Amber Ruffin delivered sharp wit and powerful commentary while hosting PEN America’s annual gala Thursday night at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, using humor to spotlight her own experience with censorship. Ruffin, who was recently dropped as the White House Correspondents’ Dinner speaker, joked, “I’m technically a banned book now,” as she opened the evening, which honored voices resisting repression and celebrating free expression.
The event recognized Sarah Jessica Parker, Galal El-Behairy, Michael S. Roth, and Macmillan CEO Jon Yaged for their contributions to literature, activism, and freedom of speech. Parker received the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award, calling libraries “a heartbeat of the neighborhood” and condemning censorship for stifling imagination and empathy.
El-Behairy, an imprisoned Egyptian poet and activist, was honored with the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award—his family accepted on his behalf, reflecting on the personal cost of his defiance.
Wesleyan University President Michael Roth earned the PEN/Benenson Courage Award for standing against political interference in academia, urging resistance to rising authoritarianism in the U.S. “We are going to have to draw on love and support,” he said to loud applause.
Actor Taye Diggs presented the Business Visionary Award to Jon Yaged, praising him with humor for supporting merit in publishing over celebrity status.
The gala, part fundraiser and part rallying cry, spotlighted the growing threats to artistic and political freedom—from book bans to imprisoned writers—and underscored PEN America’s mission to safeguard free expression worldwide. Ruffin closed with a jab at the White House Correspondents Association: “Thank you, PEN America, for Googling me before asking me to host.”
