Last Sunday, IPS held the 39th annual memorial for Orlando Letelier and Ronni Karpen Moffitt, two colleagues who were assassinated by agents of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. The memorial service was held at Sheridan Circle, the site of the car bombing that killed Orlando and Ronni in 1976. This year’s program was especially moving because it included Chilean Ambassador Juan Gabriel Valdes, who worked with Orlando at the time of the assassination. Dr. Frank Smith, another former IPS staff member from that era, explained how he thought he’d “left bombings behind” when he started at IPS in 1968 after working for several years as a voting rights organizer in Mississippi. “What I realized was that people who fight for justice are in danger wherever they are." — Dr. Frank Smith The program also included poetry from Split this Rock Director and Co-FounderSarah Browning, and remarks by Gavin Weiss, a member of Ronni’s family, and Cristian Letelier, Orlando’s son. The service closed with the traditional laying of flowers on the memorial marker commemorating Orlando and Ronni on Massachusetts Avenue. Cristian Letelier and Chilean Ambassador Juan Gabriel Valdes lay flowers on Orlando and Ronni's memorial marker. The 39th Annual Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Awards Join us on Tuesday, October 6 for this year’s Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Awards, where we remember the legacy of our fallen colleagues by honoring and celebrating new heroes of the human rights movement from the United States and the Americas: This year's award recipients: Domestic Awardee: Daryl Atkinson and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, for their leadership in building a broad-based movement for criminal justice reform, and in empowering those with criminal records to uphold their right to a second chance. International Awardee: Almudena Bernabeu and the Center for Justice and Accountability,​ for their successful prosecution of several of the worst Latin American perpetrators of crimes against humanity. Tickets are going fast! Please purchase yours today. Visit ips-dc.org/LM2015or call 202.787.5272. P.S. If you are a student or underemployed, please contact Christina Curtin at202.787.5272 or christina@ips-dc.org. We are extremely grateful to those whose additional contributions make this event and its accessibility to others possible.

Sunday, October 11, 2015 Jonathan Myrick Daniels Evensong Dedication and Forum Evensong with Dedication of Jonathan Myrick Daniels Carving — 4pm Join us for the dedication of a bust of Jonathan Myrick Daniels, the newest stone carving in the Cathedral’s Human Rights Porch. Daniels was an Episcopal seminarian and civil rights activist killed in 1965 at the age of 26 while protecting Ruby Sales, a young African-American activist. The Very Rev. Harvey Guthrie, a seminary professor close to Daniels, will preach. Learn more about Very Rev. Harvey Guthrie » The Legacy of Jonathan Daniels with Ruby Sales — 5:30pm Following the Evensong and dedication, Ruby Sales talks about the legacy of Jonathan Daniels and what their work means for our country today. Sales was working alongside Daniels in 1965 when he sacrificed his life to save hers. Today she is a nationally recognized human rights activist, social critic, and founder of the Spirit House Project, an organization that promotes a spiritual approach to racial, economic, and social justice. Learn more about Ruby Sales » Download a printable flyer

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The Significance Of Pope Francis’ Visit To The United States

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September 17, 2015 – Segment 1

We begin the show with a panel of guests who will discuss the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to the East Coast. With: E. Ethelbert Miller, poet and literary activist who serves on the Board of the Institute for Policy Studies; Ralph Moore, Program Manager for Restoration Gardens, a housing and resource development center for homeless youth in Southern Park Heights; and Patricia Shannon Jones, Director of the Immigration Outreach Service Center and leader of Women in Ministry at Baltimore’s St. Matthews Catholic Church.

Written by Marc Steiner

The Marc Steiner Show airs Monday thru Friday from 10AM to Noon on WEAA 88.9 FM. The show covers the topics that matter, engaging real voices, from Charm City to Cairo and beyond. Call us at 410.319.8888 or email us to participate live in the show, or share your comments on our site! Aren’t in Baltimore but want to listen? Stream the show live.

