Podcasts by The PEN Pod
As an organization that's all about the literary community, PEN America knows that the ongoing health crisis is hitting our Members and friends particularly hard. The PEN Pod is meant to provide regular updates and conversations about literature and free expression, and provide an outlet for literary celebration as in-person events remain few and far between.
Join the conversation online at pen.org and on our social channels @PENAmerica. Thanks for tuning in. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/penamerica/support
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Tough Questions About 2021; Plus, That's a Wrap from 2021-12-24T09:00
On this very final episode of The PEN Pod, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel talks about free speech in 2021, from the Capitol Hill insurrection to calls to ban books and entire topics from America...
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Artistic Freedom in Myanmar; Plus, Tough Questions on Disinformation, Trump Texts, and Free Speech Battles Ahead from 2021-12-17T08:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we speak to two experts on the situation for free expression in Myanmar nearly one year since the coup. Then, Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, joins for our la...
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The Perils of Self-Censorship; Plus, Tough Questions on Fighting Book Bans and What Democracy Really Means from 2021-12-10T08:00
On this week's episode of The PEN Pod, we bring you a conversation about self-censorship among PEN America's own Ayad Akhtar, Suzanne Nossel, and Jennifer Finney Boylan, alongside Wajahat Ali, J...
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Tough Questions: Peng Shuai, 'Simpsons' and Censorship, and Critical Race Theory Taboos from 2021-12-03T08:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel answers tough questions about a silenced Chinese tennis star; how Disney self-censored in the face of cross-border censorship; and ...
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The Perishing with Natashia Deón; Plus, Tough Questions on Biden and China, Myanmar, and a Free Speech University from 2021-11-19T08:00
On this episode of The PEN Pod, author, attorney, and activist Natashia Deón on her new book THE PERISHING, as well as themes of redemption and immortality in her work and writing. Then, PEN Ame...
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Book Banning and Educational Gag Orders; Plus, Anthony Doerr and Cloud Cuckoo Land from 2021-11-12T08:00
On today's episode of The PEN Pod, award-winning author Anthony Doerr talks to PEN America's Jane Marchant about his latest work CLOUD CUCKOO LAND. George M. Johnson reflects on efforts to ban t...
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Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed with Saraciea J. Fennell; Plus, Tough Questions on Facial Recognition, NSO Group, and Local News from 2021-11-05T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, PEN America's Jared Jackson interviews The Bronx Is Reading founder Saraciea J. Fennell on her debut anthology Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Lat...
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Dreaming of You with Melissa Lozada-Oliva from 2021-10-29T07:00
On this week's episode of The PEN Pod, our own Jared Jackson speaks to poet and podcaster Melissa Lozada-Oliva about her work in verse, Dreaming of You.
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When High School Students Defeat a Book Ban from 2021-10-22T07:00
On this special edition of The PEN Pod, we hear the voices of three students and a teacher who helped overturn a pernicious book ban in their home town of York, Pennsylvania.
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Subway Book Review with Uli Beutter Cohen; Plus, Tough Questions on Dave Chapelle, Protecting Journalists, and Facebook Revelations from 2021-10-15T07:00
On this episode of The PEN Pod Jared Jackson, PEN America’s manager of literary programs, speaks with Uli Beutter Cohen, creator of Listen
The Legacy of Hurricane Maria; Plus, Tough Questions on Campus Speakers, Facebook Whistleblowers, and the Freedom to Write from 2021-10-08T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we explore the legacy of Hurricane Maria, which is subject of a new book called Mi María: Surviving the Storm. We talk to one of the project's editors as well as ...
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Dan O'Brien on Writing, Trauma, and Optimism; Plus, Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel from 2021-09-24T07:00
On this week's episode of The PEN Pod, playwright and poet Dan O'Brien is out with a new essay collection and a new collection of poetry, that together weave in accounts of resilience and trauma...
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A BBC Reporter Expelled from Russia: Then, Tough Questions on Book Bans, a Texas Abortion Law, and Supporting Exiles Worldwide from 2021-09-17T07:00
On this week's episode of The PEN Pod, BBC journalist Sarah Rainsford joins to discuss her abrupt expulsion from Russia, what it means for free expression, and the limits of press freedom in tod...
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The Promise of a Robust Public Defense; Plus, Dallas' Literary Community from 2021-09-10T07:00
This week on The PEN Pod, we catch up with attorney and author Jonathan Rapping, author of GIDEON'S PROMISE and leader of an organization charged with harnessing the voices of public defenders t...
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Renewing New Orleans Through Literature with Maurice Carlos Ruffin; Plus, the War on Terror with Spencer Ackerman from 2021-09-03T07:00
On this week's extended edition of The PEN Pod, we get the latest on Hurricane Ida and its impact on the New Orleans literary community from author Maurice Carlos Ruffin. Then, Pulitzer Prize-wi...
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Leaving Behind a Deadly Digital Trail in Afghanistan from 2021-08-27T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we have an in-depth interview with PEN America's own Matt Bailey, who walks us through the perils facing Afghans who've been sharing details of their lives on soc...
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Navigating the Debacle in Afghanistan: George Packer and Ayad Akhtar, Plus the Future for Afghan Women from 2021-08-20T07:00
On this special edition of The PEN Pod, we focus on the fall of the US-backed government in Afghanistan. First, we have a conversation between PEN America president Ayad Akhtar and journalist an...
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Attacking Racism Through National Solidarity; Plus, Tough Questions on Belarus, Misinformation, and a Texas Book Ban from 2021-08-13T10:52:47
Former Navy commander and scholar Theodore Johnson's new book When the Stars Begin to Fall lays out the case for how a new form of national solidarity modeled on Black solidarity could help us inch...
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Queering an Epic Tale; Plus, Tough Questions on the Olympics, Facebook Shutting Down Research, and Protest Laws from 2021-08-06T07:00
On this week's episode, we bring you a second conversation with one of the contributors to DREAMing Out Loud, our annual anthology of writings from migrant writers who took part in our writing w...
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DREAMing Out Loud; Plus, Tough Questions on the Insurrection Hearings, COVID Vaccines, and Russia's Vendetta Against the Press from 2021-07-30T07:00
This week's PEN Pod focuses on DREAMing Out Loud, the anthology of written works from young migrant writers here in New York City. We talk to one of this year's stellar contributors. Then, we tu...
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Belarus Opposition Leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya; the Pegasus Spyware Scandal; Tough Question on the Olympics and Vaccine Disinformation from 2021-07-23T07:00
On this episode of The PEN Pod, we're joined by Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya just as authorities in that country have given notice that they intend to dissolve our siste...
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Bring Danny Home; Plus, Iran Attempts to Arrest an American Writer from 2021-07-16T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to writer and cartoonist Amy Kurzweil, who is leading a campaign to free her cousin Danny Fenster, a journalist detained in Myanmar earlier this spring. S...
