PEN@BookExpo

Over the last year plus I've gotten to know a number of people at the PEN American Center here in NYC and I'm continually impressed with the work the do on a multitude of causes but notably freedom of speech and freedom of expression. I'm really pleased to be working with PEN closely this year on a few events at BEA and I'm certain it will be the beginning of a long relationship.

In getting to know Andrew Proctor at PEN we've talked often about what we can do together between PEN and BEA, and I'm a firm believer in building relationships with organizations you respect and believe it. PEN is one of those organizations.

Plus, the primary constituency of PEN (although they are expanding their base) are authors and each year BEA attracts more and more authors to the event - and not just authors with a forthcoming book, but authors that see the show as the community they associate with (I expect over 900 this year at the show) all this makes the PEN relationship even more natural.

So check out what we've got planned and buy a ticket to the champagne reception we've got planed for Saturday at BookExpo. Make a donation to PEN and come join us for a toast and some good mixing with a great organization. Buy your PEN reception invitation here.

Reception for "Something to Hide: Writers and Artists Against the Surveillance State."
When: Saturday, May 31What time: 4–5:30
Where: Petree Plaza
Hosted by: Roxana Robinson from the PEN Advisory Council and Jameel Jaffer, Director, National Security Project for the ACLU.

Meet and greet Judy Blume, Jim Crace, Andre Dubus III, Chris Lawford, Dennis Lehane, Azar Nafisi, and more, in addition to PEN and ACLU staff members.

The reception immediatly follows the PEN Panel on the Surrvaliance State in room 404B (2:30-4:30)

A reading to provoke reflection on controversial post-9/11 government surveillance programs in the U.S. PEN has been challenging some of the most pernicious of these programs; we have been working with booksellers, publishers, and librarians to restore privacy protections for bookstore and library records, for example, and this month we joined other leading human rights organizations in filing a lawsuit challenging the Constitutionality of NSA telephone and internet surveillance. We would like to present “Something to Hide” in partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union, with whom we filed this lawsuit and with whom we have been working to curb some of the abuses occurring under current U.S. policies.