Interviews & Features
PEN America produces a breadth of interviews and features throughout the year.
Local Journalist Heroes: Martha Bayne
“If we lose the physical connection to our readers and their communities, it can’t help but have consequences in terms of what stories get told and how intimate the… More
Local Journalist Heroes: Natalie Moore
“Marginalized and vulnerable communities will have a harder time recovering—which will need to be documented.” More
Local Journalist Heroes: James David Dickson
“Every local reporter in America has stepped up to this unwanted challenge, and many have been rewarded with furloughs for it.” More
Local Journalist Heroes: Jessica Seaman
“We are telling the stories of those who have died and the grief of their loved ones daily. We carry the weight of other people’s trauma, and what we… More
Local Journalist Heroes: Gustavo Castro H.
"Beyond feeling like a means of communication, our approach is to make [our readers] feel that we are a responsible ally.” More
The PEN Pod: Forecasting the Future of the Film Industry with Franklin Leonard
“Seek out the full flower or the full bloom of cultural and artistic expression in the world right now, because we have a lot of time.” More
The PEN Pod: Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel
“I always think back to this famous Rahm Emanuel phase, ‘Never waste a crisis’—it’s sort of the idea that in crisis, there lies opportunity.” More
The PEN Pod: Connecting through Translation with Ali Araghi
“One function of translation we could think about is the way it shows how literature of other cultures have reacted to similar problems we are dealing with.” More
The PEN Ten: An Interview with Mahogany L. Browne
“When I think of the stories and people I write about now, I realize my identity is carefully crafted with the wit of my grandmothers and the strength of… More
The PEN Pod: The Value of Truth During a Crisis with Paul Farhi
“Misinformation can literally get you killed, and good information can save your life.” More