This week, Alida and Kathryn welcome Jennifer Bowen Hicks, Artistic Director of the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop, to the Round Table to discuss the impact writing has on the lives of incarcerated writers. In this in-depth conversation, Jennifer tells us about the kinds of students and writing found on the inside. Some of the most innovative, powerful writing voices are coming from this invisible population. Art changes lives.

Part 2 of 2

Students in an MPWW classroom.

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VIDEO

AUDIO

SHOW NOTES

Before you listen, make sure you listen to part one of this conversation here.

Do MPWW writers take emotional risks in their writing? How can we take a page from their book to form supportive writing communities? And how is the Twin Cities Community involved in supporting the program? Has the MPWW program affected the DOC? And what misconceptions does Jen encounter? And finally, we talk about how you can help support this program, and all the work that it is doing!

To make a donation or check out MPWW check out mnprisonwriting.org

We Are All Criminals SEEN project profile and writing of an MPWW student.

What we talked about:

Do writers take emotional risks in their writing? Do they pull from their own experiences? (0:40)

How do you form a supportive a writing community? (3:01)

How has the DOC responded to the program? Have they become more receptive to the program? (6:25)

Community involvement with MPWW. (10:30)

What misconceptions do you encounter? (16:55)

What is decarcerating? (19:58)

What does MPWW need? How could you get involved even if you aren’t in the Twin Cities? (23:12)

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