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The sentences that create us : crafting a writer's life in prison

2022

Format:	Book
Title:	The sentences that create us : crafting a writer's life in prison / edited by Caits Meissner ; foreword by Reginald Dwayne Betts ; PEN America.
Publisher, Date:	Chicago, Illinois : Haymarket Books, 2022. ©2022
Description:	xxv, 325 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
Summary:	Offers a collection of essays that draw from the unique insights of over fifty justice-involved contributors and their allies to offer inspiration and resources for creating a literary life in prison. Centering in the philosophy that writers in prison can be as vibrant and capable as writers on the outside, and have much to offer readers everywhere, this collection aims to propel writers in prison to launch their work into the world beyond the walls, while also embracing and supporting the creative community within the walls. This volume is a comprehensive resource writers can grow with, beginning with the foundations of creative writing. A roster of contributors including Reginald Dwayne Betts (Felon: Poems), Mitchell S. Jackson (Survival Math), Wilbert Rideau (In the Place of Justice) and Piper Kerman (Orange is the New Black), among many others, address working within and around the severe institutional, emotional, psychological and physical limitations of writing prison through compelling first-person narratives. The book's authors offer pragmatic advice on editing techniques, pathways to publication, writing routines, launching incarcerated-run prison publications and writing groups, lesson plans from prison educators and next-step resources. Threaded throughout the book is the running theme of addressing lived trauma in writing, and writing's capacity to support an authentic healing journey centered in accountability and restoration. --From publisher description.
Subjects:	Prisoners as authors. Prisoners' writings, American. Prisoners -- Literary collections. African American prisoners -- Literary collections. Imprisonment -- Literary collections. Prisons -- Literary collections. Rhetoric. Authorship -- Vocational guidance.
Other Author:	Meissner, Caits, editor. Betts, Reginald Dwayne, 1980- writer of foreword. PEN America, issuing body.
Other Title:	Crafting a writer's life in prison
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 292-293) and index.
Contents:	Foreword / by Reginald Dwayne Betts -- How to read this book / by Caits Messner -- PEN prison writing: Then and now, in and out / by Susan Rosenberg -- Foundations of creative writing. On poetry / by Luis J. Rodriguez -- On fiction / by Ryan Gattis -- On nonfiction memoir / by Patrick O'Neil -- On dramatic theater / by Sarah Shourd -- On screenwriting / by Alexa Alemanni -- On graphic narrative / by Andy Warner -- On journalism / edited by Jaeah Lee, interviews and research by Kate Cammell -- A guide to grammar and punctuation / by Chris Daley -- After grammar: learning how to transition / by Emile DeWeaver -- Re-vision / by Mitchell S. Jackson -- Crafting a writer's life in prison. Introduction / by Caits Meissner with Elizabeth Hawes -- The price of remaining human / by Thomas Bartlett Whitaker -- The most important thing (and a few other rules) / by Curtis Dawkins -- On publishing from prison / by Saint James Harris Wood -- Copyright protection in brief / by Lateef Mtima, JD, and John R. Whitman, PhD -- Burn the spot: on writing about people you know / by Piper Kerman -- The power of grieving in words / by Vivian D. Nixon -- And still I write: creative expression for self-advocacy / by Alejo Rodriguez -- Every story needs hope: why you should write about prison / by Derek R. Trumbo Sr. -- Start and end with the feeling of home: how I developed my poetry manuscript / by Louise K. Waakaa'igan -- On writing and staging a play in prison / by Sterling Cunio -- Gift culture: on collaborating through the walls / by Spoon Jackson -- As for the rest of us: how to win a fellowship with no support / by Arthur Longworth -- "Prison writer": a meditation on histories and the sentences that create them / by Justin Rovillos Monson -- On building writing community. Introduction / by Caits Meissner -- On building prison writing communities / by Zeke Caligiuri -- Remix the plan, return to the purpose: how to center participant storytelling in writing workshops / by Nicole Shawn Junior -- No pen or paper required: the art and practice of community storytelling / by Casey Donahue -- Writing exercises. Translating to the page / by Doran Larson -- On using small stories to illuminate big issues / by Lauren Kessler -- Writing the poem of the moment / by Ellen Bass -- Attention to memory / by Jennifer Bowen -- The inherent magic of objects / by T Kira Mahealani Madden -- Apple is for identity and other prompts / by Anderson Smith -- Personifying location / by Johnny Kovatch -- A letter to my ancestors / by Raquel Almazan -- Imagining worlds: from page to stage / by Ashley Hamilton -- Workshop solitaire: using questions to strengthen a story / by J. D. Mathes -- A writing life in community--from inside out / by Randall Horton.
LCCN:	2021952214
ISBN:	9781642595802 1642595802 9781642596540 164259654X
Other Number:	1289274157
System Availability:	2
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Publishers Weekly Review