International Literature: Singaporean Literature Monday, September 21, 4:00 PM Poet/essayist, Jee Leong Koh, playwright/translator, Jeremy Tiang, and writer/editor, Frank Stewart, will read from Starry Island: New Writing from Singapore as part of MANOA: A Pacific Journal of International Writing's series of contemporary literature from Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas. This event is free and open to the public. Presented in partnership with MANOA: A Pacific Journal of International Writing. Location: Mumford Room, sixth floor, James Madison Building Contact: (202) 707-5394

On Saturday, September 19, the Institute for Policy Studies, Greenpeace USA, Story of Stuff, and local Maryland organizations are holding a day-long conference that will explore the issues of climate, racial, and economic justice.  Interactive workshops and panel discussions will connect local, national, and global issues, and explore core elements of the New Economy movement. RSVP Now! During the evening plenary, I will be moderating an interracial and multigenerational discussion about the future of Maryland featuring Greenpeace USA Director and Story of Stuff founder Annie Leonard, Gar Alperovitz from the Democracy Collaborative, Progressive Maryland's Larry Stafford, and Climate Change MD Coordinator Larissa Johnson. Through dialogue among these leaders and with the audience, the panel will chart futures for Maryland that prioritizes workers, climate, and democracy. Workshop topics will include: A Just Transition in Maryland: Building from the Baltimore Anti-Incinerator Fight How Emerging Business Models are Building the New Economy From Farm to Fork We Shape the Future – New Economy Food Systems How the New Economy is Taking Shape in Baltimore and Beyond There is no cost to attend. RSVP today for this exciting event. I hope to see you there! Sincerely, John Cavanagh Director, Institute for Policy Studies

The Cousins   By Aurora Venturini Translated by Roy Kesey Roy Kesey is the recipient of a 2015 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant forThe Cousins ( Las primas), a novel that propelled its author, Aurora Venturini, to literary stardom at the age of 85. The novel tells the story of a dysfunctional lower-middle-class family in Argentina with dark humor and psychological acuity.  Read an excerpt » ESSAY The Power of Voice: On Translating Aurora Venturini By Roy Kesey The story of how Aurora Venturini came to be “discovered” in Spanish—at the age of 85, following decades of writing and translating in exile is nothing short of extraordinary. As is the book itself.  Read more » POETRY Buzkashi by Diana Khoi Nguyen   Then the Taliban: / they allowed the game, but rode the mares in summer / until they rode no more.  She who is not consoled / lasts longer than the fever of a horse  / whose teeth flare out in prayer, Khyber blade / in the crosshatch hands of her rider, hands from a life / of whipping.  Read more » FLASH A Terribly Perfect Couple By Andrés Neuman "Theoretically, Elisa was able to reach her orgasm at the same time as Elías without the slightest effort. In practice, it was more common for them to find themselves tied up in knots created by their always simultaneous desire." Read More »   PODCAST Alex Dimitrov Reads Allen Ginsberg In celebration of Banned Books Week at the end of September, we feature Alex Dimitrov reading "I Am Not" and "Personals Ad" by the frequently banned Allen Ginsberg, from our 2013 event "Paradise Banned: Poetry Readings from Banned Books."  Listen »   INTERVIEW The PEN Ten with Metta Sáma By Nicole Sealey Guest editor Nicole Sealey talks to writer Metta Sáma, the director of both the Creative Writing Program and Center for Women Writers at Salem College, where she is also Assistant Professor of Creative Writing.  Read more » EVENT Coming of Age with Joyce Carol Oates Thurs, Sept. 17, 7:30pm New York Historical Society $20 for PEN MembersDiscount Code PEN917In conjunction with the release of her new memoir The Lost Landscape: A Writer's Coming of Age, award-winning author Joyce Carol Oates reflects upon her prolific career and her coming-of-age as a writer in rural western New York State. Moderated by Adam Kirsch.

follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend   Copyright © 2015 PEN American Center, All rights reserved. You are receiving this e-mail because you opted in to a mailing list at PEN.org or PEN-sponsored event. Our mailing address is: PEN American Center 588 Broadway Suite 303 New York, NY 10012 Add us to your address book

Be orderly in your habits that you may be wild in your work.

      - Flaubert

The political migrations around the world might just be the "test run" for the ones that will be caused by climate change and major natural disasters. It's important we not flee from our compassion or construct a wall around our hearts when it comes to helping others.

