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 ever-closer to racial justice. Then, PEN America's own Suzanne Nossel takes on the toughest questions this week in free speech, tackling COVID misinformation, a Texas book ban, and the continued attack on free expression in Belarus.

Navigating the Debacle in Afghanistan: George Packer and Ayad Akhtar, Plus the Future for Afghan Women

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.

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