PEN Oakland
PEN Oakland, was launched in fall, 1989, by Ishmael Reed, with soon-to-be co-founders Floyd Salas, Reginald Lockett and Claire Ortalda. The idea was to form a multicultural chapter of PEN, the international organization of poets, essayists, and novelists. The New York Times has called us "the blue collar PEN." Tennessee Reed is presently Chairperson of this chapter.