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Fighting Back Against Hate with Brad Hoylman; Plus Tough Questions about Censorship, Academic Freedom, and Hate Speech from 2021-07-02T07:00
On this week's edition of The PEN Pod, New York state Senator Brad Hoylman joins us to discuss his bill that would help track hate crimes in New York. Then, Suzanne Nossel discusses how policyma...
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Queer Poem a Day; Plus, Tough Questions on Belarus, a Cussing Cheerleader, and Hong Kong from 2021-06-25T07:00
On this episode of The PEN Pod, we talk to podcast hosts Lisa Hiton and Dylan Zavagno who produce Queer Poem a Day, a podcast series of ...
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The M Word: Centering Muslim American Voices from 2021-06-22T07:00
On this special edition of The PEN Pod, we introduce a weeklong town hall series called The M Word, centering American Muslim voices through live, in-person, and virtual conversations that bring...
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Tough Questions on Iran, Digital Sovereignty, and Divisive Topics; Plus, Crimea Seven Years After the Occupation from 2021-06-18T07:00
Today on The PEN Pod, we discuss the state of free expression in Iran, digital sovereignty and the splintering of a free internet, and the teaching of divisive topics as part of our weekly Tough...
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Zakiya Dalila Harris and The Other Black Girl; Plus, Tough Questions on COVID, Reporters' Emails, and Critical Race Theory from 2021-06-11T12:52:35
On this week's edition, we're back with breakout debut novelist Zakiya Dalila Harris discussing her novel THE OTHER BLACK GIRL with PEN America's Jared Jackson. Then, a new installment of tough ...
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The Russian Key; Plus, Tough Questions on Belarus, Content Takedowns, and Media Personnel Decisions from 2021-05-28T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we discuss with human rights leader Jeri Laber her new work of fiction, The Russian Key, a Cold War tale of intrigue with lessons for today's global crises. And S...
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Festival Day Five: Brian Broome and Unapologetic Memoir from 2021-05-22T10:43:09
On this final day of the 2021 PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, our Jared Jackson sits down with Brian Broome to discuss his debut memoir Punch Me Up to the Gods. Plus, we take...
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Festival Day Four: Kawai Strong Washburn and Magical Storytelling from 2021-05-21T10:03:47
As we enter the penultimate day of the PEN World Voices Festival, we hear from PEN/Hemingway Award winner Kawai Strong Washburn about myth-making, magic, and storytelling. Plus we look at what the ...
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Festival Day Three: Torrey Peters and Liberation Literature from 2021-05-20T07:00
On today's special edition of The PEN Pod, we bring you a conversation with author of Detransition, Baby Torrey Peters—featured in this week's PEN World Voices Festival—on family dynami...
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Festival Day Two: Allison Markin Powell and Gabriella Page-Fort, and Bringing Translated Literature to Vast Audiences from 2021-05-19T07:00
On this special edition of The PEN Pod, our Nancy Vitale talks to Allison Markin Powell and Gabriella Page-Fort about bringing translated literature to a wide audience. And we preview the day ah...
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Festival Day One: Masha Gessen, Ayad Akhtar, and the PEN World Voices Festival from 2021-05-18T07:00
As we dive into the first day of the 2021 PEN World Voices Festival, we talk to virtual co-hosts Ayad Akhtar and Masha Gessen, who share their thoughts on a global virtual festival as we still c...
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Special: Previewing the PEN World Voices Festival with Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf from 2021-05-17T11:54:23
On this special edition of The PEN Pod, we look ahead to this week's PEN World Voices Festival of International literature, a global convening of writers and readers that will gather to celebrate t...
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Love Letters Across Los Angeles; Plus, Tough Questions on Protest Rights, Iran, and Local News from 2021-05-14T07:00
On this week's edition of The PEN Pod, Leila Hamidi, Jerry Quickly, and Yesika Salgado discuss "Love Letters in Light," a scrolling display of short love letters across the front of Los Angeles ...
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Tough Questions on Facebook and Free Speech; Plus, an English Professor Fired for Speaking Out from 2021-05-07T07:00
What does the Oversight Board's decision say about free speech on Facebook? How is adherence to disinformation becoming a litmus test in the Republican Party? Our CEO Suzanne Nossel weighs in on...
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Tough Questions on the Tough Calls in Publishing; Plus, Teens for Press Freedom from 2021-04-30T07:00
PEN America's CEO Suzanne Nossel talks about the pressures facing publishing, especially when it comes to a Philip Roth biography and a Mike Pence book deal. Then, a new generation takes up the ...
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The Freedom to Write; Plus, Tough Questions on Imprisoned Writers, Mike Pence, and the George Floyd Verdict from 2021-04-23T07:00
On this week's episode, we explore the latest Freedom to Write Index from PEN America, outlining the number of writers imprisoned around the world; we walk through the findings with Ver...
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Futureproof with Kevin Roose; Plus, Tough Questions on AI, Turkey, and Protest Rights from 2021-04-16T09:06:20
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to New York Times journalist Kevin Roose about his new book FUTUREPROOF. Then, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel fields tough questions about artificial intelli...
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Libertie with Kaitlyn Greenidge; Then, Tough Questions on Beijing, Corporate Free Speech, and Acts of Courage from 2021-04-09T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, our Jared Jackson talks to Kaitlyn Greenidge about her second novel, LIBERTIE. Then, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel on the limits of corporate speech, a potential...
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No Excuse for Online Abuse; Then, Tough Questions on Myanmar, Anti-Trans Legislation, and Fighting Hatred Online from 2021-04-02T07:00
This week on The PEN Pod, a special edition focusing on the scourge of online abuse. PEN America is out with a new report on the impacts of online hate—and how platforms like Facebook and Twitte...
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Your Voice Is Your Superpower; Then, Tough Questions on Social Media, Police and Protests, and Saudi Accountability from 2021-03-26T07:00
On this week's edition, we get to the bottom of Thursday's big tech CEO hearing on Capitol Hill, discuss the police's mishandling of last summer's demonstrations, and examine a death threat issu...
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A Texas Professor Puts It All on the Line; Plus, Tough Questions on Saudi Arabia, Protest Rights, and Vaccine Hesitancy from 2021-03-19T07:00
For this week's episode, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel recounts the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia, the global crackdown on protest, and vaccine hesitancy among Republicans. Then, PEN A...
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How Beautiful We Were with Imbolo Mbue; Plus, Tough Questions on Big Tech, Antitrust, and the Supreme Court from 2021-03-12T08:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, our Jared Jackson interviews author Imbolo Mbue, who's new novel HOW BEAUTIFUL WE WERE reckons with big corporations and the fight for a cleaner world. Then, PEN ...
