We are thrilled to announce the election of a new president of PEN America: Jennifer Finney Boylan. You might know Boylan as the bestselling author of 18 books, and she has been part of the PEN America board of directors since 2018. Earlier this year, she had the honor of presenting our Freedom to Write Award honor to the family of Narges Mohammadi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in absentia this weekend with a delegation from PEN America by the family’s side.

Boylan tells us she came to PEN "for very personal reasons." In trying to explain what it meant to be transgender, she realized that nothing reaches people like a story. Or, as she so eloquently puts it, "How do we change the world? One poem, one essay, and one book at a time." 

Boylan brings to PEN America a fierce dedication to free speech, even in difficult times. As she told us, "No one has ever had their opinion changed by someone telling them to shut up."

We won’t be saying goodbye to Ayad Akhtar, who expertly served as PEN America president for three years during a time of remarkable growth, including the addition of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Center, our Florida office, and the expansion to 10 chapter cities. Akhtar will remain on the board as vice president.

We hope you can join us and our new president tonight for our Annual General Meeting, Conversation Amid Crisis: Sustaining Dialogue in Divided Times, featuring writer Zaina Arafat; journalist and translator Yair Rosenberg; journalist, editor, and cultural critic Judith Shulevitz; writer and former Director of the Arab-Israeli Project at the International Crisis Group Nathan Thrall; and author, lawyer, and equity advocate Kenji Yoshino. The event will be held at Scholastic headquarters and livestreamed. 

Join tonight's meeting via livestream >>
Read more in The New York Times >>
Read our Q&A with Jenny >>

Help Us #FreeNarges

Our CEO Suzanne Nossel and Writers at Risk Director Karin Deutsch Karlekar attended the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony as guests of the family of Narges Mohammadi, a fearless human rights champion who wields the written word to create vital change. In her speech written behind bars and read by her children, Narges said, “I am confident that the light of freedom and justice will shine powerfully on the land of Iran. At that moment, we will celebrate the victory of democracy and human rights over tyranny and authoritarianism, and the anthem of the people's triumph on the streets of Iran will resonate worldwide.”

Sign the petition demanding her release >>
Write a personal note of solidarity >>

Yes, Ron DeSantis, Florida Does Ban Books

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed that book banning in Florida was a “false narrative,” we suggested the governor read his own published list of banned books. DeSantis hasn’t just counted hundreds of book bans in his state – he’s campaigned on it, repeatedly. If DeSantis wants people to stop calling him a book banner, he should stop banning books.

Read the Fact Check >>

Roxane Gay Has Opinions

PEN Ten: Zahra Hankir

• Freedom to Learn Director Jeremy Young expressed deep concern that the outcry over antisemitism is driving legislative proposals with alarming implications for free speech. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
   
• Director of Free Expression and Education Programs Jonathan Friedman wrote that the suspension of chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine at private universities raises questions and concerns about chilled campus speech. (PEN.org)
   
• Our report, “Speech in the Machine: Generative AI’s Implications for Free Expression,” was cited in an article about “The Year that A.I. Ate the Internet.” (The New Yorker)
   
• Viktorya Vilk and Jeje Mohamed of our Digital Safety and Free Expression program write: From Rape Threats and Misogynistic Slurs to Sexual Harassment and Doxing, a Ms. Report about online abuse. (Ms Magazine)
   
• Jonathan Friedman spoke about rising antisemitism and free speech on college campuses on a package that appeared in multiple markets on Spectrum News. (NY1)
   
• Laura Schroeder, congressional affairs lead at PEN America, appeared at a press conference introducing the Fight Book Bans Act, which would support schools that fight book challenges. (Publishers Weekly)
   
• Moira Marquis, Freewrite project senior manager, wrote about why prisons ban fantasy and science fiction. (Lithub)

• How Would This Supreme Court Rule on Book Banning? (The New Yorker) (The New Yorker)
   
• Biden Administration No Longer Communicating with Meta About Foreign Election Interference (The Hill)
   
• Evidence Is Growing That Free Speech Is Declining (Foreign Policy)