As students return to campus ready to protest, many universities have changed their policies about demonstrations. “Universities have a difficult task this fall,” said Kristen Shahverdian, program director of campus free speech at PEN America. “They have an obligation to protect their students’ free speech rights and promote open dialogue, recognizing that student protests are a long-standing feature of campus life, while also ensuring that protests do not disrupt core university functions, like classes or speaking engagements.”
CEO Suzanne Nossel wrote about the threat that artificial intelligence poses on elections and democracy. “That deepfakes haven’t yet deep-sixed an election should not be grounds for tech executives to rest easy,” Nossel wrote. “Instead, they should double down on imagining, tracking, and analyzing AI’s ramifications for democracy.”
At a time when Vladimir Putin is stepping up suppression of journalism in Russia, a PEN America project aims to preserve more than two decades of independent media. The Russian Independent Media Archive (RIMA) – a project developed in partnership with Bard College – is a searchable database that preserves work by independent Russian reporters and editors whose newspapers, websites, magazines and television stations have been destroyed or sent into exile.
This week’s Member Spotlight features PEN America Member Gabriel Spera'sTwisted Pairs, which explores the complexities and contradictions of modern life through vivid, emotionally charged poems. Spera probes both the radiance and ruthlessness of the natural world, finding glimpses of grace amidst grief. A runner-up for the 2022 Able Muse Book Award, Twisted Pairs paints a nuanced picture of the joy and sorrow inherent in the human condition.
During Banned Books Week, City Lights and PEN America bring human rights advocates and legal experts to discuss the alarming rise in book bans across the country. They share insights, observations, and methods to counter the suppression of books that address issues pertaining to race, gender, and sexuality. Ever timely, their conversation is a powerful call to action to stand up for the freedom to read.
The latest PEN Ten features Dimitri Nasrallah, whose latest novel Hotline (Other Press, 2024) offers a stirring look into the immigrant experience. Set in the 1980s, Hotline follows recently widowed single mother Muna through her transition to Canada after she flees civil war in Lebanon. In conversation with the World Voices Festival & Literary Programs Intern Esmé O’BrienSmith, Nasrallah discusses his own childhood memories, the intricacies of language in a transitory state, and the universality of beginning anew.
As an investigative journalist in Venezuela, Tamoa Calzadilla saw firsthand what happens when news and information become battlegrounds for autocracy. Today, as editor-in-chief at Factchequeado, a Spanish-language fact-checking and information hub, she helps make sure that Latino communities in the United States have access to accurate, trustworthy information.
Washington Managing Director Hadar Harris greeted newly freed journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, after many people at PEN advocated on Alsu's behalf.
Freedom to Read Program Director Kasey Meehan spoke about Utah’s “No-Read List,” banning 13 books statewide, and whether more states could follow. (NPR)
Sabrina Baêta, Freedom to Read program manager, spoke about PEN America’s partnership with Little Free Libraries to create an interactive map of book ban hot spots and libraries accepting donations. (Publishers Weekly)
Freedom to Learn Program Director Jeremy C. Young spoke about a growing wave of conservative criticism suggesting that academe should avoid taking a stance on contentious issues. (Inside Higher Ed)
Young also spoke to University World News about what’s happening at New College of Florida, where hundreds of books were tossed in a dumpster. (University World News)
Inside Higher Ed took note of our latest hire – Amy Reid, a New College faculty chair and Board of Trustees member who has taken leave to defend free expression. (Inside Higher Ed)
As part of the U.S. Election Safety Summer series with the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Women’s Media Foundation, PEN America’s digital safety experts Viktorya Vilk and Jeje Mohamed trained journalists to protect against doxing, hacking, and impersonation. (PEN America)
Senior Program Manager for Disinformation and Community Engagement Kurt Sampsel, was joined by Wilkine Brutus, a producer and host at WLRN, and Laura Zommer, co-founder of Factchequeado for a webinar on the importance of fact-checking. (PEN America)
PEN America’s book ban research was cited in reports about Amanda Jones’ new book, That Librarian, about the harassment she received over LGBTQ+ content in the library. (MSNBC)
PEN America- New York:
120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271 PEN America- Washington, DC:
1100 13th Street, NW, Washington, DC xxxxxx PEN America- Los Angeles:
1370 N. Saint Andrews Place, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
