Lockdown Podcasting

I realize that I have written about Podcasting and Jail, but I have not written about Podcasting in Jail. It’s quite an experience!

This is the first Podcasting program that I have facilitated at Jail North. I was thrilled that Jail Administration was allowing me to conduct this program at all. People are starting to catch on to the many benefits of Podcasting, but I was afraid that Jail Admin would not see it as a worthy inmate program. However, I was cleared for the program and I have been having a blast. Thank you, Jail North!

It is an interesting experience to facilitate a tech-heavy program with patrons that have spotty or non-existent computer skills. Using a mouse, recording on Audacity and exporting a file as an MP3 can be challenging. Many of my patrons do not have a point of reference for those activities. The digital divide is very apparent within facilities like a jail. However, somehow we are muddling through. Repetition is our friend. Saving and exporting a file is done the same way every time and the guys have caught on quickly. I learned a long time ago to not make patrons use the touch mouse on our laptops because that is difficult to maneuver. I supply a USB mouse for each computer, and the guys handle that fine. Interestingly, they are very helpful to each other and the guys that are a little more tech savvy help out the ones who need assistance. That is nice to see.

The guys enjoy Podcasting, but they also like the concept of Podcasting. I showed them the Podcasting directory on iTunes and they were amazed that there were so many Podcasts available and for free. I have played several Podcasts that have covered topics such as politics, movies, manners, and sports. As we listen to the Podcast, we talk about what we like and don’t like about them. The guys practice reading poetry and record themselves on Audacity. Anything by Maya Angelou is excellent to use as she has relatable work and her poems sound wonderful when spoken out loud. Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Lauren Hill are also great to use. We’ve recorded samples of Hamlet’s soliloquy, and next week I’m going to have them record the first four verses of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.

Along with technology skills, the guys are learning how to be better public speakers. They are critical of how they sound and work hard to ‘get it right,’ often re-recording a poem several times because they want to sound their best. I don’t know what opportunities these guys will have to Podcast when they are released, but I hope that they are able to utilize the skills that they have learned during the class.

And perhaps have an abiding love for the spoken word.

Why I Enjoy Going to Jail

People ask me why I like teaching classes at the jail. By ‘people’ I mean everyone- colleagues, friends, family members, random strangers, my husband. I realize that it is a strange thing, but I actually look forward to going to Jail North. Why? This is why:

Below are a few examples of evaluations from my Flash Fiction class, adult inmates, Jail North:

“I would like to work harder with my writing and more on my Flash Fiction. I think this class helped me out a lot.”
“She (the instructor) made things fun and exciting. Also she made it understandable with an open mind. Thank you for your class, Peace & Blessings.”
“This class made me want to learn more.”

We did a writing exercise today that I highly recommend- stream of consciousness writing. It’s great for the novice writer, or for those that think that they have nothing to say. I explained the concept to the class. They were to write in their journals for two minutes about whatever popped in their head, no editing, rewriting or formal writing, just let the words flow. For two minutes the guys furiously wrote in their journals and all I could hear was the scribbling of pencils. Pencils down, then we read what we wrote out loud. I had to edit a bit for content, but here is an example from one of my more quiet students:
“This class has been (good) for me. I’ve learned that this is a great group of guys, and I’ve learned some things about (myself). I didn’t believe in writing. I didn’t think that it would help anything. Now when I think about this class I think about what I have learned and the power of words. Writing makes it real, somehow, something that I can see. My words have worth like they never did before. Maybe they always did, but somehow I now see their value.”
The Flash Fiction class ended today and it was a humbling experience for me. People sometimes don’t connect prison reform and library services, but I believe that we really can fight crime through literacy. There are people like the Jail North library employees and other jail librarians all over the country that offer hope to inmates in a the form of a book or a poem.
One of the guys said in class today that if he had never been sent to jail, he would have never thought to read a book, or write in journal. He explained: “It’s not like I’m glad I’m here, but in a weird way, I’m glad I’m having this experience. Going to a class. Reading over 200 books. Keeping a journal, writing down my thoughts. I never thought I had anything worthwhile to say, but it turns out that I do, and it’s nice to find something positive here, you know?”
Yes, I do. And as I said, it is humbling to know that you have helped someone realize that.
We ended with the poem ‘Our Greatest Fear,’ by Marianne Williamson, which seemed appropriate. My favorite verse:
“And as we let our own light shine,we unconsciously give other peoplepermission to do the same.”
And so, whenever some one asks me why I enjoy teaching at the jail, I will reference this post and hopefully that will explain it.
Write on, my friends, write on!

