“It has been said that loneliness is the great American malady. What is the nature of this loneliness? It would seem essentially to be a quest for identity.”—Carson McCullers’s essay “The Nature of Loneliness”
Books + Manuscripts
What’s in the PEN archives?
The PEN records occupy 180 linear feet, span 1912 to 2008, and document the history and activities of the English PEN and PEN International, as well as the formation (and sometimes dissolution) of other PEN centers around the globe.
Writers without borders: The power of PEN
The story of twentieth-century political activism, persecution, and creative expression cannot be fully understood without exploring the rich materials in the PEN records at the Harry Ransom Center.