Archive | October, 2009

Inside/Outside Envelope Project

31 Oct

swans-m

Phyllis Kornfeld – whose Cellblock Visions is a powerful and beautiful collection of art made by people in prison – has begun the Inside/Outside Envelope Project. As Phyllis describes: “Envelope art is a long-standing tradition in prison art. Beautiful envelopes sent to loved ones communicate a deep connection. The Inside/Outside Envelope Project is expanding that connection. Incarcerated men and women donate their pre-stamped, ready for use, envelope art to be sold as a fundraiser. 100% of the proceeds benefits non-profit organizations.”

Anyone interested in helping with a tax deductible contribution, send to:
A.P.E. Ltd.
126 Main St
Northampton, Ma 01060
(with a memo “For the Inside/Outside Envelope Project.”)

That Bird Has My Wings

16 Oct

That Bird Has My Wings: The Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row is Jarvis Jay Masters’ second book, and it comes with endorsements by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Van Jones, author David Sheff, and many others. Although Masters writes of the crimes he’s committed, as well as those he’s innocent of though convicted – and although he writes some about his life on San Quentin’s Death Row – That Bird focuses primarily on Masters’ childhood and coming of age.

Much of what Masters reports is heart breaking: being left to watch over young siblings with no food to feed them, beatings and cruelty of foster care families, being set up to fight for bets by older male relatives, choices he makes against his own best interest. But Masters also describes the love he shared with his sisters, his wonderful first foster parents, the neighbor who silently left food for the children each morning, his caring though drugged mother. When life gave him a chance, Masters was the little boy he was born to be: loving, sweet, curious, responsible.

The story Masters shapes for the first two-thirds of the book lets the reader in very close as the child tries to make sense of his experience, as he learns to protect himself from hurt, and eventually, as he comes to feel most comfortable in institutions. Masters’ telling is honest, well written, deeply (humanly) interesting.

The last third or so of the book is also interesting, honest, and well written, but to me feels tacked on – more like a handful of essays than the continuation of an unfolding story. Perhaps the publisher felt the book needed to include stories from prison itself.

Both Masters and his publisher (HarperOne) seem to want the book to speak out most strongly about the foster care system. An important goal that Masters achieves. But I think the book does even more than this. That Bird shows one life – its huge difficulties and its few gifts – and how a being is shaped by both. (written by Judith Tannenbaum)

Tags: , ,

Finally Free

6 Oct

The Otter Creek Players, a creative arts group at the Otter Creek Correctional Facility in Wheelwright, KY, produced an original play this summer called Finally Free, which explored the themes of confinement and freedom.

Finally Free was produced through the Thousand Kites Project at Appalshop. We were fortunate enough to be able to create an audio recording of the production at Otter Creek. Listen to the opening segment here, in which every woman in the group is heard:

Finally Free

Check out the Thousand Kites website to learn more about the project at Otter Creek, and to download a copy of the script.

One woman in the group wrote this poem in connection with the play:

This Fabulous View

I have this fabulous view from my narrow, bullet-proof plexi-glass rectangle.

I only see the beauty of the trees; the wonder of all living things I am encircled by, and the awe that it inspires within me.

I choose not to see the barbed and razor-wire, rough and sharply surrounding the “compound.”

You see, even though they have taken custody of this body, my mind is free to roam and wander to wherever I choose; beyond any physical limitations I may have.

I refuse to let them have the last word, the last laugh, the last of my sanity…

In my world, I can decide what I will allow to be or not to be. I’m the boss and you’re not, so don’t think you’re the boss of me…I control what is and what will be.

In my world, there is no such thing as captivity.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 4,916 other followers