Now 137 days into the war and humanitarian crisis in Israel and Gaza, we are wracked by the heartbreaking death toll. We mourn the immense loss of Palestinian lives, and the destruction of museums, libraries, and mosques that contribute to a vibrant cultural community. This does not take away from our sense of shared ongoing anguish alongside Israelis whose families and friends have been killed, threatened, taken hostage, or are still missing. As the fighting wears on, we want to ensure that the scope and breadth of our ongoing work on behalf of Palestinian writers, speech, and culture is clear. In addition to our 26 public statements about the crisis and its aftershocks, our writer and artist protection programs have worked on a confidential basis with people at risk in Palestine; we are constantly evaluating and evolving our work, seeking new ways to make a meaningful difference. At a time of abundant calls to shut down speech, we are doubling down on the principles, policies, and practices necessary to sustain open discourse.
PEN America is an organization with more than 5,000 member writers as well as readers, supporters, and staff with many different backgrounds and viewpoints. Within our ranks, we rarely agree entirely on anything and do not expect that anyone would endorse every position we take. The Israel-Hamas war has posed particular challenges, because so many of our stakeholders have powerful personal stakes and strong views on the issue. We recognize that, from some perspectives, acknowledging and respecting this diversity of opinion can itself feel like a betrayal. But as an organization open to all writers that stands for free expression, it is our role to be home to varied views. We were proud to host a dialogue at our Annual General Meeting in December that brought together writers with widely divergent backgrounds and impassioned views on the war, and hope to do more of that.
We would like to thank those in the writing community who have shared their views with us. As a free speech organization, we are stronger when all voices are heard. We will always listen to writers, readers and members in our community who play such a crucial role in uplifting our mission, and aim to respond in a spirit of humility and openness to criticism and the possibility of change. We hope for a mutually agreed upon ceasefire that can result in enduring peace.
Gov. DeSantis Supercharged Book Bans, Then Passed the Buck
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week that citizens were using book bans to score “cheap political points” with “frivolous” challenges and “abuses.” Our Florida director Katie Blankenship joined the Florida Freedom to Read Foundation’s Stephana Ferrell in writing for the Sun-Sentinel that the blame lies on the governor’s shoulders.
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel wrote that the current crisis in American universities requires leaders to think big. Concerns over the unmooring of free speech, academic freedom and ideological diversity on campus can only be addressed through campus-wide transformation.
This week’s Member Spotlight features After Camus by PEN America Member Jay Neugeboren. A troubled marriage—and love story—set against the background of the AIDS pandemic, and the American wars in Vietnam and Iraq lie at the heart of After Camus. Saul Davidoff and Tolle Riordan, who meet during a protest against the Vietnam War, marry, live through the Plague Years of the AIDS epidemic, raise a family…and burn out. In this novel of enchantments, internationally acclaimed author Jay Neugeboren is at the peak of his powers as a master storyteller.
PEN experts will discuss the organization’s engagement at New College, the state of censorship efforts in K-12 public education, and recent and proposed Florida legislation undermining our public education system.
You will hear about PEN’s efforts at the state capital and in the courts, all while building a movement for organized and strategic local and state level advocacy to defend and protect our First Amendment liberties.
Student Journalists in the Fight Against Disinformation Thursday, February 22, 2024 | 3pm ET
How does campus gossip become a national news story? In this one-hour presentation, PEN America will explain disinformation tactics, share online verification tips and tools from working journalists, and offer ways that student reporters can counter false narratives before they spread. For more about PEN's Journalism & Disinformation work, visit our Facts Forward guide. Presented by PEN America presentation for Student Press Freedom Day, in collaboration with the Student Press Law Center.
Shelf Control: A Dialogue On Harm Reduction, Diversity, And Freedom To Read Thursday, February 22, 2024 | 4pm ET
Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom. The Education Institute is hosting a lively discussion between library professionals and other literary and information sector experts! Join in this reflection on contested books, bad faith challenges, presumption of access, new frameworks around freedom of expression in libraries, and how to support intellectual freedom without bringing harm to marginalized communities.
Remica Bingham-Risher’s fourth collection of poems, Room Swept Home, explores how two of the poet’s ancestors intersect 40 years before she is born. Using archival material, medical records, interviews, and photography, Bingham-Risher crafts a woman-led narrative that looks beyond what has been documented about Black Southern women to instead ask what they have witnessed.
Jennifer Egan spoke to the PEN America staff about how her writing ideas evolve, describing it as “writing improv.” Writing in longhand on legal pads, she says she begins a project with a “swirl of ideas” she has collected and written down over time; as she begins writing she sets a goal to reach a certain number of pages a day, without editing herself.
Reports that Ron DeSantis admitted his war on books has been a disaster cited PEN America’s book ban research. (The New Republic)
We mourned the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who CEO Suzanne Nossel said “embodied the spirit of a free Russia with a spine of steel, unremitting determination and a spirit of derring-do.” (PEN America)
PEN America’s Anh-Thu Vo, alongside PEN International and the Vietnamese PEN Abroad Centre, delivered an oral statement at the U.N. Human Rights Council providing recommendations to protect writers and dissidents at risk in Vietnam. (Read the joint Universal Periodic Review submission.)
Julie Trébault of our Artists at Risk Connection wrote a letter to the editor of the Economist about our work to protect Ukrainian art. “As long as art exists, there remains hope for a brighter future.”
PEN America urged Congress to pass landmark legislation to protect human rights defenders abroad as they face reprisals from their own governments. (PEN America)
The Most Important Writing Exercise I’ve Ever Assigned (The New York Times)
‘The war has become the background of life’ — Andrey Kurkov on Ukraine two years on (The Financial Times)
Oregon lawmaker’s ‘simple’ attempt to push back against book bans becomes culture war flash point (Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Oklahoma Teen Bullied for Gender Identity Died After School Altercation (The Washington Post)
Some Authors Were Left Out of Awards Held in China. Leaked Emails Show Why. (The New York Times)
"I was mainly inspired by wanting to write a story where there is no chosen one; where everyone is chosen and magical, simply because we exist."
- Kacen Callender
TRENDING @ PENAMERICA
A coalition of authors including Khaled Hosseini, Maia Kobabe, and Molly Knox signed a letter with PEN America protesting book bans by schools in Rockingham County, Virginia.
Books pulled from shelves for review include: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Tricks by Ellen Hopkins, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, Beloved by Toni Morrison, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and Heartstopper by Alice Oseman.
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