Interviews & Features
PEN America produces a breadth of interviews and features throughout the year.
New Book Examines Why Reading Matters in America’s Prisons and How Ordinary Citizens Can Make a Difference
The book is a collection of inspiring stories from the prison book movement and a guide for people who want to swell its ranks. More
Michael Arceneaux | The PEN Ten Interview
I’m very clear about what I want to say and how I want to say it when I try to sell a book. You either believe in it or… More
Deborah Jackson Taffa | The PEN Ten Interview
I could only share my family’s trauma if I told it in context, reminding readers that my elders struggled, not because of a moral failure on their part, but… More
Kevin Huizenga | The PEN Ten Interview
I like to be productive, and sometimes being productive means taking an idea you thought up in a previous story, and expanding on it, or turning it around to… More
Remica Bingham-Risher | The PEN Ten Interview
Some of the breakthrough moments came when I decided I would be reckoning not only with my ancestress’s trauma, but also their joy, and how they raised us to… More
The “Swirl of Ideas” that Propels Author Jennifer Egan As She Puts Pen to Paper (Literally)
An occasional blog about the writing process and how writers approach their work. By Suzanne Trimel “Writing improv” is the way author Jennifer Egan describes how she starts a novel. Egan says:… More
Maura Cheeks | The PEN Ten Interview
I was thinking about what would have to be true for someone in power to take a stand for reparations and push it through. More
Kacen Callender | The PEN Ten Interview
I wanted to offer the idea that power is naturally inside of all of us, and that we can feel empowered and worthy and loved even when rejected by… More
Elana K. Arnold: The Role of the Writer for YA and Children’s Literature
In this Member Spotlight interview, Elana K. Arnold talks about her experience as a YA author navigating the book banning epidemic. More
Vanessa Chan | The PEN Ten Interview
I don’t believe you can go through a publishing journey alone, especially as a writer of color. More