James Patterson donates to PEN America, Howard University

NEW YORK (AP) — Howard University, PEN America and Scholastic Book Clubs are among the latest recipients of donations from James Patterson, the bestselling author who has given over $100 million to literary and literacy programs. On Tuesday, Patterson announced $5.3 million in cash awards. They include $2 million to PEN to support the organization’s fight for free expression worldwide; $2 million to Scholastic for the classroom project “The United States of Readers” and $1.3 million total to Howard University for 12 James Patterson Writer Education Scholarships and to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop for 14 fellowships, given to 11 fiction writers and three poets.