PEN America: A Journal for Writers and Readers

PEN America: A Journal for Writers and Readers features a diverse collection of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, dialogues, graphic narratives, and more. The organization supports global authors and offers a unique glimpse into the thoughts of modern writers through engaging discussions and events. In the year 2000, Library Journal recognized PEN America as one of the Ten Best New Magazines. The journal has also been a contender for the Utne Independent Press Award due to its international coverage, and its contributions have been included in respected anthologies such as Best American Essays, Best American Short Stories, and the Pushcart Prize.

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Coalition led by PEN Florida lobbies in Tallahassee to undo the harms of censorship

1 month ago | pen.org | Sophia Brown |Tasslyn Magnusson |Kasey Meehan |Lisa Tolin

For nearly three years running, the Florida legislature has passed law after law that has jeopardized the state’s public education system—from instructional bans to book bans, to direct attacks on Black, brown and LGBTQ+ Floridians through legislation like the “Don’t Say Gay” law or the “Stop WOKE Act.”The agenda for the 2025 Florida Legislative Session unfortunately demonstrates a commitment to this ongoing trend, with more censorial bills up for consideration this year.
Utah Prevents Students From Bringing Banned Books to School

2 months ago | pen.org | Sabrina Baêta

There are a few things Utah students can’t bring to school. Weapons. Vaping devices. Judy Blume’s Forever... Based on a new interpretation of a state law, Utah is forbidding students from bringing banned books to school. The updated guidance from the Utah State Board of Education, first reported by Utah’s KUER, says banned books should be prohibited on school property.
The 23 Most Banned Picture Books of the 2023-2024 School Year

2 months ago | pen.org | Jeremy Young |Kristen Shahverdian |Sabrina Baêta |Samantha LaFrance

Picture books featuring gay or transgender characters or naked butts — human or otherwise — were among the most frequently banned in U.S. public schools in the 2023-2024 school year. PEN America counted more than 10,000 book bans in the 2023-2024 school year affecting more than 4,000 unique titles, with about 45% of the bans occurring in Florida and 36% in Iowa. Most bans targeted young adult or adult titles, but about 2% of bans were of picture books for the youngest readers.
It’s Not a Hoax: Trump Administration Dismisses Book Ban Complaints

Jan 24, 2025 | pen.org | Sabrina Baêta |Samantha LaFrance

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights on Friday dismissed 11 complaints and six allegations related to book bans, saying it was ending “Biden’s book ban hoax.”PEN America counted more than 10,000 instances of school book bans in the 2023-2024 school year, nearly triple the number in the previous year. Book bans in United States public school classrooms and libraries are no hoax. You don’t have to take our word for it.
Gu Byeong-Mo | The PEN Ten

Dec 10, 2024 | pen.org | Gu Byeong-Mo

Award-winning author Gu Byeong-Mo’s latest novel Apartment Women (Hanover Square Press, 2024; translated by Chi-Young Kim) offers a sharp critique of gender roles, parenthood, and shared responsibilities, inviting readers to reflect on the cultural expectations of women in South Korea. The novel follows the intertwining lives of the four couples who live together in the Dream Future Pilot Communal Apartments.
Native American Heritage Now: An Interview With Dr. Debbie Reese

Nov 13, 2024 | pen.org | Sabrina Baêta |Samantha LaFrance

At the tail end of another year that has threatened and targeted books by Native Americans–from book bans to incorrect reclassifications–the work of Dr. Debbie Reese becomes extremely important. Her website, American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL), is a repository of information on Native American heritage that acts, at once, as both an archive and a record, especially of misrepresentation of culture in literature.
Beyond the Shelves: Three Years of Book Bans and Educational Censorship

Nov 1, 2024 | pen.org | Sabrina Baêta |Samantha LaFrance

The numbers are staggering. Four hundred books removed from shelves in Elkhorn, Wisconsin following a single parent’s objection. Sixteen hundred books suspended in Escambia County, Florida after the passage of a state law. Three thousand books yanked in Iowa last fall. Over 10,000 book bans nationwide in the 2023-24 school year. Now in its fourth consecutive school year, the movement to ban books that has sowed chaos in public education shows few signs of dissipating.
The Censor’s Cut: Ellis Angel Makes Art From Banned Books

Nov 1, 2024 | pen.org | Sabrina Baêta |Samantha LaFrance

For Banned Books Week, artistEllis Angelfound her work, The Censor’s Cut: Weavings for Intellectual Freedom not in a gallery, not at an art fair, but at a bookstore in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At Magic City Books, titles including A Court of Mist and Fury, Gender Queer, Flamer, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, did not just sit on shelves but hung transformed–all shredded and rewoven, with the bright yellow “Banned Books” tape plastered across their backs.
Sarah Moss | The PEN Ten Interview

Oct 31, 2024 | pen.org | Sophia Brown |Kristen Shahverdian

Invoking fairytales and folklore, acclaimed author Sarah Moss’ new book My Good Bright Wolf (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2024) is an innovative and experimental memoir documenting her struggles with disordered eating. Writing at times in the second person and using archetypal figures in the place of real people, Moss explores how childhood lessons and the fables of girlhood influences her present.
Freedom to Read Day of Action 2024: Working Together to Stop Book Bans

Oct 30, 2024 | pen.org | Sophia Brown |Kristen Shahverdian

PEN America joined public libraries, authors, advocates, and readers across the country to unite in standing up for books and fighting censorship on the Freedom to Read Day of Action on Oct. 19. The day of action was a chance for people to learn about book bans, send letters to elected officials, and join organizations defending the right to read. The event came as PEN America’s latest figures reveal a stunning 10,000 instances of school bans over the 2023-2024 school year.