Translation and Human Rights
Highlighting Women in Translation Month and the role of translators in protecting authors who are the targets of repressive regimes.
Cautionary Tale…or Instruction Manual
A discussion of museum exhibits used by today's far right as an instruction manual for gaining and wielding power and how to counter this.
A Message from Portugal to the World
Elections for the European Parliament take place this weekend, and in many of the EU countries, anti-democratic and neo-fascist parties are poised to increase their share of the vote. Among…
An American Story of Oppression and Resistance: Samira Ahmed’s Internment
An analysis of the historical and contemporary underpinnings of Samira Ahmed's bestselling YA novel Internment.
“Burn It All Down”
The scene in my novel where I burn it all down and show boys doing the right thing.
Family Heritage Trip, Part 2
A trip to Prague, where my daughter learned of the country's 20th century history and its struggle for freedom.
Films for the Resistance: The Other Side of Everything
Review of the Serbian documentary The Other Side of Everything, about the movement to end the genocidal Milosević regime.
Creativity as Resistance: An Artist’s Story
Thoughts on the role of creative artists in societies facing deep injustice and repression, inspired by an exhibit I saw in Lisbon in spring 2018.
The panelists, from left, Masha Gessen, Max Book, Ian Buruma, and moderator Chip Rawley.
PEN World Voices Festival 2018: “It Can’t Happen Here”
A closing panel of the 2018 PEN World Voices Festival addresses the question: could (or has) an authoritarian regime come to power in the United States?
PEN World Voices Festival 2018: “What Shall We Tell the Children?”
The contributors to an upcoming volume of poetry, essays, and art on resistance offer advice to parents on talking to children in challenging times.