“Writing Our Way Out” has been a great read so far. Coogan is a volunteer from Virginia who works with incarcerated men in a writing workshop. He went into the class with a plan and specific idea but quickly realized how hard it is to truly plan for a project like this. He worked with the men on their writing and invited them to tell their truth. He helps the men explore their childhood, family relations, and where they grew up. He wanted the men to dive deep into themselves in order to truly learn how they ended up in prison and in whatever situations they found themselves in. This book is great so far, but it is definitely a hard read. When some of the men talked about the things they went through and how they were treated, it made me sick to my stomach. It’s obvious that things the men experienced led them down the path they ended up on, and as the reader it makes you wonder what could have been different. Some of the stories are heartbreaking, and they truly humanize the men. Often, people in prison are disregarded in society and seen simply as criminals. These memoirs help show that these are real people with feelings and stories.