Creative Writing for the Prison Population

Presented by Wendy Kibler and Barb Link

wendyk@csmd.edu/baLink@csmd.edu

AFACCT Conference, January 5, 2012, Montgomery College-Rockville, MD

Session 3.13 (1:50-3:00 p.m.)

Using our experience in teaching literature at the College of Southern Maryland as a template, we decided to teach creative writing at the county detention center to fulfill certification requirements for the Adjunct Certification Level III Keynote Project.

St. Mary’s County Detention Center

The need was there!

Nothing like this project was being employed.

It enhanced the GED program.It gave the residents a healthy

outlet for their feelings and a means to keep their minds active.

Expectations

Instructional approach To start each class, we read a poem and discussed

it. Wendy: “Boys” by Wendy Kibler Barb: “Yet Do I Marvel” by Countee Cullen

Residents shared their poems We usually read for them.

Group poems Index cards White board

Individual poems Assigned homework

Getting started

I used to be…

but now I am…

I used to think…

but now I know…

Group poemsIndex cardsWhite board

Musicby Joshua, Aaron, Joseph, Tyron, Brian, Darryl, Dennis, and Errin

Inspirational way of life for a relaxing state of mindChillin’ passing timeExpressing your feelings to cleanse your soulSoothingExcitingRelating to my problemsKeeping me working hardCertain types of music put me in the zoneSounds of different songs in the background soothes my soul from the top all the way downAll music relaxes the mind, body, and the spiritIt’s good and greatIt’s my GodLove to listen to music

untitledby Markeith, Joshua, Lance, Terry, and Gregory

We do nothing every dayWe look at the wallsListen to what the guards have to sayWe do nothing every dayDay after day after dayEscorted when we walk the hallsWe do nothing every dayWe look at the walls

Going deeper…Acrostic Poetry

Write your name vertically – put one letter on each line:

______ _____________________________________________________________________

______ _____________________________________________________________________

______ _____________________________________________________________________

______ _____________________________________________________________________

______ _____________________________________________________________________

______ _____________________________________________________________________

______ _____________________________________________________________________

______ _____________________________________________________________________

______ _____________________________________________________________________

______ _____________________________________________________________________

______ _____________________________________________________________________

Now, write a line that describes you that starts with that letter.

Sample:

Busy

Always learning

Really loves grandchildren

But hates housework

William Carlos Williams Poem

Method:

Line 1: This is just to say

Line 2: I have _________________ (verb)

Line 3: the ___________________ (nouns)

Line 4: that were/was in/on/out

Line 5: the _________ (noun)

Line 6: and which

Line 7: you were probably

Line 8: saving

Line 9: for _______________ (name or event, like Christmas, dinner, or a birthday)

Line 10: Forgive me

Line 11: It/they was/were ________________ (adjective)

Line 12: so _______________ (adjective)

Line 13: and so ________________ (adjective)

Sample:

This is just to say I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast

Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold by William Carlos Williams

Journaling Dream notebooks Morning pages Used as segue into short stories

Describe settings

Our brief foray into fiction…

Predictions Read “Powder” by Tobias Wolff Stopped at intervals Residents predicted future events

Magnets and Mad LibsMagnets

NounsVerbsAdjectivesAdverbs

Mad Libs

Guest speaker: Wayne Karlin

Brief bio:• Vietnam War

veteran• CSM professor since

mid-1980s• Author of several

novels, including Wandering Souls and Marble Mountain

Wayne’s presentation Wandering Souls, Chapter 1 “The Man I Killed” by Tim O’Brien The point was to compare reality and

fiction and how you create fiction from reality.

Back to poetry!

Form poetry Haiku Cinquain Diamonte

Slam PoetryOne of the most vital and energetic movements in poetry during the 1990s, slam has revitalized interest in poetry in performance. . . . [W]hile many poets in academia found fault with the movement, slam was well received among young poets and poets of diverse backgrounds as a democratizing force. This generation of spoken word poetry is often highly politicized, drawing upon racial, economic, and gender injustices as well as current events for subject manner (Poets.org, par. 3).

Resident Reflections How did we do? Asked residents to write a paragraph

about the class.

A.by Wendy Kibler

A. is a 21-year-old resident in the detention center. He agreed to be interviewed for the purpose of my writing a poem. The following pantoum is comprised of his words.

A.

Caught my first charge at 10Started smokin’ weed, drinkin’ and partyingArrested 20 times as a juvenileSeen 13 or 14 therapists since I was 11 Started smokin’ weed, drinkin’ and partyingI’ve seen murders, people killed in front of meSeen 13 or 14 therapists since I was 11After caring so much, losing so much, you just don’t care I’ve seen murders, people killed in front of meA lot of my cousins are gang bangersAfter caring so much, losing so much, you just don’t careI can turn homicidal A lot of my cousins are gang bangersI need to get out of hereI can turn homicidalF*** St. Mary’s County, f*** Maryland I need to get out of hereI don’t know how to help myselfF*** St. Mary’s County, f*** MarylandI’ve had hopes and dreams I don’t know how to help myselfArrested 20 times as a juvenileI’ve had hopes and dreamsCaught my first charge at 10  

Reflections and Q&A

Now you try it!

Works CitedBeaty, Daniel. “Knock Knock.” Def Poetry. YouTube. Web. 3 Jan. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/ watch?

v=9eYH0AFx6yl>.

“A Brief Guide to Slam Poetry.” Poets.org. National Academy of American Poets, 2012. Web. 3 Jan. 2012.

<http://www.poets.org/.php// >.

Bunkham, Gareth. “52 Reasons Why Back to the Future Might Just Be the Greatest Film of All Time.” Rev. of Back to

the Future. WhatCulture! Obsessed with Film Ltd, 2011. Web. 3 Jan. 2012. <http://whatculture.com// 52-

reasons-why-back-to-the-future-might-just-be-the-greatest-film-of-all-time.php>.

Corrections Division Recruitment Video. firstsheriff.com. St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2012.

<http://www.firstsheriff.com/.asp>.

CreativeWriting.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2012. <http://www.creativewriting.com/ activities/>.

Learn English Free Best ESL links resources study learn English courses . FreebieDock.com, n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2012.

<http://englishlinking.com/free-short-stories-to-practice-reading-and-listening/>.

Life for Rent. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2012. <http://idiotsandgenious.blogspot.com/ 2011/ /.html>.

Lohnes, Mary J. “Wayne Karlin’s ‘Marble Mountain.’” Mary J. Lohnes. wordpress.com, n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2012.

<http://maryjlohnes.wordpress.com/interviews/karlins-marble-mountain/>.

madglibs.com. Nathanael Huddleson, n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2012. <http://www.madglibs.com/lib.php?glibid=181>.

Mali, Taylor. “What Teachers Make.” YouTube. Web. 3 Jan. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/?v=RxsOVK4syxU>.