Dare to Speak: A Reading List

The PEN Pod

PEN America's daily podcast

› On Race, Place, and Belonging with Sejal Shah: "I think that when we describe the particularities of a place that we can see that there are so many individual stories." 

› On Systemic Racism in Hollywood with Michelle Amor, Hilliard Guess, and Bianca Sams from the Writers Guild of America West: "I’m big on writing stories, and no one should be telling our story but us. Period." 

› Confronting a History of Hate with Seyward Darby: "White nationalism is just what white supremacy looks like when you see it in a funhouse mirror. It’s distorted, but really, it’s familiar." 

› A Reckoning in Hollywood with Kim Masters: "True power—defined as the ability to get something made because you feel like it...is in very few hands."  

Just Press Play

Writers bring you the music they love

› Just Press Play with Abdellah Taïa: Abdellah Taïa, the first openly gay Arab writer from Morocco, dedicates his playlist to the planet we call home. 

› Just Press Play with Chigozie Obioma: Chigozie Obioma, author of The Fishermen and An Orchestra of Minorities, both finalists for the Booker Prize, shares a playlist of songs that he writes to.

› Just Press Play with Bela Shayevich: Bela Shayevich, the visual artist, writer, and translator who is best known for translating Svetlana Alexievich’s Secondhand Time, provides a darkwave playlist with happy vibes.