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Facebook Lifts Its Political Ad Ban, Dr. Seuss, and Bloodshed in Myanmar; Plus, Author Sanderia Faye on Literary Activism from 2021-03-05T08:00
On this edition for March 5, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel fields tough questions on Facebook lifting its political ad ban, an inflated controversy around Dr. Seuss, and the ongoing crackdown a...
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Economy Hall and Black History with Fatima Shaik; Plus, Tough Questions on the Big Lie, Cancel Culture, and Alexei Navalny from 2021-02-26T08:00
On this week's edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to author Fatima Shaik about her latest book Economy Hall, which tells the intricate tale of a free Black community that spanned the 19th ...
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PEN America Settles Its Landmark Trump Lawsuit; Facebook and Cancel Culture; Plus Abraham Riseman's Take on the Life of Stan Lee from 2021-02-19T08:00
On this celebratory edition of The PEN Pod, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel walks us through the organization's legal victory in its settlement with the U.S. government over former President Trum...
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PEN America Literary Award Finalists; Plus, Tough Questions about a New York Times Reporter, the Impeachment, and a Saudi Activist Released from 2021-02-12T08:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, PEN America's Jane Marchant joins award-winning author Sandra Cisneros to talk about the release of our Literary Award Finalists, announced this week. Then in our...
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Aftershocks with Nadia Owusu; and Tough Questions on Russia, Myanmar, and Impeachment from 2021-02-05T08:00
Memoirist Nadia Owusu joins The PEN Pod this week to talk her new memoir AFTERSHOCKS, about her life on the fault lines after a global childhood and her own battles with mental illness. Then we ...
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Two Debut Queer Brazilian YA Novelists; Plus, Suzanne Nossel on Muzzling, Facebook, and a Free Press from 2021-01-29T08:00
On this week's edition of The PEN Pod, we hear from a pair of debut Brazilian YA authors Lucas Rocha, author of Listen
Defending Free Expression in the Biden Era; Plus, Koa Beck on White Feminism from 2021-01-22T08:00
On this week's PEN Pod, Suzanne Nossel explores how free expression defense will change under a Biden administration and where writers and readers will have to keep up the fight. Then, author an...
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George Saunders on the Craft of Short Fiction; Plus, Suzanne Nossel on the Impeachment and Incitement from 2021-01-15T08:00
On this episode of The PEN Pod, bestselling author George Saunders on his new book A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, the art of short fiction, and what we can glean from Russian literature in our cu...
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Tough Questions about Wednesday's Insurrection on Capitol Hill with Suzanne Nossel from 2021-01-08T08:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we unpack Wednesday's horrific attack on the Capitol by Trump-led supporters with PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel. In our weekly "Tough Questions" segment, we revi...
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Tough Questions About Truth, TikTok, and Tehran with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-12-18T08:00
On this last installment of Tough Questions for 2020, Suzanne Nossel reflects on how disinformation about the election may hobble the efforts of the next administration; she explores the outrage...
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Sandy Mui and COVID-19's Toll on Journalism from 2020-12-15T08:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we explore the impact COVID-19 has had on journalists and journalism, particularly when it comes to local news. In a new project out today, PEN America's own Sand...
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Barack Obama and the Freedom to Write; Plus, Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-12-11T08:00
We kick off this gala week episode with our weekly TOUGH QUESTIONS segment, where PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel unpacks the tricky free speech questions that came up over the past week; on this...
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Black Futures with Jenna Wortham and Kimberly Drew; Plus, Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-12-04T08:00
On this Friday edition of The PEN Pod, we discuss the vanguard of Black art and creativity with Jenna Wortham and Kimberly Drew, out this month with their new collection BLACK FUTURES. Then, Suz...
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Micheline Aharonian Marcom and The New American; Plus, Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-11-20T08:00
Micheline Aharonian Marcom discusses her latest novel, The New American, telling the story of a young immigrant forced to leave the home he knows. Then, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel fields tou...
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Nova Ren Suma, Emily X.R. Pan, and Foreshadow from 2020-11-17T08:00
Young adult bestselling writers Nova Ren Suma and Emily X.R. Pan join this edition of The PEN Pod to discuss their new YA anthology Foreshadow, as well as the broader landscape of the e...
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Tough Questions About a Petulant President; Plus, Ruby Hamad and White Tears/Brown Scars from 2020-11-13T08:00
As the president continues his campaign of disinformation, our CEO Suzanne Nossel discusses how he's damaging our information infrastructure, but also the heartening steps journalists have taken...
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Julia Rose Kraut and Threat of Dissent from 2020-11-10T08:00
The United States has long heralded itself as a place where dissenters are welcome. But the country has a long history of ideological exclusion that stretches to present day. We discuss th...
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Tough Questions About Election Week; Plus, Rhonda Mitchell and Writing the Now from 2020-11-06T08:00
It's been a heckuva an election week. We turn to free speech expert and PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel to discuss the tough questions this campaign has presented over the past few months; how to...
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Special: Election Day with PEN America featuring Nora Benavidez, Natalie Diaz, and Alice Randall from 2020-11-03T08:00
On this special edition for Election Day 2020, we have a conversation with PEN America expert Nora Benavidez on what to expect in the coming hours and days, how to prepare for disinformation, an...
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Tough Questions on What to Expect in the Coming Days; Plus, Kevin Young on Poetry, Museums, and Our Shared History from 2020-10-30T07:00
On this Friday edition of The PEN Pod, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel discusses what to expect as we head into the final stretch of the campaign season; our decision to honor the young woman who...
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We Will Emerge: Laila Lalami from 2020-10-29T07:00
In this special edition of The PEN Pod, we share one in a series of essays from writers across the country sharing their hopes and anxieties in advance of Election Day. Here, novelist Laila Lala...
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We Will Emerge: Jean Guerrero from 2020-10-28T07:00
In this special edition of The PEN Pod, we share one in a series of essays from writers across the country sharing their hopes and anxieties in advance of Election Day. Here, author and journali...
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Tami Charles and All Because You Matter from 2020-10-27T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, our Gina Chung speaks with bestselling children's and young adult writer Tami Charles about her new book, All Because You Matter, providing a starting point for p...
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Tough Questions on the Election, Disinformation, and Social Media; Plus, Yun Ko-eun and The Disaster Tourist from 2020-10-23T07:00
On this edition for Friday, October 23, we talk tough questions with PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel, focusing on the days of disinformation ahead and how the social media platforms are rea...
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David Heska Wanbli Weiden and Winter Counts; Plus, Matt Bailey on Facebook, Twitter, and the New York Post from 2020-10-20T07:00
On this Tuesday edition of The PEN Pod, we bring you an interview with debut novelist David Heska Wanbli Weiden, whose new book Winter Counts is a thriller that also explores the tension between...
