Having spent much of my career in Vladimir Putin's Russia I have witnessed firsthand the dangers of a power-hungry government that treats truth as a weapon.
In today's climate where fraudulent news is fast-spreading, press freedom is under attack, and language is being distorted in the service of authoritarian control, we all need to fight back.
One of the most potent ways to gird against creeping autocracy is by supporting PEN America. PEN America's work to defend free expression, resist encroachments on press freedom, defend writers at risk, and amplify voices others are trying to silence has never been more essential. In the last year, PEN America has stepped up by mobilizing supporters in all 50 states and creating 6 chapters in Birmingham, Detroit, Austin, Dallas, Tulsa and the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The successful defense of truth and open discourse cannot be left up to those on the coasts - it depends on citizens in cities and communities nationwide.
That's why I am proud to be a PEN America Trustee.