Michon Boston Group LTD Urban Institute invite you to SHOW ME A HERO A Conversation with HUD Secretary Julián Castro and David Simon   Sunday, September 27, 2015 4-6 PM Hotel Monaco 700 F St. NW Paris Ballroom Washington, DC 20004 While set decades ago in Yonkers, New York, the true story dramatized in HBO’s new miniseries Show Me a Hero is timely (based on the book of the same title by Lisa Belkin). Airing just months after a historic Supreme Court decision on fair housing and new regulations from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the miniseries reminds us how long Americans have fought over race, class, and space. Join us on Sunday, September 27, as we watch a segment of Show Me a Hero and discuss housing segregation and policies used to combat it with HUD secretary Julián Castro, Show Me a Hero producer David Simon, and other fair housing experts.  Welcome: Sarah Rosen Wartell, president, Urban Institute  Clayton LeBouef, actor, Show Me a Hero   Screening: Segment of Show Me a Hero Discussion: Julián Castro, secretary, US Department of Housing and Urban Development David Simon, producer, Show Me a Hero, HBO  James Perry, former executive director, New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center Margery Austin Turner, senior vice president for program planning and management, Urban Institute Moderator: Sarah Rosen Wartell, president, Urban Institute Registration is required  CLICK HERE TO RSVP   Space is limited. Creative Cultural Strategies

HAVE YOU SEEN MY LORD?

So much of the world looks like this.

Should we pick a country?   Syria?  Libya?
I showed this picture to several friends. Imagine the life of the people who might be living across the street or next door. Was this caused by war or earthquake?  How do you  feel looking at this type of destruction?  Are you waiting for the UN to bring you a bottle of water?  Will your electricity be gone for months?  Is it time to think of migrating?  Where would you go?

I thought about this as I stood in front of the new Silver Spring Public Library and took this photograph of what once was a church. Afterwards I went looking for God but I fear he is either homeless or dead. How could he remain here in the absence of beauty...

BUSBOYS AND POETS/ 5TH AND K Street , NW.

E-Forum presents Some of Us Did Not Die: Remembering June Jordan

5th & K | Cullen Room | September 22, 2015 | 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Ethelbert Miller for the first time will share personal correspondence and critical comments about a writer and friend who shaped his life and work. This discussion will be an overview of her career and a close examination of a couple of her signature poems.

Do you find yourself still climbing the ladder?

Did you know there were 2 ladders?

Dear Ethelbert,       We're excited to announce that MAPP will curate 5 iterations of New York Live Arts' Open Spectrum discussion series. Developed in collaboration with Culturebot and New York Live Arts Open Spectrum is where our creative community comes together to responsibly voice opinions, raise questions, and share resources. The first MAPP-curated discussion, Open Spectrum: Faces of Resistance - Young Organized, & Unified will feature a panel of young trailblazers and organizers whose actions have helped shape today's social movements. Panelists include Allen Kwabena Frimpong (Black Lives Matter), Niegel Smith (Willing Participant; Flea Theatre), Jamilah Lemieux(Ebony.com)  Baba Israel (MAPP-artist), and Beatrice Anderson (Harriet's Apothecary; Ayiti Ressurect); moderated by Grace Ali (OF NOTE Magazine).    I hope you'll join us for the first in a series of timely conversations. Be sure to use #FORYOU to interact with panelists before and during the discussion.     Open Spectrum:  Faces of Resistance - Young, Organized, & Unified (#FORYOU)  September 28 at 7:30pm  New York Live Arts (219 W. 19th Street, NYC)           JOIN US!    All best,    Rasu Jilani   Director of Community Programs MAPP International Productions

BETTER THAN THE MOVIE

THE FANTASTIC FOUR:  Anderson, Cavanagh, Conyers and Raskin

VIDEO: The Future of Touch Beyond Apple Watch Apple used haptic technology in its watch to deliver notifications by tapping on a user's wrist. Now tech firms are finding more ways to, as one researcher said, let "people feel things that aren't actually there."  Related Article

One has to hope that Drew Storen is going to win a big World Series game before his career ends.

Did Bessie Smith ever sing opera?