Writing advice and memoir come together in this powerful guide to creating a literary life while imprisoned. "There is no technology more democratic than language," Reginald Dwayne Betts writes in his foreword; in the sections that follow, contributors share their notes on the craft. The advice on plotting, creating art, structuring poetry, highlighting grammar and punctuation, and getting published is concise and on-point, as are the writing prompts that round things out. What sets this apart from the average guide, though, are the contributors' backstories, which are woven throughout. For example, Luis J. Rodriguez, who composed the chapter "On Poetry," "sat on murderers row in the Hall of Justice Jail" in 1970 Los Angeles on possible charges of homicide. Rodriguez "began to write. Thoughts, vignettes, anecdotes," before being released, and went on to eventually author 16 books. Patrick O'Neil's tale is equally memorable--he'd been convicted for armed robbery and "confined to a cell for twenty-three hours a day with a serial killer for a cellie." O'Neil joined a prison writing group and found inspiration in Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, which paved the way for his memoir. These glimpses of light in conditions of darkness and pain are inspirational; the result is a moving paean to the power of writing. Agent: Anthony Arnove, Roam Agency. (Jan.)

Summary

"This is one of the best books on writing that I've ever read. I couldn't put it down."
--Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow

The Sentences That Create Us provides a road map for incarcerated people and their allies to have a thriving writing life behind bars--and shared beyond the walls--that draws on the unique insights of more than fifty contributors, most themselves justice-involved, to offer advice, inspiration and resources.

The Sentences That Create Us draws from the unique insights of over fifty justice-involved contributors and their allies to offer inspiration and resources for creating a literary life in prison. Centering in the philosophy that writers in prison can be as vibrant and capable as writers on the outside, and have much to offer readers everywhere, The Sentences That Create Us aims to propel writers in prison to launch their work into the world beyond the walls, while also embracing and supporting the creative community within the walls.

The Sentences That Create Us is a comprehensive resource writers can grow with, beginning with the foundations of creative writing. A roster of impressive contributors including Reginald Dwayne Betts (Felon: Poems), Mitchell S. Jackson (Survival Math), Wilbert Rideau (In the Place of Justice) and Piper Kerman (Orange is the New Black), among many others, address working within and around the severe institutional, emotional, psychological and physical limitations of writing prison through compelling first-person narratives. The book's authors offer pragmatic advice on editing techniques, pathways to publication, writing routines, launching incarcerated-run prison publications and writing groups, lesson plans from prison educators and next-step resources.

Threaded throughout the book is the running theme of addressing lived trauma in writing, and writing's capacity to support an authentic healing journey centered in accountability and restoration. While written towards people in the justice system, this book can serve anyone seeking hard won lessons and inspiration for their own creative--and human--journey.

The Sentences That Create Us includes contributions from Alexa Alemanni; Raquel Almazan; Ellen Bass; Reginald Dwayne Betts; Keri Blakinger; Jennifer Bowen; Zeke Caligiuri; Sterling Cunio; Chris Daley; Curtis Dawkins; Emile DeWeaver; Casey Donahue; Ryan Gattis; Eli Hager; Ashley Hamilton, PhD; Kenneth Hartman; Elizabeth Hawes; Randall Horton; Spoon Jackson; Mitchell S. Jackson; Nicole Shawan Junior; Yukari Iwatani Kane, Shaheen Pasha, and Kate McQueen of The Prison Journalism Project; Piper Kerman; Lauren Kessler; Johnny Kovatch; Doran Larson; Victoria Law; Jaeah Lee; John J. Lennon; Arthur Longworth; T Kira Mahealani Madden; J. D. Mathes; Justin Rovillos Monson; Lateef Mtima, JD; Vivian D. Nixon; Patrick O'Neil; Liza Jessie Peterson; Wilbert Rideau; Alejo Rodriguez; Luis J. Rodriguez; Susan Rosenberg; Geraldine Sealey; Sarah Shourd; Sarah Shourd; Anderson Smith, PhD; Derek R. Trumbo Sr.; Louise K. WaaKaa'igan; Andy Warner; Thomas Bartlett Whitaker; John R. Whitman, PhD; Saint James Harris Wood; Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor of Ear Hustle; and Jeffery L. Young.

