Today we started by discussing our Prep Notes posted prior to class on the first nine chapters of Writing Our Way Out.

Touching on the point of identity in the course, why is this novel a good example of how we sense other people’s identities? (I drew this as the theme for the class.)

What is the story of how this book got made? David Coogan, a Dr. at VCU recruits prisoners to write their stories, turning them into a memoir, ultimately helping the offenders develop for their future selves, and drawing insights to the lives of convicts. Coogan’s goal was to put their memoirs together, but did it rather unconventionally. Something we may be able to ask Coogan is what was his thinking when structuring the book. Some things we brainstormed in class is that David could be the connector between the men, and by telling the stories back to back, the reader can identify the parallels between each of the men’s stories. David was able to ask them questions that they’ve never had to answer, like “when did you make this conscious decision to lead this lifestyle?” Kaylee pointed out that by breaking the memoirs up piece by piece, the reader is able to understand the relationship between Coogan and the men, and how their relationship develops throughout the course. It also gives a perspective of how the writers grow into their emotions throughout their lifetime (Will Sheets).

No such thing as pure objectivity, like there used to be in journalism and now in science.

Creative nonfiction: paradox within itself; has aspects of truth and accuracy

  • Phrases in quotes in the memoir (like Stan’s on page 44) demonstrates that maybe it was actually said rather than paraphrased (or maybe it was what Coogan remembered). As readers, we can’t be totally sure.

break for telephone game

  • Even though some quotes are paraphrased, it holds meaning because it made its way into the book by Coogan.
  • Brings back to the question: Is this story true?

Next, we took a look at the dates from when these stories were accumulated. It started in 2006 and ended in 2011, following the men’s lives in their journey back to freedom. Coogan typed their handwritten drafts and also gave them their “cleaned up” versions of their first stories. Coogan incorporates these teachable moments, but notices he has to sacrifice them at the “sentence level,” which allows him to focus on the story overall, not punctuation, grammar, spelling, etc. Professor Dolson has us look at the end of the introduction that highlights the fact that many employers will still not hire ex-convicts.

Takeaways from stories:

  • The early ages that these traumatic incidents had on the men.
  • The effect that memories have on these instances, little kids aren’t just “turnips in car seats.

Break to share stories about the “moment we decided to be “____”. It’s not simple to decide who you want to be, or what you want to do. For some people there was a distinct moment where they realized what it was, for some it was a gradual decision over a long period of time, and some just didn’t know how to explain it.

How does language, and the evolution of language, help to make meaning and allow other people to understand it? Clogan studies rhetoric and communication studies, but focuses on this population because he wanted to raise awareness for the reentry of ex-offenders. “The workshop offered the prisoners a chance to reclaim their life in writing” (1). Reclaiming the life that was taken from them, reclaiming the fact that they are humans and still deserve respect, despite what they have gone through.

Listening to each prisoner’s story before finding out their convictions allows us to empathize more and accept each person for who they are and not focus on their crimes. Ana points out that finding out their convictions after hearing all of their stories and still being able to accept them is a very powerful deed.

Professor Dolson talks about how this book will connect with our project in the spring, and how we will grapple with getting to know convicts of our age, and whether or not we will want to know the reasons for being incarcerated or not. We will begin writing a critical analysis essay by pulling quotes from the book (compost heap), so it is important that we identify quotes/people whose stories we want to use and analyze. Reread pages 2-3 in order to draw conclusions from the text and find a theme for the critical analysis essay. By telling their stories, do the prisoners reclaim their agency, or even regain respect from society?

Follow up: what is coming up for you right now (either in the book or in life in general)?

Mine personally is that this book is very similar to the T.V. show “Orange is The New Black.” If you’ve never seen the show, it has a very similar plot line to this novel. It begins by focusing on a character and showing a small piece of their life, most of the time before they go to prison. Oftentimes, the reason would be unfair and I have a feeling at the end of this novel I will feel the same way as I did when I finished the show.