Comments on: PEN World Voices — The Price of Self-Absorption http://www.theartsfuse.com/2008/05/12/pen-world-voices-the-price-of-self-absorption/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:05:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Geoff http://www.theartsfuse.com/2008/05/12/pen-world-voices-the-price-of-self-absorption/#comment-516 Geoff Tue, 13 May 2008 13:42:08 +0000 http://www.theartsfuse.com/2008/05/12/pen-world-voices-the-price-of-self-absorption/#comment-516 Yes, I remember thinking it was odd that at every event, the empty chair on stage was dedicated to someone being persecuted by the Chinese government. Sometimes the same person was memorialized at more than one event. Yes, I remember thinking it was odd that at every event, the empty chair on stage was dedicated to someone being persecuted by the Chinese government. Sometimes the same person was memorialized at more than one event.

]]> By: ArtsFuse http://www.theartsfuse.com/2008/05/12/pen-world-voices-the-price-of-self-absorption/#comment-517 ArtsFuse Tue, 13 May 2008 15:28:00 +0000 http://www.theartsfuse.com/2008/05/12/pen-world-voices-the-price-of-self-absorption/#comment-517 Geoff is referring to how before each PEN New Voices event a PEN representative referred to an empty chair on stage, which represented one of the dissident Chinese writers currently behind bars. A boilerplate explaination was read with the name of a particular writer, along with some biographical material on the author, inserted. The reading was often perfunctory, as least at the panels I attended, and because PEN wanted to publicize its petition to free Chinese writers the exercise resembled sitting through a public service announcement. Next year it might be Burma's or Saudi Arabia's turn at the empty chair. Apparently there is only time for one petition for one persecuted group of writers in one country at one time. A strange system ... Bill Marx Geoff is referring to how before each PEN New Voices event a PEN representative referred to an empty chair on stage, which represented one of the dissident Chinese writers currently behind bars. A boilerplate explaination was read with the name of a particular writer, along with some biographical material on the author, inserted.

The reading was often perfunctory, as least at the panels I attended, and because PEN wanted to publicize its petition to free Chinese writers the exercise resembled sitting through a public service announcement. Next year it might be Burma’s or Saudi Arabia’s turn at the empty chair. Apparently there is only time for one petition for one persecuted group of writers in one country at one time. A strange system …

Bill Marx

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