Table of Contents

	About PEN America	p. ix
	Foreword Reginald Dwayne Betts	p. xi
	Editor's Note: How to Read Ibis Book Caits Meissner	p. xiii
	PEN Prison Writing: Then and Now, In and Out by Susan Rosenberg	p. xxi
Part I	Foundations of Creative Writing
	On Poetry Luis J. Rodriguez	p. 2
	On Fiction Ryan Gattis	p. 16
	On Nonfiction Memoir Patrick O'Neil	p. 41
	On Dramatic Theater Sarah Shourd	p. 56
	On Screenwriting Alexa Alemanni	p. 75
	On Graphic Narrative Andy Warner	p. 85
	On Journalism, edited Jaeah Lee, interviews and research and Kate Cammell	p. 96
	The Prison Journalism Project's Quick Journalism Reference Guide Yukari Iwatani Kane and Shaheen Pasha and Kate McQueen	p. 121
	A Guide to Grammar and Punctuation Chris Daley	p. 130
	After Grammar: Learning How to Transition Emile DeWeaver	p. 147
	Re-Vision Mitchell S. Jackson	p. 152
Part II	Crafting a Writer's Life in Prison
	Introduction Caits Meissner and Elizabeth Hawes	p. 164
	The Price of Remaining Human Thomas Bartlett Whitaker	p. 167
	The Most Important Thing (and a Few Other Rules) Curtis Dawkins	p. 171
	On Publishing from Prison Saint James Harris Wood	p. 175
	Copyright Protection in Brief Lateef Mtima, JD and John R. Whitman, PhD	p. 180
	Burn the Spot: On Writing about People You Know Piper Kerman	p. 185
	The Power of Grieving in Words Vivian D. Nixon	p. 190
	And Still I Write: Creative Expression for Self-Advocacy Alejo Rodriguez	p. 195
	Every Story Needs Hope: Why You Should Write about Prison Derek R. Trumbo Sr.	p. 201
	Start and End with the Feeling of Home: How I Developed My Poetry Manuscript Louise K. Waakaa'igan	p. 205
	On Writing and Staging a Play in Prison Sterling Cunio	p. 210
	Gift Culture: On Collaborating through the Walls Spoon Jackson	p. 216
	As for the Rest of Us: How to Win a Fellowship with No Support Arthur Longworth	p. 221
	"Prison Writer": A Meditation on Histories and the Sentences that Create Them Justin Rovillos Monson	p. 227
Part III	On Building Writing Community
	Introduction Caits Meissner	p. 232
	On Building Prison Writing Communities Zeke Caligiuri	p. 234
	Remix the Plan, Return to the Purpose: How to Center Participant Storytelling in Writing Workshops Nicole Shawan Junior	p. 240
	No Pen or Paper Required: The Art and Practice of Community Storytelling Casey Donahue	p. 245
Part IV	Writing Exercises
	Translating to the Page Doran Larson	p. 254
	On Using Small Stories to Illuminate Big Issues Lauren Kessler	p. 257
	Writing the Poem of the Moment Ellen Bass	p. 261
	Attention to Memory Jennifer Bowen	p. 264
	The Inherent Magic of Objects T Kira Mahealani Madden	p. 268
	Apple Is for Identity and Other Prompts Anderson Smith	p. 272
	Personifying Location Johnny Kovatch	p. 275
	A Letter to My Ancestors Raquel Almazan	p. 277
	Imagining Worlds: From Page to Stage Ashley Hamilton	p. 280
	Workshop Solitaire: Using Questions to Strengthen a Story J.D. Mathes	p. 283
	Epilogue: A Writing Life in Community-from Inside Out Randall Horton	p. 288
	Further Reading	p. 292
	Further Resources	p. 294
	Acknowledgments	p. 302
	About the Contributors	p. 305
	Permissions	p. 312
	Index	p. 314

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