NEW YORK — On a night when speakers included Stephen King, Morgan Freeman and Margaret Atwood, no one at the PEN American gala had a more moving and inspiring presence than Parkland shooting survivor Samantha Fuentes. The literary and human rights organization handed out prizes for literary service, political activism and defence of the First Amendment. In a letter read by Atwood, the journalists offered a dare to the Myanmar government: “Where is the truth? In his acceptance speech, King called himself “just a guy who’s loved books since childhood,” but set a higher tone for the writer’s place in the world. They have the ability to spark genuine debate about issues and ideas of real substance,” she said.

Source: National Post May 23, 2018 03:26 UTC