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Michi Trota and Storytelling; Plus, Suzanne Nossel on Facebook, the New York Post, and China's Higher Ed Influence from 2020-10-16T07:00
On this episode, PEN America's Gina Chung talks storytelling, representation, and elevating new voices with writer and editor Michi Trota. Then, CEO Suzanne Nossel explores the free speech contr...
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Behind the Decision Desk: A Conversation with AP, CNN, and Fox News from 2020-10-15T07:00
On this special edition, we bring you a conversation among the top decision desk editors from AP, CNN, and Fox News. Ray Suarez moderates our #WhatToExpect2020 roundtable with Sally Buzbee, Seni...
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Lisa Jewell and Invisible Girl from 2020-10-13T07:00
Author Lisa Jewell joins The PEN Pod today to discuss her latest thriller Invisible Girl, out in the U.S. today. The novel explores the disappearance of a young woman and the dark corne...
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Fredrik Backman and Anxious People; Plus, Suzanne Nossel on Trump's Diagnosis, the Debates, and Campus Speech from 2020-10-09T07:00
On this episode, our Gina Chung talks to award-winning bestseller Fredrik Backman about his latest book Anxious People and how he blends mystery and comedy. Plus, our Suzanne Nossel fie...
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Bill Konigsberg and The Bridge from 2020-10-06T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, our Gina Chung in conversation with young adult author Bill Konigsberg. He reflects on his latest novel, what it means to openly reckon with mental illness, and h...
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Eddie Cole and The Campus Color Line; Plus, Tough Questions About the Debate and #WhatToExpect2020 from 2020-10-02T07:00
On this Friday episode, our Jonathan Friedman interviews scholar Eddie Cole about his new book exploring the role college presidents have played in shaping and derailing racial equity in America...
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K-Ming Chang and Bestiary from 2020-09-29T07:00
Writer and recently named "Five Under 35" author K-Ming Chang talks about her debut novel BESTIARY with PEN America's Gina Chung. They dive into the book's multi-generational tale of Taiwanese A...
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Belarus Breakdown with Hanna Komar; Plus, Tough Questions About Trump, Journalists, and the Oscars from 2020-09-25T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we get a sense of the situation on the ground in Minsk with our PEN Belarus colleague Hanna Komar, arrested earlier this month for participating in anti-governmen...
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Tina Vasquez and Movement Journalism from 2020-09-22T07:00
Today's episode of The PEN Pod explores movement journalism, which seeks to center the people, places, and ideas often left out of mainstream coverage. Journalist Tina Vasquez explores the press...
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Emily Ramshaw and THE 19TH; Plus Tough Questions About Disinformation, Campus Speech, and John Bolton from 2020-09-18T07:00
On this Friday edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to Emily Ramshaw at the new reporting outlet The 19th, reporting on gender and policy at a time when that kind of reporting couldn't be more crucia...
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Homeland Elegies and Ayad Akhtar; Plus Resistance in Belarus from 2020-09-15T07:00
It's publication day for Pulitzer winner and incoming PEN America president Ayad Akhtar. He talks about his new book, Homeland Elegies, which launches tonight at a special virtual PEN O...
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Jean Guerrero and Hatemonger; Plus Suzanne Nossel Fields Tough Questions from 2020-09-11T07:00
Jean Guerrero is author of the new book Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda. She joins us to talk about how Miller's rise has coincided with the r...
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Maaza Mengiste and The Shadow King from 2020-09-08T07:00
We're back for an all-new season and an interview with Maaza Mengiste, whose book The Shadow King is now out in paperback — and has been longlisted for the Booker Prize. We talk about ...
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Encore: This Moment Will Change Literally Everything with Franklin Leonard from 2020-09-04T07:00
On this encore episode, we talk to film executive and PEN America board member Franklin Leonard on the coronavirus crisis' impact on screenwriters and the dynamic in Hollywood.
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BONUS: Faith and Science, A Conversation with Yaa Gyasi from 2020-09-01T07:00
Author Yaa Gyasi's new book TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM publishes today, and tonight she joins PEN America for PEN OUT LOUD, our hallmark conversation series, for a talk with acclaimed writer Roxane Ga...
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Encore: Mental Health and the Outbreak With Andrew Solomon from 2020-08-28T07:00
As the national debate over balancing the risks of social isolation heats up, author and clinical psychologist Andrew Solomon discusses the consequences for mental health.
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Encore: The Magic of Writing with Bernardine Evaristo from 2020-08-25T07:00
On this edition, we talk to British author Bernardine Evaristo about her latest novel and how she was able to assemble its incredible assortment of characters.
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Encore: The Spiritual Urgency of Poetry with Carolyn Forché from 2020-08-21T07:00
On today's episode, poet and activist Carolyn Forché shares insights on the power of poetry, the concepts of migration and movement during a lockdown, and reads from her new collection.
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Encore: Cities and Our Future with N.K. Jemisin from 2020-08-18T07:00
On this episode, we talk to Hugo Award winning author N.K. Jemisin about reckoning with real themes in a fantasy world.
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Encore: Jennifer Egan on Recovering From Coronavirus, Shaping Opportunity From Cataclysm from 2020-08-14T07:00
On this episode, PEN America president Jennifer Egan discusses her own bout with a suspected case of coronavirus and how we can pull together as a literary community.
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Encore: Unorthodox with Deborah Feldman from 2020-08-11T07:00
We speak to author of UNORTHODOX Deborah Feldman, whose hit memoir about leaving an ultra-religious Jewish community in Brooklyn is now the basis of a Netflix series.
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Episode 101: Tough Question, Young Adult Literature, A Brief Hiatus from 2020-08-07T07:00
In this episode, we speak to PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel about Trump, social media, and news deserts for our weekly TOUGH QUESTIONS segment. Then, Gina Chung talks to award-winning YA author ...
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Episode 100: Present in Courage with Nikky Finney from 2020-08-06T07:00
On this 100th episode of The PEN Pod, we talk to poet Nikky Finney, an award-winning writer and teacher. She reflects on how literary celebrations have been redefined amid the pandemic, how she'...
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Episode 99: Censorship in Hollywood with James Tager from 2020-08-05T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we discuss how Chinese government censorship has reached into Hollywood and the U.S. filmmaking industry. PEN America is out with a new report today looking at th...
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Episode 98: Building World in Memoir with David Adjmi from 2020-08-04T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to playwright David Adjmi whose first foray into nonfiction is out now, a memoir called LOT SIX. The book contends with his evolution as a writer, his vul...
