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Causes: Arts & Culture, Cultural & Ethnic Awareness, Printing & Publishing, Professional Societies & Associations
Mission: To stimulate and maintain interest in the written word, to foster a vital literary culture, and to defend freedom of expression domestically and internationally.
Programs: Membership/supporting the literary community: pen center usa serves over 830 writers, translators, editors, agents, publishers, booksellers, teachers, librarians, and readers through pen center usa membership. Eleven hundred artists and writers in the western united states were served through the literary awards, which includes festival attendees and awards' entrants. Twenty thousand online social media participants use pen center usa's freedom to write advocacy network annually. This program provided 13 literary awards (winners from various genres [$1,000 prize each]), a literary award festival (approx. 400 attendees), 3 fairs or festivals, 25 readings, and 88 lectures, workshops, or symposiums (4821 general audience members), 350 artists participated, and membership specific events were held. In addition, stipend and honorarium ranging from $75 to $15,000 each is received by 11 writers and 1 editor for editorial work in connection with the translation program.
freedom to write (ftw) and pen in the community (pitc): this program helped to free imprisoned writers around the world, protected and defended first amendment rights, mentored writers from underserved communities. Approximately 700 persecuted writers worldwide were supported through advocacy and some with direct aid. During fiscal year ended june 30, 2017, 10 aspiring writers received stipends ranging from $450 to $950 each. Through pitc, pen provided creative writing instruction by professional writers in southern california high schools and community centers. There were approximately 258 participants, 10 teachers, and 10 professional writers involved in the pitc program. The residencies served 81 adults and 177 youths at title i schools including 56% female, 44% men as well as 9 % african-american, 82% latino/hispanic, 8% white, and 1% asian.
emerging voices ("ev"): stipend, fellowships and/or honorarium ranging from $100 to $1,500 each were received by 41 aspiring writers from underserved communities. In fiscal year 16-17, pen center usa had an applicant pool of 254 individuals with the following profile: 38% white; 17% asian; 17% black/african american; 12% hispanic or latino; 6% identifying as other, including middle eastern, native american, or south asian; and 6% identifying as multiracial or mixed race; with the remaining 4% preferring not to say. In terms of gender, the pool was 67% female; 29% male; and 4% identifying as non-binary, genderqueer, trans, or other. Geographically, 77% were from california. Of those, 31% came from los angeles; 35% came from other surrounding cities in southern california; the remaining 23% were from the states of alabama, arizona, connecticut, delaware, florida, georgia, illinois, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, new york (3. 5%), north carolina, oregon, pennsylvania, texas (2%), virginia, washington, and west virginia, as well as from the countries of canada, china, ethiopia, nigeria, switzerland, and the united kingdom. Applicants represented the following genres: 20% poetry, 52% fiction, and 28% creative nonfiction.