Fiction that Matters

penamerican: Come join freeDimensional on Friday for a...

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:01:49 -0400

Come join freeDimensional on Friday for a fantastic event with Cameroonian artist Issa Nyaphaga.

penlive: Haiti in Two Acts- May 5 @ Cooper Union When an...

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:01:29 -0400

Haiti in Two Acts- May 5 @ Cooper Union

When an earthquake, or rather The Earthquake, ripped through the bowels of Haiti in January 2010, 300,000 people lost their lives. Among them were the the President of PEN Haiti, Georges Anglade, and his wife Mireille Neptune.

Today, PEN Haiti is helmed by the novelist Jean-Euphèle Milcé and his wife, the poet and novelist Emmélie Prophète. Milcé, Prophète, and the rest of the PEN Haiti staff and volunteers will conduct much of their future activities from the newly opened Maison Georges Anglade, a beautiful mountainside facility named in honor of the organization’s fallen father. Already there are plans in motion to cultivate new youth programs, writer’s residencies, reading series, and inter-cultural exchanges.

However, wonderful as these plans may be, Milcé and Prophète had their minds on more incendiary concerns on Sunday afternoon. Namely, the largely destructive intervention of northern NGO’s in the wake of perhaps the greatest natural disaster their country has even witnessed. Both Milcé and Prophète no doubt have unique and fascinating insights into the literature of their country and its place in the wider global cannon. Understandably though, both they and the author and long-time Haiti scholar, Amy Wilentz, felt compelled to share with us all the road to hell that has been paved with so many misguided good intentions.

Wilentz began by describing the drastic changes she witnessed in the types of people making the pilgrimage to this historically troubled and complex land. Publicity-ravenous charitable organizations, growing hordes of perky Christian youngsters psyched for their ‘Awesome Adventure in Haiti’, militarised bureaucrats, they all came in their droves without an adequate understanding of how Haiti operates or how to best deliver money to those who really needed it.

Speaking through interpreter Daniel Sherr, Milcé described the two-sided war that the country has been fighting for so long. On the one hand, it has the geographical misfortune of being criss-crossed by earthquake fault lines while also sitting in the middle of a hurricane pathway, not too mention its susceptibility to the unpredictable twin afflictions of flooding and drought. Arguably more maddening however, is the political shitshow which Haitians have been forced to watch play out down through the decades. The murky political realm has conjured up dictators, narco War Lords, and now an ongoing struggle between competing NGO’s for who can make the most use of this blighted place.

Prophète, when pressed on the question of what happened to all the donated funds, did not mince her words: “Not a single concrete humanitarian project has been carried out fully.” She explained how the bulk of all monies donated ended up in the hands of the U.S military to maintain security or to fund the lavish lifestyles of the functionaries who were more interested in securing various creature comforts than in making a realistic contribution to the reconstruction effort.

Despite their anger at how skewed the world’s passive perception has been with regard to the ground-level realities of “aid” in Haiti, Milcé and Prophète both recognize that there are also truly good, useful outsiders who can be of benefit to the country. Unfortunately, these people are often the first victims of this toxic, post-quake, interventionist state of affairs.

It is difficult to hear just how naive the developed world can be in its efforts to fix the so-called broken nations of this planet. How misguided the best laid plans of Clinton, the Red Cross, and the thousands of disaster tourists who pour into natural disaster zones every year truly are. But it’s necessary. All too often we fool ourselves into believing that we can pacify entire regions of wounded, grieving people with a flurry of disorganized hand-wringing. In truth the world does not work that way.

PEN Haiti seized a rare opportunity to cut through the bullshit and speak to us about what they knew to be the reality, however unpleasant it might be to hear. We would all do well to dwell upon their advice.

A comic protesting the trial of editor of Waheen newspaper,...

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:01:03 -0400

A comic protesting the trial of editor of Waheen newspaper, Mohamud Abdi Jama, who is accused of defamation for publishing articles alleging corruption by government officials in Somaliland.

After determining that Somaliland law did not hold punishments for journalists, the court invoked Sharia law.

penamerican: What’s wrong with the South African Secrecy Bill?...

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:12:04 -0400

penamerican:

What’s wrong with the South African Secrecy Bill? A dispatch from award-winning journalist and South African PEN board member Ray Louw.

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Photo by U.S. Army Africa on a CC license

"If I lied to my readers, the prose would suffer… It blunts the edges."

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:40:46 -0400

“If I lied to my readers, the prose would suffer… It blunts the edges.”

- Naomi Wolf in Obsession: Naomi Wolf on Truth at The Standard (via penlive)

"There can be no immediate rupture from the past."

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:01:12 -0400

“There can be no immediate rupture from the past.”

- Siphiwo Mahala, on the legacy of apartheid in South Africa

Read more at Words Without Borders

(via penamerican)

Joy Harjo, Katie Halper, and (me!) at PEN World Voices. Harjo...

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:01:24 -0400

Joy Harjo, Katie Halper, and (me!) at PEN World Voices. Harjo was incredibly charismatic and a great storyteller. I asked her what she thought about the notion of time as a musician. Once the event was over, she took over as the house DJ for a little dance party. What an artist!

photo © Beowulf Sheehan / PEN American Center

Artists are more vulnerable than ever: an interview with Salman...

Sun, 05 May 2013 12:53:15 -0400

Artists are more vulnerable than ever: an interview with Salman Rushdie

Photo Credit: Wikipedia/Ken Conley

penamerican: Jean-Euphele Milcé (Haiti), Emmélie Prophete...

Fri, 03 May 2013 19:01:20 -0400

penamerican:

Jean-Euphele Milcé (Haiti), Emmélie Prophete (Haiti), Siphiwo Mahala (South African), and Deji Olukotun (USA / PEN American Center) at the PEN Literary Gala at the Museum of Natural History.

photo © Beowulf Sheehan / PEN American Center

penamerican: Today, PEN launches its groundbreaking report on...