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Episode 97: A Time To Be More Fearless with Sholeh Wolpe and Nathalie Handal from 2020-08-03T07:00
Two poets and writers discuss the power of literature at a moment like ours; how writing about diaspora and dislocation are powerful tools in the literary arsenal; and what they're telling their...
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Episode 96: Portland, Breaking Up the Social Media Giants, and Disinformation with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-07-31T07:00
This week, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel is out with her new book Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All. Even so, she makes time to parse through some of the biggest free speech...
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Episode 95: Memorial Drive with Natasha Trethewey from 2020-07-30T07:00
On this extended edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to Pulitzer winner and two-time U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey about her new memoir MEMORIAL DRIVE, a story that honors the life of her mot...
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Episode 94: Allying Against Online Harassment with Viktorya Vilk and Emily May from 2020-07-29T07:00
PEN America is launching a series of webinars teaching you how to support friends or colleagues who are enduring online harassment. PEN America is teaming up with Hollaback, the anti-harassment ...
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Episode 93: Dare to Speak with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-07-28T07:00
Today is publication day for PEN America's Suzanne Nossel. Her new book DARE TO SPEAK: DEFENDING FREE SPEECH FOR ALL goes on sale today, and her national book tour starts tonight. In this conver...
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Episode 92: Mentorship Remotely with Shannon Gatewood and Rachel M. Harper from 2020-07-27T07:00
Today we continue our series of conversations between PEN America Emerging Voices Fellows and their mentors. We speak with Shannon Gatewood and her mentor, novelist Rachel M. Harper, about the e...
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Episode 91: Portland, Michael Cohen, and Defending Speech with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-07-24T07:00
It's Friday, which means it's time for our weekly Tough Questions segment with PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel. We discuss the First Amendment implications of the showdowns in Portland, Michael C...
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Episode 90: Avoid the Obvious with Jaswinder Bolina from 2020-07-23T07:00
On today's edition, we speak with poet and writer Jaswinder Bolina, whose new essay collection OF COLOR just published this summer. He talks about how the text does and doesn't respond to our cu...
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Episode 89: Hollywood in Transition with Kim Masters from 2020-07-22T07:00
The entertainment industry is searching for ways out of the lockdown—while it also reckons with systemic racial inequalities. The Hollywood Reporter's Kim Masters walks us through just how Holly...
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Sisters in Hate with Seyward Darby from 2020-07-21T07:00
How has the far-right movement attracted so many people, in particular women? Reporter Seyward Darby has been documenting how three such individuals came to occupy positions of power within the ...
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Episode 87: Writing and Mentorship with M. Kiguwa and Antonia Crane from 2020-07-20T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we kick off our series of conversations with our Emerging Voices fellows and their mentors, starting with M. Kiguwa and her mentor Antonia Crane. They talk about ...
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Episode 86: Bari Weiss, White House Briefings, and Disinformation with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-07-17T07:00
On this Friday edition of The PEN Pod, we put our toughest questions about free speech to PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel, author of the forthcoming book DARE TO SPEAK: DEFENDING FREE SPEECH FOR ...
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Episode 85: Sex, Lies, and the Arab World with Leïla Slimani from 2020-07-16T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to author Leïla Slimani about her first non-fiction work, Sex and Lies: True Stories of Women's Intimate Lives in the Arab World. She profiles wo...
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Episode 84: Tearing Down Systemic Racism in Hollywood with Bianca Sams, Michelle Amor, and Hilliard Guess from 2020-07-15T07:00
On today's edition, we bring you a roundtable conversation with the leaders of the Black committee of writers at the Writers Guild of America West. We discuss how the pipeline for Black talent i...
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Episode 83: Race, Place, and Belonging with Sejal Shah from 2020-07-14T07:00
On this episode, PEN America's Gina Chung talks with author Sejal Shah, whose new memoir This Is One Way To Dance: Essays on Race, Place, & Belonging published this June. They discu...
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Episode 82: Catrachos with Roy G. Guzmán from 2020-07-13T07:00
On today's edition of The PEN Pod, we speak with poet Roy G. Guzmán about their debut collection of poems, Catrachos. They call it something like a Bildungsroman, a collection that refl...
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Episode 81: Tough Questions about Hong Kong, Tik Tok, and Harper's Magazine Letter with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-07-10T07:00
It's Friday, which means it's time for our weekly "Tough Questions" segment with PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel, author of the forthcoming book Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All Listen
Episode 80: Pressures on Kids Amid the Pandemic with Ed Lin from 2020-07-08T07:00
On this episode of The PEN Pod, we speak with YA author Ed Lin about his forthcoming book David Tung Can't Have a Girlfriend Until He Gets Into an Ivy League College, and on the pressur...
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Episode 79: We Are Living a Deeply Mythic Moment with Julia Alvarez from 2020-07-07T07:00
On this Tuesday edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to acclaimed writer Julia Alvarez about her new book AFTERLIFE; what we can learn about empathy from reading; and the parallels in writing books f...
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Episode 78: So Much to Unpack and Unlearn with Lynn Nottage and Jeremy O. Harris from 2020-07-06T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, playwrights Jeremy O. Harris and Lynn Nottage in conversation about the theater, its future, and abolishing the structures of anti-Blackness in the theater world....
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Episode 77: Social Media, Mary Trump, and Hong Kong Woes with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-07-03T07:00
As we head into the Independence Day weekend, we have an extended version of our weekly TOUGH QUESTIONS segment with PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel. In this edition, we talk social media platfor...
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Episode 76: Small Things We Cannot See That Change Our Lives with Ed Yong from 2020-07-02T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, PEN America's Gina Chung talks to science journalist Ed Yong about the missed signals of the COVID-19 pandemic, what we can learn from microbes, and how a splinte...
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Episode 75: No Reason Not to Produce More Plays with Jacqueline Goldfinger from 2020-07-01T07:00
On today's episode, we talk about playwriting amid the pandemic and how plays might be viewed through a new lens in the wake of a global virus. Then, we hear a conversation about justice and chi...
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Episode 74: Lakewood with Megan Giddings from 2020-06-30T07:00
We talk to author Megan Giddings about her book LAKEWOOD, a novel that navigates dark themes of human experimentation, exploitation, and the lengths we go to when our loved ones' lives are on th...
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Episode 73: Everywhere You Don't Belong with Gabriel Bump from 2020-06-29T07:00
On today's episode, we speak to debut novelist Gabriel Bump about his book Everywhere You Don't Belong, and how this Chicago story is a coming of age book that also grapples with some of the maj...
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Episode 72: Tough Questions Plus Renewed Calls to Support Writers from 2020-06-26T07:00
On today's edition of The PEN Pod, we discuss rescinded college admissions for students who use hate speech; the dismissal of multiple leaders from U.S.-funded broadcasters; and how disinformati...
