October 18, 2015 - 23:23
In our Thursday group’s classes, we leave a writing prompt as homework for the women each weak which is related to the topic covered in class discussion. I believe that writing can help them deeper explore in their minds, promoting critical thinking. Only reading in class is not enough, for them to understand the world, to reflect on the issues, and to better express themselves, especially as I notice that every time the class ends in a sense of unfinished conversation, some women unsatisfied with the limit of time and space for them to wholly express their insights. Therefore, I have started to be curious about the writing experiences of incarcerated people, and I want to find a way to express their writing experience in this 360 research project.
Poetry, among various kinds of writing, came to me as a perfect form of artistic and expressive way to depict the lives of incarcerated people. I mentioned my interests in inmate’s poems and my plan of making a poster which includes some poems and the visualizations (Maybe drawings) of them while skyping with Sheila as a group with Abby, Shirah and Julia. And I have started to pay attention in collecting possible sources. I was deeply impressed by several beautiful pieces written by Robby from Brothers and Keepers, contrasting other parts of his narratives which sometimes may not be as emotionally effusive. Poems, with its succinct style, force the writers to choose the most accurate words to express some complicated and genuine emotions. The messages from the writers explode in front of the eyes of addressee with such power in only a few lines. I’ve also come to a source titled “Opening a Vein”: Inmate Poetry and The Prison Experience, by Robert Johnson and Nina Chernoff. This source collected pieces of poems written by people within the sphere of prisons and discussed the positive effects on inmates through their writing experience. I will start to read though these and continue to find more sources that can contribute to this project.
Robert Johnson and Nina Chernoff, “Opening a Vein”: Inmate Poetry and the Prison Experience