Fri, 03 May 2013 11:01:05 -0400

penamerican:

Today, PEN launches its groundbreaking report on free expression and human rights in China.

Learn more

penamerican: Is South African literature hanging on the...

Thu, 02 May 2013 15:01:33 -0400

penamerican:

Is South African literature hanging on the edge?

Nearly two decades after the fall of apartheid, what has changed in fact and fiction in South Africa? This Saturday, May 4, the country’s premier writers will descend on the PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature to debate literature and free expression in the country. The panel South Africa in Two Acts will feature celebrated authors Zakes Mda, Siphiwo Mahala, and Margie Orford, and will be moderated by Zimbabwean human rights attorney, writer, and PEN American Center President Peter Godwin.

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photo of the Drakensberg by darkroomillusions on a CC license

Frida by Senegalese photographer Omar Viktor Diop shot in...

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:50:42 -0400

Frida by Senegalese photographer Omar Viktor Diop shot in Abidjan.

We can’t get enough of Omar Victor Diop today

Senegal

penamerican: PEN launches the Twitter campaign #shesnotfree in...

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:01:05 -0400

penamerican:

PEN launches the Twitter campaign #shesnotfree in support of Chinese artist and poet Liu Xia on the eve of our landmark report on China.

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"Do you know why I told you stories?…When I thought you couldn’t walk I wanted to make sure you could..."

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:01:27 -0400

“Do you know why I told you stories?…When I thought you couldn’t walk I wanted to make sure you could fly.”

- Vaddey Ratner from In the Shadow of the Banyan (via amandajkillian)

Haiti in Two Acts: a hard-hitting panel on literature and...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:40:17 -0400

Haiti in Two Acts: a hard-hitting panel on literature and politics in Haiti on 5/5

In January 2010, Haiti was devastated by an earthquake that killed an estimated 300,000 people. Three years later, what has changed? What is the role of literature as Haiti rebuilds? What are the untold stories of this vibrant, expressive country? Act I: An expert delivers remarks about the country. Act II: Local writers respond to questions raised.

Participants: Jean-Euphèle Milcé, Emmelie Prophéte, Amy Wilentz, Shoshana Guy

Get tickets here

penamerican: PEN Mourns Loss of Free Expression Defender Edward...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:01:13 -0400

penamerican:

PEN Mourns Loss of Free Expression Defender Edward de Grazia

PEN is saddened by the loss of Edward de Grazia, a lawyer, playwright, and longtime PEN member who devoted his life to fighting censorship and promoting free expression. He will be missed.

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photo courtesy of Cardozo Law School

penamerican: GET 20% OFF (USE CODE: PEN13) OPENING NIGHT...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:01:25 -0400

penamerican:

GET 20% OFF (USE CODE: PEN13)

OPENING NIGHT READING: BRAVERY

The Ninth Annual PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature

Hosted by comedian Baratunde Thurston

Monday, April 29, 7-8:30 p.m., The Great Hall, Cooper Union, 7 East 7th Street, NYC

BUY TICKETS NOW | FACEBOOK

Bravery in art, democracy in politics, and the sheer raw zeniths and nadirs of modern life. Join us as we kick off this year’s festival with a stellar line-up of authors including NAJWAN DARWISH, “one of the 39 best Arab writers under the age of 40”; JOY HARJO, a formidable voice in the second wave of “Native American Renaissance”; MIKHAIL SHISHKIN, one of the best contemporary Russian writers; award-winning Caribbean writers JAMAICA KINCAID and EARL LOVELACE; 2012 German Book Prize winner URSULA KRECHEL; Air Force Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force DAVID FRAKT whose defense counsel of Guantanamo detainee Mohammed Jawad earned him an international reputation as a champion of human rights; Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve DARREL VANDEVELD, former prosecutor for the U.S. Military Commissions, from which he resigned to protest the lack of due process afforded to the Guantanamo detainees; up-and-coming Nigerian writer A. IGONI BARRETT, whose Love Is Power, Or Something Like That, is due in May; and VADDEY RATNER, survivor of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime and author of the New York Times bestseller In the Shadow of the Banyan.

The event is hosted by comedian BARATUNDE THURSTON, formerly of The Onion and author of the New York Times bestseller How To Be Black.

PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature, April 29-May 5, 2013. Chaired by Salman Rushdie, this year’s festival explores bravery in art, politics and personal life. Join us for a variety of events including panel discussions, one-on-one conversations, participatory workshops and performances at venues crisscrossing the city.

WORLDVOICESFESTIVAL.ORG

photo of Joy Harjo © Karen Kuehn

penamerican: Are you an activist? Check out our special curated...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:01:25 -0400

penamerican:

Are you an activist? Check out our special curated guide to the PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature next week.

Click here

Photo © Beowulf Sheehan / PEN American Center

penamerican: In 2011, two separate lawsuits were filed against...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:01:49 -0400

penamerican:

In 2011, two separate lawsuits were filed against Cisco Systems alleging that its technology enabled the government of China to monitor, capture, and kill Chinese citizens—including writers—for their views and beliefs. Find out how last week’s Supreme Court decision may dramatically affect these suits.

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Photo by Phil Roeder.

penamerican: PEN Calls on Obama to Oppose Cyber Intelligence...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:01:13 -0400

penamerican:

PEN Calls on Obama to Oppose Cyber Intelligence Bill

PEN American Center sent a letter to President Obama urging him to oppose the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) because of its expected deleterious impact upon writers, bloggers, and civil society activists.

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photo by Kobo on a CC license