The Public Theater

THOUGHT IS FREE:
An Evening of Protest and Solidarity

A Public Forum Event
In association with PEN American Center
Hosted by Liev Schreiber
Work of Imperiled Writers and Artists Read by Carl Bernstein, Shirin Neshat, and Laurie Anderson
Salman Rushdie joins Nathan Englander for a discussion on the responsibilities of artists

Monday December 3 at 8pm

In THOUGHT IS FREE, high-profile champions of free expression will read the work of writers and artists imprisoned for speaking truth to power. Legendary journalist Carl Bernstein will read a story by Eskinder Nega, the Ethiopian reporter whose arrest on anti-terrorism charges has been protested by PEN, Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the U.S. State Department.

The globally renowned Iranian-born artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat will read a statement by Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist who has been barred from leaving the country because of his criticism of the government.

Laurie Anderson will read a text from the Pussy Riot trial, which sent three members of the Russian punk band to prison. Two of them remain in jail.

The evening will conclude with Salman Rushdie joining Nathan Englander onstage for a conversation about The Twenty-Seventh Man, Rushdie’s new memoir, and the responsibilities of the artist. Rushdie is the founder and chair of the PEN World Voices Festival and Englander is a member of the PEN American Center Board of Trustees.