Interviews & Features
PEN America produces a breadth of interviews and features throughout the year.
Break Out: An Interview with Kaveh Akbar
A conversation with Kaveh Akbar, who will be performing Terry Hedin’s “El Reno” in our “Break Out” awards celebration, about the privilege and responsibility of performing another person’s work. More
The PEN Pod: Exploring White Feminism and Ways to Combat It with Ruby Hamad
“We need something more than a movement that can’t be introspective enough to admit its own limitations. . . Maybe what we need is a holistic way of thinking.” More
The PEN Pod: On Voter Fraud and Trump Influencing Authoritarians with Suzanne Nossel
“There are authoritarians in virtually every region who are on a mission to suppress the voice of critical media in their own countries, and seeing the United States do… More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Danielle Evans
“Characterization and narrative tension come from the tension between a character’s inner life and their exterior life, and I’m acutely aware—because being a Black woman compels me to pay… More
The PEN Pod: Combating Ideological Exclusion with Julia Rose Kraut
“What’s really the focus though is this tremendous absolute power and discretion held by the executive, and that doesn’t go away.” More
Break Out: An Interview with TheaterLab’s Lanie Zipoy
A conversation with Lanie Zipoy about her curatorial process for our 2020 “Break Out” awards celebration, the challenges of organizing a digital literary event, and finding connection amidst isolation. More
The PEN Pod: The Power of Writing in the Now with Rhonda Mitchell
“If you’re not vulnerable, people don’t resonate with your experience—unless they can walk in your shoes, they can’t connect. That’s the power of how we’re telling stories now.” More
The PEN Pod: On Staying Patient through the Count with Suzanne Nossel
“The currency of truth has been degraded in this country—particularly in relation to certain pockets of the population who’ve really put themselves beyond the reach of credible journalism.” More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Valzhyna Mort
“I write in English to make the Belarusian experience visible in it. . . [and] I write in Belarusian because, to put it briefly, it’s the most badass language… More
The PEN Pod: From Trauma to Transcendence with Alice Randall
“Black joy is particularly radical, and [the book] helps you achieve some Black joy right now—it helps all people achieve some honorable, honest joy.” More