Hundreds gather for PEN America gala, hosted by Awkwafina
By HILLEL ITALIE
AP National Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — PEN America held one of New York’s first major indoor literary gatherings since the pandemic began last year, as hundreds met Tuesday night for the organization’s annual gala to honor writers, community servants, political dissidents and such prominent public figures as Walt Disney executive chair Robert A. Iger. Guest presenters included Lin-Manuel Miranda, who introduced Iger, and Jodie Foster, a longtime friend of honoree Henry Louis Gates Jr. Actor-rapper Awkwafina hosted the gala, and attendees also included such writers as Min Jin Lee, Claudia Rankine and Walter Isaacson.
