Interviews & Features
PEN America produces a breadth of interviews and features throughout the year.
Paula Vogel on Cancellation of ‘Indecent’
Paula Vogel talks to PEN America about the cancelation of her play, Indecent, at a Florida high school. More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Deena Mohamed
To me, the function of speculative fiction and magical realism, the joy of inserting fantasy in mundane urban reality, is to consider the implications of how it might function… More
The PEN Ten: 12 Days of Writing Advice
PEN America has been in conversation with authors, poets, and other artists from its inception. This holiday season, we are sharing 12 pieces of writing advice. More
Elizabeth Strout on Writing: ‘Just keep going.’
Elizabeth Strout talks to PEN America about Lucy by the Sea and life as a writer. 'It’s never easy. But sometimes it is fun...' More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Rešoketšwe Manenzhe
I think art, in general, is important for society, to nurture the softer aspects of what makes us human. More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Kimberly Nguyen
I believe that fiction is a mask, and the truth lurks somewhere underneath. More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Kavita Das
I’ve encountered people who are unhappy and uncomfortable with the revelations in my work but they are usually interested in maintaining the status quo and so therefore are not… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Kristín Ómarsdóttir
I was inspired by our contemporary times and the growing possibility of this world's end. The story is told from some distance, from the future. It tells of events… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Cynthia Dewi Oka
To question something is to refuse its inevitability; to me that is one way we exercise our humanity in the face of inhumane conditions. More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with John Weir
It’s terrible to be turned into a human interest story on the nightly news, particularly when the story is about fear and hatred and death and survival. More