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Episode 71: Collecting History with Tyree Boyd-Pates from 2020-06-25T07:00
On today's edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to curator Tyree Boyd-Pates at Los Angeles' Autry Museum about a new project to collect artifacts from the COVID-19 era. Then, we mark what would have ...
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Episode 70: Richard Nixon for Kids with Elizabeth Levy and Fatima Shaik from 2020-06-24T07:00
Children's' and YA book author Elizabeth Levy shares more on her new book about Nixon, as well as her thoughts on truth and government in a conversation with writer Fatima Shaik. Then we look at a ...
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Episode 69: The Classic Fact Check with Snopes' Alex Kasprak from 2020-06-23T07:00
On today's edition, we dive into the deep dark world of internet disinformation with investigative journalist Alex Kasprak of Snopes.com. Then, a reading list celebrating debuts from Black LGBTQ...
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Episode 68: Writers Called to Reimagine the World with Lisa Ko from 2020-06-22T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to author Lisa Ko about what the current crises demand of writers, and how her work might be read now amid the pandemic. Plus, a federal judge allows the ...
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Episode 67: Juneteenth in Tulsa with Quraysh Ali Lansana, Plus Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-06-19T07:00
Today, we mark this Juneteenth with a conversation with historian Quraysh Ali Lansana. The Tulsa-based writer discusses the weekend's planned Trump rally, the legacies of anti-Black racism in Ok...
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Episode 66: Poets and the Pandemic with Vincent Bristow from 2020-06-18T07:00
On today's episode, we talk to poet Vincent Bristow, part of the Open Doors arts and justice collaborative here in New York City that works mainly with people impacted by street violence. He spe...
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Episode 65: The Importance of Memory with Jaquira Diaz from 2020-06-17T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we talk with author of ORDINARY GIRLS: A MEMOIR Jaquira Diaz. She highlights how the stories of Black and Brown girls, especially those of color, were so hard to com...
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Episode 64: Putting Tech Under The Microscope with Ainissa Ramirez from 2020-06-16T07:00
We talk to writer and scientist Ainissa Ramirez about how eight inventions have shaped humanity, which she explores in her book THE ALCHEMY OF US. We talk about the often unheralded women and pe...
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Episode 63: Honoring Literary Excellence with Ruben Quesada and Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf from 2020-06-15T07:00
Today we open submissions for the 2021 PEN America Literary Awards, one of the most diverse literary award lineups in the country. But how do awards help shape and diversify the literary canon? ...
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Episode 62: When Incremental Change Isn't Fast Enough with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-06-12T07:00
It's Friday, which means it's time to pose tough questions about free speech and free expression to PEN America's CEO Suzanne Nossel. This week, while protesters are making major change, we ask ...
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Episode 61: The Undocumented Americans with Karla Cornejo Villavicencio from 2020-06-11T07:00
On this episode of The PEN Pod, we speak to author of THE UNDOCUMENTED AMERICANS Karla Cornejo Villavicencio. She discusses telling a fuller story of the undocumented experience and the need for so...
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Episode 60: Sharing Your Voices, Accentuating Others with Pawan Dhingra from 2020-06-10T07:00
Pawan Dhingra's new book explores the hyper-educated child but also how the next generation might cope with the current crises. Then, as summer approaches, we're offering a new program for high ...
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Episode 59: A Family Saga with Nguyen Phan Que Mai from 2020-06-09T07:00
Nguyen Phan Que Mai weaves together a fictional family saga with the real-life traumas of Vietnam's tumultuous 20th century in her new work THE MOUNTAINS SING. Plus, a reading list for our momen...
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Episode 58: The Passion of Protest with Simran Jeet Singh from 2020-06-08T07:00
In this installment of The PEN Pod, we check in with author and activist Simran Jeet Singh; he's out with a new children's book, and he reflects on the protests he's witnessed in New York City. ...
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Episode 57: Fighting Anti-Black Violence, Defending the First Amendment from 2020-06-05T07:00
On today's edition, we talk to our CEO Suzanne Nossel about what literary organizations can do at this moment of crisis as part of our weekly series "Tough Questions." Then, we get insights from...
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Episode 56: Honoring an Imprisoned Chinese Writer; Plus a These Truths Conversation from 2020-06-04T10:00
On today's edition of The PEN Pod, we announce the winner of our 2020 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, imprisoned Chinese writer and activist Xu Zhiyong. We speak to his friend, scholar and ad...
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Episode 55: The Twin Epidemics of COVID-19 and Police Violence with Karen Attiah from 2020-06-03T07:00
On this episode of The PEN Pod, we check in with Karen Attiah, journalist and global opinions editor at the Washington Post. She reflects on the intersecting political crises of COVID-19 and sta...
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Episode 54: #TheShowMustBePaused from 2020-06-02T07:00
Today, we take a break from our normal production schedule alongside others participating in #TheShowMustBePaused.
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Episode 53: An American Reckoning from 2020-06-01T04:00
A weekend of demonstrations and excessive violence by state actors has led to a major reckoning for the First Amendment. On this episode, we hear from a Reuters journalist shot with rubber bulle...
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Episode 52: Magical Thinking with Wayetu Moore, Plus Trump's Twitter Meltdown with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-05-29T07:00
On today's edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to Liberian American author Wayetu Moore about her memoir The Dragons, The Giant, The Women, and how magical thinking helped her and her famil...
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Episode 51: Poetry and Protest with Nora Benavidez and Ann Kjellberg from 2020-05-28T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we explore how protest is increasingly being criminalized on the state level with our own Nora Benavidez. Then, this week would've been poet Joseph Brodsky's 80th...
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Episode 50: Imagining a Time Beyond with Helen Zia from 2020-05-27T07:00
Today, as PEN America and the Asian American Writers' Workshop host a day of solidarity, we talk about the spike in anti-Asian sentiment with longtime activist and author Helen Zia. Also, it's o...
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Episode 49: Tulsa's Busiest Bookseller, Plus Fighting Anti-Asian Sentiment from 2020-05-26T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we connect with Tulsa's Jeff Martin, who runs Magic City Books and leads PEN America's Tulsa chapter. He talks about how he's keeping the community there connecte...
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Episode 48: Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel, Plus How a Dallas Bookseller Keeps Going from 2020-05-22T07:00
On this episode, our CEO Suzanne Nossel addresses questions about government surveillance, White House retaliation against journalism, and imprisoned writers globally in our weekly TOUGH QUESTIO...
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Episode 47: Questioning Everything More with Carmen Boullosa from 2020-05-21T07:00
On this edition, we speak with poet and author Carmen Boullosa about her new text, The Book of Anna, and urges readers to more fully dive into the books they pick up. Then, we cover the Senate's...
