Writing as a Political Act
Writers all too often become targets for restrictive regimes because of what they represent: the ability to imagine a different future. For the annual Day of the Imprisoned Writer, novelist and PEN America Vice President Dinaw Mengestu moderated a panel spotlighting writers imprisoned around the world, including 2023 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award honoree Pham Doan Trang , called “the freest person in Vietnam because she liberates her mind.”
Read more and watch the discussion >> [[link removed]]
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Disinformation in the 2024 Election
How did disinformation affect the election? We spoke to New York Times reporter Steven Lee Myers , who covers mis- and disinformation, about what changed in 2024, and asked Matt Ewalt of the Texas Tribune about how he’s using “live journalism” to fight the headwinds of disinformation.
Read the latest Facts Forward interviews >> [[link removed]]
Member Spotlight
This week’s Member Spotlight features A Murder of Hate by Yasin Kakande . Fast-paced, thought-provoking, and utterly original, this gripping crime thriller immerses readers in a world where murder, politics, and international diplomacy collide in a dangerous web of deceit and desire. [link removed] [[link removed]]
Check out A Murder of Hate >> [[link removed]]
View 2024 publications by PEN America Members here >> [[link removed]]
PEN America Reads
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The PEN Ten Interviews
In our latest PEN Ten interviews, Inês Viegas Oliveira and translator Rosa Churcher Clarke discussed their latest book, The Duel: A Story About Peace , a poignant tale about a duel that never takes place, and award-winning writer Maame Blue talked about the sense of place at the heart of Black British culture in her latest novel, The Rest of You.
Read the Interviews >> [[link removed]]
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Reading Our Way Through
It’s a time of change. A time of conflict in the world. A time where many people feel less safe than they once did. For the staff at PEN America, reading literature is always important, never more so than now. Here are our suggestions on what to read in this moment.
See the list >> [[link removed]]
PEN America Events
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Wed. December 4, 2024
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
Abusive trolls are joining forces to disproportionately target writers and journalists —especially those who identify as women, LGBTQ+, or POC—to intimidate, discredit, and silence them. Each and every one of us can be an ally. Join PEN America and Right To Be [[link removed]] for this interactive training, where we’ll offer the tools needed to intervene safely and effectively when witnessing online abuse using Right To Be’s 5 Ds of Bystander Intervention.
Learn more >> [[link removed]]
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Thu. December 12, 2024
8:00 PM ET
Join us for an evening of poetry and community. The four poets of the inaugural cohort of PEN Across America’s Poets Across Lines — Arlo Pate and Kevin L. Tarver in Birmingham and Kevin Sanchez and RuthAnn in Tucson – will read poems created during the program. The poems center around the themes of housing, immigration, and LGBTQIA+ identity, amplifying poets from communities underserved by the traditional literary establishment. Program mentors Erika Wade and Gabriel Dozal , and advisors Salaam Green and Ofelia Montelongo will give introductions and readings.
Learn more >> [[link removed]]
PEN America in the News
* Our America’s Censored Classrooms [[link removed]] report was cited in a story about how Republicans are targeting social studies to curb ideas they don’t like. ( The New York Times [[link removed]] )


* Freedom to Learn Program Director Jeremy C. Young wrote that it’s time for public college presidents to stand up against educational censorship. ( Newsweek [[link removed]] )


* Young called the University of North Texas’ removal of the terms "gender," "race," "class," and "equity" from many class titles and descriptions “extreme overcompliance” with a new state law. ( Texas Tribune [[link removed]] )


* Freedom to Read Program Director Kasey Meehan spoke about Florida’s list of hundreds of books pulled from school libraries. ( The Associated Press [[link removed]] )


* Meehan , Freedom to Read Consultant Tasslyn Magnusson and Board Member Jodi Picoult spoke about Trump’s promises to conservatives raising fears about more book bans. ( Los Angeles Times [[link removed]] )


* The PEN America Translation Committee condemned a Dutch publisher’s use of artificial intelligence for translations. ( Publishers Weekly [[link removed]] )


* Board member Jodi Picoult spoke about banned books with Ali Velshi. ( MSNBC [[link removed]] )


* American Indians in Children’s Literature [[link removed]] wrote about our interview with Dr. Debbie Reese .
Quote of the Week
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“It’s impossible, even under the most restrictive regimes, to control language and the imagination that fuels it.”
— PEN America Vice President Dinaw Mengestu
Trending on PEN America
Wicked : You may not have access to read the book in many school districts across the country. But you CAN watch the movie! From the comments: “Of course it has been banned. It’s an all too relevant tale about an authoritarian who unites the masses against a common enemy and uses deception as a political weapon.” [link removed] [[link removed]]
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