we are made of stories

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Prep Note – 9/18

Questions for Tuesday’s lunch:

(Kelvin and Terrence) Obviously, being in prison has shaped your life paths and personality. But to what extent do you think that your incarceration has defined your life?

(Kelvin and Terrence) One of the takeaways of the book is the injustice within our justice system. What are some things that you think could be applied to get closer to a just and meritocratic society?

(Kelvin and Terrence) What are the main takeaways of having contributed to the publication of a book?

(Kelvin and Terrence) What are some things you have regret in life and why?

(David Coogan) How does it feel to have been engaged to that extent with people in prison but have not been one of them? Did you start seeing specific patterns, understanding them better, and empathizing with them?

Prep Note – 9/19/23

(Kelvin) One quote that stood out to me was when you said, “I put the quick money in front of the sure money and benefits every time.” Do you think that this culture of chasing quick money and instant gratification is one of the root issues of the environment you grew up in? 

(Either) A common theme I saw throughout the book was the importance of never showing emotion and always having to be hard. If you did show emotion, others would label you as being soft. What would happen to you once you had that label of being soft?

Prep 9/19

  • What lasting impacts did jail have on you? I’ve heard it can be jarring to be back in the world after being released. Is that true in your experience? Is there a habit that you formed in jail that you continue to this day?
  • What was the hardest part of being in jail? What kept you going throughout the experience (light at the end of the tunnel, etc.)?
  • What’s something that you wish people would ask you when you come to places like this to talk about the book?
  • What was your routine like inside jail? When did you have time to write/where did you usually write?
  • How did you decide which stories to include in the book? Is there a story that’s not in the book that, looking back, you wish you could’ve fit in there?
  • For Kelvin specifically: You said that, being the kind of person that you are, you shaped your world into what you thought you wanted it to be when you were younger. What world have you shaped for yourself now?
  • For Terence specifically: You mention that being raised by your mother and your sisters, without a male authority figure, you felt like you were missing things that you would have benefited from learning from a father figure. But are there things you learned from your mother/sisters that you think you might not have learned otherwise? How close are you with your siblings today?

 

On a side note, I found a Terence quote that really resonated with me today: “There is something wonderful, blessed, blissful, almost surreal about the gift of youth. You notice, then you don’t notice. A problem can be there, confronting you, but there are big people dealing with it.” Well, like it or not, you guys, we’re right on the edge of that point in life. We’re living by ourselves, without our parents here to guide us or plan out our schedules. We’re being treated like adults, but, of course, we’re helped along by the fact that we have a dining hall, easily accessible laundry, don’t have to clean our own bathrooms, don’t have to pay rent, etc. And Terence, and Kelvin, and all of the others didn’t have those things to ease them into independent life. And they got thrown in at a much, much younger age. Honestly, I have so much respect for them because of their ability to survive in those conditions, to painstakingly carve out some sort of life for themselves, even if it led them to become involved in illegal activities. I feel a little bit overwhelmed here, in this little bubble of semi-adulthood; I know I wouldn’t have been able to survive in their circumstances. These guys have endured more than I could even imagine. And society looks down on them?? That just doesn’t make sense to me. Anyways. I guess it just got me thinking.

Prep Note 9/19/23 – Questions for Speakers

1. (For either Terence or Kelvin) Both of you grew up in less-than-ideal situations, and as children you were subject to things that children usually are not and should not see. Do you think that if there had been intervention by social services your life may have gone a different way? And if so do you think that social services failed you as children, or do you think that intervention would have been irrelevant?

2. (For Kelvin) Years after you finished your memoir, you were rearrested for marijuana possession. When buying, did you ever see yourself in or relate to the person you were buying from? Did you ever consider that you were contributing to a system that had previously hurt your life?

Prep Note 9/19/23 – Lunch Meeting Questions

  • What was your thought process behind the idea of this book and the strategy of collecting stories and weaving them together?
  • Is there anything you want to tell us now that we’ve not only had an opportunity to read your story but now we can hear firsthand from you?
  • Why did you go along with this idea, what made you stick it out?

Prep Note 9/19/23 (Questions)

  1. (David Coogan) There were several times when people in your class said that no one had ever asked them these kinds of questions before. How did you come up with these questions? Did you prepare them in advance or improvise?
  2. (Other writers) Do you still find yourself writing these days? If so, what forms of writing are they (journaling, more published works) and how has this writing helped you?

Prep Note 9/19 (Questions for Coogan Visit)

  1. (For David Coogan) “When you started this project, did you have some sort of ideal end goal, and if so did you reach that goal?
  2. (For the other writers) “Why did you decide to join this project at its inception?”
  3. (For the other writers) “Did you ever feel like you wanted to leave the project?” (For Dr Coogan) “What did you do to try and ensure the writers stayed with the project?”

Prep Note 9/19 (questions)

  1. (To David) Why did you choose to organize the book the way you did? What was the meaning behind whose story went first, second, last, etc.?
  2. (To the writers) Did writing these stories together help you guys bond outside of the classroom? And if so, how did your relationship change throughout the course of the class?

Prep Note – 9/14

For Thursday’s lesson, I prepared by focusing on a specific character that was particularly interesting and motivated me to delve more into his story. Nanji had one of the most significant personal changes during his lifetime with his ideology and approach in life being shifted during his time in prison.

Throughout Nanji’s story, some common themes were highlighted that convey bigger ideas about life. Firstly, the common theme of identity was challenged through his struggles of questioning himself. Under the umbrella of identity, many other aspects come into play including religion and race. Nanji communicates the broader concept of religion as an incentive for change and as a supporting mechanism. Race is perceived as a characteristic that goes beyond skin color being a shaping element of his character development. Finally, a driving force for positive change in his lifestyle and personality is the connection with family through the characters of his wife, daughter even her grandma, empowering the concept of transmissive love.

prep note 9/12

I summarized Stan’s story.  In the first few chapters he starts his story by talking about his relationship with his dad, including hotdogs and sports. After his father didn’t give him money to hire a lawyer, he realized that his father didn’t care about him. When Stan was 17, he often walk along the streets at night and watch the pimps and prostitutes passed by. Once, he met Carolyn. They formed an romantic relationship but Stan was the one who fall into the trap. Then he went to Florida and joined a sales team.   He met a new girl named LInda. “I used people before they used me.” However,  Stan’s finance going to Linda.  Stan opened to lying, stealing, and cheating to please LInda. “See, jail and prison are not really about bricks and bars to me. It’s not about shackles and chains and guards and guns and razor-wire fences.” At the end of this book, Stan found himself no longer connected to negative thinking and appreciated Mr. Coogan’s help.

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