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Episode 46: A Life Sentence with Jewher Ilham from 2020-05-20T07:00
As part of our ongoing interviews about writers detained globally, today we speak with Jewher Ilham, whose father, Uyghur economist, writer, and professor Ilham Tohti, was sentenced to life in a...
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Episode 45: The Freedom to Write with Karin Deutsch Karlekar and Ahmed Naji from 2020-05-19T12:30
Today, a special edition of The PEN Pod, as we launch our global Freedom to Write Index of imprisoned writers and public intellectuals globally. First, we speak with PEN America's own Karin Deutsch...
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Episode 44: Crimean Tatars Under Threat with Myroslava Gongadze from 2020-05-18T07:00
Today on The PEN Pod, we mark the 76th anniversary of the deportation of Crimean Tatars by speaking with VOA reporter Myroslava Gongadze, who walks us through how Crimea's indigenous people are ...
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Episode 43: Crisis, Opportunity, and the Vitality of Literature with Rebecca Makkai; Plus Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-05-15T05:58:14
On this Friday's edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to acclaimed author Rebecca Makkai about working amid a crisis, parallels between her work and our experience now, and the need for art and liter...
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Episode 42: Re-Reading Mary Shelley with Eileen Hunt Botting from 2020-05-14T07:00
On this edition of The PEN Pod, we talk all things Mary Shelley with scholar Eileen Hunt Botting, who has called Shelly's text THE LAST MAN the first major modern pandemic novel. She explores ho...
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Episode 41: After Chaos Upends Everything with Lulu Miller; Plus, Remembering Carolyn Reidy from 2020-05-13T07:00
On today's episode, we explore the new book WHY FISH DON'T EXIST with its author Lulu Miller, who manages to weave together a scientific narrative with a personal one. Then, we remember the late...
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Episode 40: The Virtual Campus with Jonathan Friedman from 2020-05-12T07:00
On this, our 40th episode of The PEN Pod, we take you to the Zoom classroom, where students have been learning in a total virtual environment for two months now. What are the complications for f...
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Episode 39: A Hungarian Tale with Mark Baczoni, Plus THESE TRUTHS from 2020-05-11T07:00
In this installment of The PEN Pod, we speak to writer and translator Mark Baczoni, who has just translated Janos Szekely's novel TEMPTATION into English. And then, we preview the new THESE TRUT...
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Episode 38: Social Media Platform Reform with Suzanne Nossel; Plus Novelist Andrey Kurkov from 2020-05-08T07:00
In this edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America and author of the forthcoming book DARE TO SPEAK, about how the social media platforms are taking new governance ste...
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Episode 37: Claiming Ourselves Through Language with Jose Antonio Vargas from 2020-05-07T07:00
On this episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas explores how the pandemic response is excluding undocumented people, as well as the unique fre...
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Episode 36: Letting Go of Our Illusions with Charles Yu from 2020-05-06T07:00
On today's edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to author and screenwriter Charles Yu about his new book and entertainment stereotypes. We also catch up with PEN America's Polina Sadovskaya about how...
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Episode 35: An American in Italy with Wallis Wilde-Menozzi from 2020-05-05T07:00
On today's episode, we talk with author Wallis Wilde-Menozzi, based in Italy, about her experience weathering the pandemic in Parma. Then, the Pulitzer Prizes are announced.
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Episode 34: Thrillers in a Time of Crisis with Karin Slaughter from 2020-05-04T07:00
On today's episode of The PEN Pod, we talk to bestselling author Karin Slaughter about writing thrillers, pandemics, and the work she's doing to support local libraries.
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Episode 33: Unorthodox with Deborah Feldman, Plus Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-05-01T07:00
On this episode, we speak to author of UNORTHODOX Deborah Feldman, whose hit memoir about leaving an ultra-religious Jewish community in Brooklyn is now the basis of a Netflix series. Plus, if i...
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Episode 32: Critically Engaging with the World with Dinaw Mengestu from 2020-04-30T07:00
On this edition, we talk to novelist and PEN America trustee Dinaw Mengestu for how he's teaching writing amid the pandemic, and what we can learn from his work about uncertainty. Then our own J...
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Episode 31: The Spiritual Urgency of Poetry with Carolyn Forché from 2020-04-29T08:07:28
On today's episode, poet and activist Carolyn Forché shares insights on the power of poetry, the concepts of migration and movement during a lockdown, and reads from her new collection. --- Send...
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Episode 30: A Photo and a Family Saga with Brandon Shimoda from 2020-04-28T07:00
On this, our 30th episode, we talk to PEN America Literary Award winner Brandon Shimoda and the epic family tale he tells in The Grave on the Wall. Plus, our efforts to get state governors to su...
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Episode 29: A Search for Empathy with Ramiza Koya from 2020-04-27T07:00
On today's episode for Monday, April 27, we talk to debut novelist Ramiza Koya about her new book THE ROYAL ABDULS; she discusses her own health struggles and how her community in Portland has c...
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Episode 28: Endurance, Survival, and Poetry with Rigoberto Gonzalez; Plus Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-04-24T07:00
On this Friday edition of The PEN Pod, we talk to poet Rigoberto Gonzalez about how family history helps define his work and about how he still sees plenty of beauty in our socially isolated wor...
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Episode 27: The Paris Review Transforms with Emily Nemens, Plus Supporting the Literary Arts from 2020-04-23T07:00
On this episode, we talk to the editor of the Paris Review Emily Nemens about how the magazine has changed, and about her new book. We also hear from listeners, and discuss ways cities can suppo...
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Episode 26: Belonging in the World with Mimi Lok, Plus the Outlook From Hong Kong from 2020-04-22T06:06:03
For Wednesday's episode, we talk about belonging, mentorship, and human connections with author Mimi Lok. We also discuss how the coronavirus is impacting the ability to demonstrate in Hong Kong. ...
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Episode 25: The Possibility of Surprise with Emily St. John Mandel, Plus Local Journalists as Heroes from 2020-04-21T07:04:31
On today's edition, we talk to novelist Emily St. John Mandel about her new book and a bit about her own writing on a post-pandemic future. We're also joined by PEN America's own Katie Zanecchia to...
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Episode 24: Cities and Our Future with N.K. Jemisin, Plus a Virtual Translation Festival with Mary Ann Newman from 2020-04-20T05:43:32
On this Monday's episode, we talk to Hugo Award winning author N.K. Jemisin reckoning with real themes in a fantasy world, and then Catalan translator Mary Ann Newman on bringing a translation f...
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Episode 23: This Moment Will Change Literally Everything with Franklin Leonard; Plus Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel from 2020-04-17T08:03:34
On this Friday, we talk to film executive and PEN America board member Franklin Leonard on the coronavirus crisis' impact on screenwriters and the dynamic in Hollywood. Then, it's our weekly Tough ...
