Phil Klay Appointed President of PEN America Amid Internal Disagreements Over Israel-Hamas Conflict Stance
Phil Klay, a National Book Award-winning author and Marine Corps veteran, has been named the new president of PEN America. This appointment occurs as the literary and free expression organization faces significant internal divisions regarding its stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Klay succeeds Dinaw Mengestu, who resigned in July after less than a year in the role. Mengestu's resignation followed a PEN report that focused on the 'widening cultural isolation' experienced by Jewish and Israeli writers since the war began. Mengestu publicly stated on Instagram that the report's emphasis demonstrated a continued bias against Palestinians, undermining his belief in PEN's capacity for equitable change. Prior to this, two years ago, numerous writers expressed dissatisfaction with PEN's initial response to the conflict, alleging a slow reaction to the deaths of Palestinian writers and journalists, which led to the cancellation of the organization's annual awards ceremony and 'World Voices' festival due to parti...
