalate his Hunger Strike by Refusing Water
“Five years of arbitrary detention for nothing other than writing poetry and song lyrics has brought Galal El-Behairy to a point where his life is potentially in critical danger,… More
PEN America Defends as Protected Speech a City University of New York Law Student’s Commencement Criticism of Israel and New York Police
Universities must be places where ideas can flow freely, especially political commentary. More
PEN America: Sweeping Ban on Drag Performances in Montana In Effect Criminalizes a Wide Range of Artistic Choices
Jonathan Friedman, director of PEN America’s Free Expression and Education Programs, said: “In their effort to censor drag and LGBTQ+ expression, Montana legislators have enacted a law that is… More
Statement Signed by 57 PEN Centers Worldwide Calls for Release of Chinese Writer and Journalist Dong Yuyu
“We believe that Dong Yuyu is being unjustly detained in reprisal for his writing and interacting with foreign nationals to help inform his global views, in violation of his… More