The PEN Pod

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 and journalist Koa Beck speaks to Gina Chung about her new book, White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind.

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 current moment. Then, PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel fields tough questions on the impeachment, incitement, and social media platforms taking a harder line on disinformation.

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 review the free speech implications, how the social media platforms responded, the cycles of disinformation fueling the attack, and what to do next.

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 over Perez Hilton on TikTok and whether banning him has free speech consequences; and she talks about Iran's brutal execution of a journalist and what it suggests for the extra-territorial reach of governments that seek to quash free expression.

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 Sandy Mui explores the toll of the pandemic on local reporting and what steps can be taken to shore up an already-battered industry.

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 episode, we talk about our gala honorees, the impact human rights organizations can have on governments, and how anti-trust actions against Facebook might impact free expression on the platform. Then, in case you missed it, our exclusive author-to-author conversation with Barack Obama. He received our Voice of Influence Award on Tuesday and sat down for a wide-ranging interview with former PEN America president Ron Chernow touching on issues of propaganda, race, conspiracies, and hopes for the future.

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, Suzanne Nossel answers some of our tough questions about free speech, the pandemic, and more in our weekly segment.

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 tough questions on Trump, hate speech, and this weekend's G20 summit.

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 ever-more-popular YA genre.

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 to explain what's happening. Then, we talk to writer Ruby Hamad about her new book White Tears/Brown Scars on how white feminism has left our women of color.