Interviews & Features
PEN America produces a breadth of interviews and features throughout the year.
The PEN Ten with Alexander Chee
At some point recently I realized I mostly read about assassins. Assassins and sex work—in particular, I'm fascinated by the new porn narratives, the way porn has moved on… More
The PEN Ten with Karen Emmerich
The writer might have no responsibilities whatsoever, but the translator has only responsibilities—or at least that’s the popular perception. That’s why we’re always failing—according, again, to the popular perception.… More
Where Impunity Reigns: An Interview with Oluwafiropo Ewenla of Nigerian PEN
In honor of the International Day to End Impunity, we're publishing our interview with Oluwafiropo Ewenla of Nigerian PEN about free expression in Nigeria, human rights, and his trip… More
Interview: Myanmar PEN’s Nay Phone Latt
PEN International's Sarah Clarke catches up with Nay Phone Latt at the Internet Governance Forum (IFG) in Indonesia to talk about the impact of the political changes in Myanmar… More
The PEN Ten with Nancy K. Miller
I think constantly about aging and dying. Given my age and illness, this is in no way surprising, but the specter of a horrible death hovers over my waking… More
The PEN Ten with Julia Fierro
John F. Kennedy said, "Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names." I’d revise that message: "Forgive your enemy, but never forget their story." More
The PEN Ten with Domenica Ruta
I don’t care about fashion. Great minds paired with enormous hearts will always transcend fashion, no problem. The public intellectuals who are to remain vital will have to be… More
The PEN Ten with Alissa Nutting
"I think writing should be a sacrifice, and feel like one—how else could the act of constructing narratives, stories, lies, deceptions, ever be kept honest, if not through demanding… More
The PEN Ten with Richard Nash
I'd beg the imprisoned writer to try to remember her teenaged self. The intensity, the outrage, the sentiment, the naïveté, the resentment, the joy. More
From Prospero to PRISM: 5 Questions about Surveillance and Literature with David Rosen and Aaron Santesso
What can literature tell us about surveillance? We grilled David Rosen and Aaron Santesso, authors of the new book on literature and surveillance entitled The Watchman in Pieces, to… More