By Ruby Brayton | Project Intern
In the most challenging of circumstances, we can find the strength and courage to grow, persevere and thrive through the perennial power of reading, writing, and fostering creativity. This belief is encapsulated in the mission of Free Minds' Prison Book Club’s regular programming, including our Connect magazine, which is released five times a year featuring member and staff contributions, the Books Across the Miles (BAM) selection where members choose from a ballot, and Write Nights, which allow for community members, volunteers, and others to provide thoughtful responses on incarcerated member’s poetry.
The Connect: Animal Kingdom
The latest issue of our Connect magazine celebrates the theme “Animal Kingdom,” featuring pieces by and for members of the Free Minds community, including poetry, art, interviews, feedback on the Books Across the Miles selection, and more. This edition emphasizes the importance of the relationship between humans and animals, as demonstrated by members who have been able to participate in dog training programs, for example. Members who submitted poetry to be featured in this edition used animals as a source of inspiration for writing, demonstrating how the natural world can be a magnificent site of creative expression. Many of these poems draw upon animals and nature in an innovative manner to represent their circumstances of incarceration as well, highlighting the importance of creative writing as a mode of healing. Free Minds member JS does a beautiful job of representing this in an excerpt from his poem, “Sparrow”:
I would love to be a lion or gorilla,
but when I think,
a sparrow may be closer to me,
for I’ve found meaning and purpose from this broken thing,
this place that wishes to break me,
this place that has ironically shaped me,
where in my life I’ve been emboldened into a lion
or gorilla in the jungle,
since watching the sparrow,
I’ve grown the wings to escape and fly away.
JS’s “Sparrow” reminds us that we can find meaning even in the darkest of places, that all life–big and small–has a lesson to teach us about resilience, perseverance, and finding purpose.
Books Across the Miles (BAM)
Members of the Prison Book Club have the opportunity to vote for the book they want to read and discuss at the same time, our Books Across the Miles (BAM) program. The BAM book is sent to over 110 federal facilities across the country, creating opportunities for members to have the shared experience of reading a meaningful book and reflecting on what its contents mean to them. Our latest BAM pick was The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Cheating by Lara Love Hardin. This memoir details how Lara’s life got flipped around when she was arrested for stealing her neighbor’s credit cards in an effort to fund her heroin addiction, leading her to encounter the power structures and dynamics of jail that are a far cry from the world of being a soccer mom. As she settles into the social dynamics in jail by becoming a source of love, healing, and acceptance, the women around her affectionately dub her as “Mama Love.” Following her release, she finds healing through creative writing and eventually becomes a ghostwriter for prominent figures, giving her a chance to navigate what it means to heal herself, build lasting bonds, and reflect on the power of balancing our past while honoring our future.
This book was particularly impactful for our members, as it represents the capacity for individuals to change, grow, and heal during incarceration and not let it be the end of their stories. One member, DK, talked about how one of the key lessons offered by this story is that “purpose and service can help rebuild a life.” Hardin worked to rebuild her life through “helping others through writing and storytelling,” which showed DK that “redemption often comes through serving others.” He finished his reflection with a deeply introspective quote: “When we use our experiences to help someone else avoid the same mistakes, our past can become something meaningful rather than just something painful.”
The contemplative ruminations on the contents of The Many Lives of Mama Love shared by DK and countless other members of the Prison Book Club represent how communal reflection on a book club pick can provide a shared space for introspection, healing, and growth. At Free Minds, we strongly believe in the healing power of a good book, and we’re thankful for our members sharing their thoughts and feelings with us and each other.
Write Night
Free Minds holds regular programming called Write Night where community members join Poet Ambassadors, who are formerly incarcerated Free Minds members home in the community, as they share poetry from incarcerated members alongside their musings on the importance of receiving feedback on their writing and hearing from community members while incarcerated. After engaging in a meaningful conversation with the Poet Ambassadors, community members leave encouraging reflections on member poetry, which is then sent back to the poet.
On February 25th, we held a virtual Write Night over Zoom where we were joined by two Poet Ambassadors who shared such reflections on what receiving mail meant to them and offered encouragement to those who might be feeling trepidation about starting to write. Poet Ambassador KB talked about the significance of receiving mail with supportive comments that encouraged him to continue writing, which helped him start to see Free Minds as his family in an environment that frequently tears families apart. KB said that comments of that nature “touch the heart and the soul of people who need them,” further describing them as “rejuvenating for the soul.”
Write Nights are a vital way for our Poet Ambassadors to reflect on the magnitude of the important role that reading and writing has played in their growth by facilitating opportunities for connection, support, and transformation without judgment. Even the seemingly smallest displays of solidarity and nurturing are part of the soul of Free Minds’ mission to champion the miraculous and redemptive power of words and creative expression.
Free Minds sincerely values your continued support of our Prison Book Club programming. With your support, we are able to continue engaging with our community that Free Minds has fostered for incarcerated individuals for over two decades, and hopefully for many years to come.
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