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Episode 22: Connecting Through Translation with Ali Araghi; Plus Prisons and E-Books from 2020-04-16T08:32:15
On this episode, we discuss translation and uncertainty with debut Iranian novelist Ali Araghi. We also cover a letter from PEN America to the companies that make e-readers for the nation's prisons...
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Episode 21: The Magic of Writing with Bernardine Evaristo; Plus, Washington Post's Paul Farhi from 2020-04-15T08:21:08
On this edition, we talk to British author Bernardine Evaristo about her latest novel and how she was able to assemble its incredible assortment of characters. Then, we discuss journalism and how r...
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Episode 20: Coronavirus Behind Bars: Nobody Can Afford Not to Care Right Now from 2020-04-14T07:02:44
In this special edition, we explore how the coronavirus pandemic is raging through the nation's prisons and jails. We talk to our own Caits Meissner for the latest on how the pandemic is impacting ...
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Episode 19: Writing Duo Dr. Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell on Science and the Outbreak from 2020-04-13T08:33:38
Medical examiner Dr. Judy Melinek and her husband/writing partner T.J. Mitchell discuss writing about medicine and science amid a pandemic (and experiencing their own quarantine). Plus, the White H...
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Episode 18: Novelist Ruchika Tomar on Inequality and the Outbreak, Plus Tough Questions With Suzanne Nossel from 2020-04-10T09:31:48
For this Friday, we talk to PEN/Hemingway Award winner Ruchika Tomar about her debut novel A Prayer for Travelers and on the inequities of the outbreak. And then our weekly segment Tough Questions ...
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Episode 17: Are We Really In This Together? With M. NourbeSe Philip from 2020-04-09T07:30:29
In this episode, we talk about the pandemic, poetry, and the inequalities of the outbreak with M. NourbeSe Philip, and she shares an original poem. Also, PEN America and a broad coalition call on C...
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Episode 16: War and Peace With Yiyun Li from 2020-04-08T07:10:07
On this episode, 2020 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award winner Yiyun Li talks about her virtual book club, currently working its way through War and Peace. Also, the trend of information lockdown amid the ...
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Episode 15: Jennifer Egan on Recovering From Coronavirus, Shaping Opportunity From Cataclysm from 2020-04-07T09:14:27
On this episode, PEN America president Jennifer Egan discusses her own bout with a suspected case of coronavirus and how we can pull together as a literary community.
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Episode 14: Reading in an Era of Contagion With David L. Ulin from 2020-04-06T06:57:44
On this episode, we talk with book critic and writer David L. Ulin about books to read amid a pandemic. We also discuss the reaction to the Navy dismissing a captain who spoke out about the outbrea...
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Episode 13: Tough Questions About Free Speech Amid the Pandemic With Suzanne Nossel from 2020-04-03T09:46:38
Today, we're launching a new weekly segment called Tough Questions, where we put your questions about free expression and the pandemic to our CEO Suzanne Nossel. Also today, the PEN America Writers...
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Episode 12: A World Turned Upside Down With Parnaz Foroutan from 2020-04-02T08:05:44
In today's episode, Parnaz Foroutan joins to talk about how immigrant voices are especially crucial to hear amid this crisis. We also look at two cases of free speech being curtailed under the cove...
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Episode 11: A Seminal Moment for Our Species and Our World: A Conversation With Jamie Metzl from 2020-04-01T10:36:27
On this edition, futurist and author Jamie Metzl talks about the brave new world that the coronavirus pandemic might precede. Also on this episode, we preview a New York Daily News piece from our c...
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Episode 10: Focusing on the Small Things With Fatima Shaik from 2020-03-31T08:21:59
On this our tenth episode, we catch up with writer Fatima Shaik, who discusses what it was like writing and reporting in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and how it might be similar to our current si...
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Episode 9: Reza Aslan on Attacks to Free Expression During the Pandemic from 2020-03-30T09:41:23
On this episode, writer and TV host Reza Aslan joins to talk about the norm-busting we've seen in recent weeks amid the coronavirus crisis and how he's focusing on work. We also look at proposals f...
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BONUS EPISODE: Gregory Pardlo Reads Carrie Fountain's "The Jungle" from 2020-03-28T07:12:13
In this special bonus episode of the podcast, Pulitzer-winner Gregory Pardlo reads Carrie Fountain's poem "The Jungle." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/penamerica/message Support ...
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Episode 8: Poet Gregory Pardlo Gets Reacquainted With Himself from 2020-03-27T08:13:01
On this episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gregory Pardlo on getting reacquainted with his favorite books on the craft of writing, and reflecting on his own past. Also, tips on how to stay mental...
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Episode 7: Mental Health and the Outbreak With Andrew Solomon from 2020-03-26T10:08:04
As the national debate over balancing the risks of social isolation heats up, author and clinical psychologist Andrew Solomon discusses the consequences for mental health. Then, how student journal...
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Episode 6: A Legal Victory Against Trump; Remembering Terrence McNally from 2020-03-25T08:47:03
In this edition, PEN America celebrates a victory against President Trump's efforts to retaliate against the press in our lawsuit. We'll talk what's next. Then, we speak to New York Times theater c...
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Episode 5: Disinformation Battle Stations With Jane Lytvynenko from 2020-03-24T10:03:55
For this episode of The PEN Pod, we talk to BuzzFeed senior reporter Jane Lytvynenko, who covers disinformation and security. She discusses the major disinformation that's currently circulating ...
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Episode 4: An Exercise in Hopeful Thinking and Magic With Chip Rolley from 2020-03-23T07:32:09
On this episode for Monday, March 23, we talk to Chip Rolley, senior director of literary programs at PEN America and director of the World Voices Festival. He discusses what festivals mean to read...
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Episode 3: Social Distancing aka Social Solidarity With Alexander Chee from 2020-03-20T08:13:57
In this episode for Friday, March 20, a new Pew survey shows that Americans are paying close attention to the coronavirus, but that misinformation is seeping into the dialogue. Then, an interview w...
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Episode 2: Wash Your Hands, Read a Book, Protect Your Heart With Jennifer Finney Boylan from 2020-03-19T09:48:56
On this edition for Thursday, March 19, 2020, we explore a good news story out of Cuba where an artist and dissident has been released following dozens of arrests. Then, we turn to Jennifer Finn...
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Episode 1: We're Here! from 2020-03-18T10:10:57
It's day one for "The PEN POD." On this first edition of our limited-run podcast: a little bit about why we're doing this; an interview with PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel, author of the forthco...
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Trailer: Starting March 18, "The PEN Pod" from 2020-03-15T01:06:18
Starting Wednesday, March 18 the literary and free expression group PEN America will bring you "The PEN Pod." With books tours halted and the literary community facing major difficulties, we wan...
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