Flash Fiction- The Genre that Transcends Incarceration

You have 500 words. No more, no less. Now, write about a party that you went to, and what adventures you had. Write about what it feels like to be the last man (or woman) on Earth. Write about a personal experience, but you only have 500 words. Ready? Go.

That, dear readers, is the genre of Flash Fiction. It has several names, Short Short Stories, Sudden Fiction, Micro Stories, or Post Card Stories. Call it what you like, but these stories are short, they are sweet, and they are like a snap shot of words.

The inmates at Jail North have really taken to the concept of Flash Fiction. Yes, it’s a challenge for them to write something so brief, but they like the idea and boundaries of the assignments. How do you facilitate it? Well, here is my Flash Fiction guide:

1. Get a volume or two of Flash Fiction stories and introduce your participants to the genre. Flash Fiction Forward is an excellent collection. Stories like Jumper Down, The Voices in My Head, and Toasters are excellent character studies. They also give participants an idea of how to create a character within one or two paragraphs. It’s not easy.
2. I’ve been using Stephen King’s On Writing to give students an idea of how to improve their writing skills. Specifically, I’ve been using the Toolbox chapter, where Stephen King talks about building a better story through proper grammar, vocabulary, and writing style. I also used King’s The Stand, which has a brief interlude to the story in Chapter 38 and is actually a collection of Flash Fiction stories. This is where I got the idea for the Last Man on Earth assignment. Thank you, Stephen King.
3. Brainstorm with your participants. I had a big white board and I wrote the assignment in the middle (The Last Man on Earth). Then I had the guys give me ideas about potential stories. I explained that anything goes, this is just the planning period. We talked about perspective; would they write it from their perspective as the last person on Earth, or someone else’s? The guys wrote everything down as used it as a guide for their own story.
4. Read stories out loud! Giving feedback is crucial, especially to participants who might have never gotten any type of feedback on their writing before this class. I always took notes when a participant read his story, and I encouraged the guys to take notes while critiquing other stories too. I set up the feedback portion of the class as a way to provide helpful critique, not hurtful, and of course, to respect the person who is reading. I have not had a problem with the critiques; the inmates were very constructive and supportive of each other’s work.
5. Edit, and then edit again. The idea of editing might be second nature to some of us, but for others editing is the most difficult process. The participants in my Flash Fiction class had a hard time ‘cutting down’ their stories because they really liked them. However, I pointed out that many of their descriptions could be edited down to a few sentences, not a few paragraphs. Because the inmates had to hand-write their stories, I tell them that 500 words is roughly one page of written material, front and back.

The class has gone well and I have been very impressed with the quality of work the participants have written. There are several in my class of nine who say that they are not writers, but they love to hear the stories. I let these guys stay in the class because they were very active in the discussions and critique, and provided good insight into several stories. Next week is the last class, and while I am sorry to see it end I am so glad that I was able to introduce these guys to this exciting genre.
Feel free to take this program and use it wt your library (or school). It works well both in jail and out.

Taking the Resumes to the Jails, Part 1

On Tuesday I sat down with six young men and one older gentleman at Jail North and talked about how to create a working resume. These men were close to being released and wanted to know how to create and utilize a resume. Many of the guys had little to no job experience and were wondering how that would affect their job prospects. Then there is the problem of having been incarcerated, but I wanted to take it one issue at a time. Here is what I told them about resumes and job hunting via a Power Point presentation at the beginning of class:

1). A resume is not geared to get you a job per se, but is trying to get you an interview. As you create and submit resumes, don’t worry about getting the job so much as getting that face time with a potential employer during an interview. An interview is when you start worrying about landing the job.

2). Send out as many resumes to as many jobs as you can find. Job hunting truly becomes a numbers game and eventually you will get an interview, you just have to keep sending out applications.

3). Be honest on your resume. Even people who have not been incarcerated are tempted to lie on resumes, and that is an excellent way to not get hired, or worse, get hired and then fired when they find out you are not qualified or you lied about your past.

Then we started the the task of creating a useable resume. I was saddened by the lack of computer skills, but impressed by their efforts. Although many couldn’t type, they knew how to handle Microsoft Word and the resume templates helped. The class was supposed to be 90 minutes, but it ended up being 2 hours as we got more into editing the resumes and making them look professional. I ended the class with my standard plug for the library for resources of resume books and computers. Of all the classes I have taught at the jail so far, these guys seemed the most intrigued by the resources of the library. I hope they come visit a branch after they are released.

I have the same class again next week for Resume Writing Round 2, where we will look at examples of finished resumes and polish up their resume. I am concerned about the lack of computer skills and have talked with the arts coordinator about potentially having an introductory computer class at the jail

PLCMC is nothing if not full service.