Interviews & Features
PEN America produces a breadth of interviews and features throughout the year.
Clara Mundy | 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize Winner
I hope that readers consider the subtle ways that power can seep into a person’s life and manipulate their self-image: What parts of ourselves did we only feel ashamed… More
Sonia Feldman | 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize Winner
Reading gives me the opportunity to think somebody else’s thoughts instead of my own. That’s what I hope my writing might offer to someone else, a respite from the… More
Megan Fernandes | The PEN Ten Interview
My focus was just on the insecurity of being. Everything that happened narratively came from focusing on that feeling as much as possible. More
Stephenjohn Holgate | 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize Winner
I’m quite interested in the tensions of these things, how we are pulled in many different directions as the different bits of ourselves, musician, worker, lover and so on,… More
Bronwyn Fischer | The PEN Ten Interview
My focus was just on the insecurity of being. Everything that happened narratively came from focusing on that feeling as much as possible. More
Teachers and Librarians Describe a Climate of Fear Stoked By New Laws
A wave of educational censorship laws has created a climate of fear among teachers and librarians that has led to the departure of seasoned educators across the country. More
Andrew Ridker | The PEN Ten Interview
By: Anna Lasek | August 17, 2023 In a way, the structure of the novel reflects one of its primary themes: the desire to break away from one’s… More
Rachel Eliza Griffiths | The PEN Ten Interview
By: Malcom Tariq | August 11, 2023 This book was my attempt to assure young Black girls that there are beautiful, resonant ways to live, to investigate love,… More
Ben Purkert | The PEN Ten Interview
I followed Seth on his downward spiral and simply tried to keep up with my pen. And no, I didn't worry that my novel was too dark. I only… More
Eddie Ndopu | The PEN Ten Interview
We need to save ourselves. We need to show ourselves the kind of tenderness and compassion that we know deep down we deserve. More