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.” |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 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.
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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.
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Our America’s Censored Classrooms report was cited in a story about how Republicans are targeting social studies to curb ideas they don’t like. (The New York Times)
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Freedom to Learn Program Director Jeremy C. Young wrote that it’s time for public college presidents to stand up against educational censorship. (Newsweek)
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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)
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Freedom to Read Program Director Kasey Meehan spoke about Florida’s list of hundreds of books pulled from school libraries. (The Associated Press)
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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)
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The PEN America Translation Committee condemned a Dutch publisher’s use of artificial intelligence for translations. (Publishers Weekly)
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Board member Jodi Picoult spoke about banned books with Ali Velshi. (MSNBC)
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American Indians in Children’s Literature wrote about our interview with Dr. Debbie Reese.
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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 |
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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.”
Check it out >> |
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