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09/07 Prep Note

On September 7, 2023

Writing Our Way Out was definitely an insightful introductionary book to storytelling and real-life experiences of prisoners. It captured to a big extent not only the life as a prisoner but the whole story behind each individual, highlighting the origins and uniqueness of each individual, something that is frequently ignored when it comes to less privileged people. The course of the professor was a catalyst for the students not only to share about their backgrounds but to reflect on them, giving meaning and making a connection to their lifestyle.

A common theme among the prisoners was a form of abuse or marginalization even starting in their childhood. Whether they grew up in a limited-income household, without parents, or with abusive parents, they all developed traumas and were exposed to hurtful environments that could not easily escape from. This connotates the impact early life can have on people since the biggest part of our personality and character traits are developed during that time.

Another observation of the book is the tendency of people to assume people’s backgrounds. I am going to be honest, even, I was biased before reading this book, and up to an extent I still am what this book taught me is to listen to people and try to understand them. Punishing and judging people based on their actions may sound like justice and part of meritocracy but this takes a lot of parameters out of the game and is based on a lot of assumptions. We are not born equal and with the same privileges leading to people taking different lifepaths in life. That made me also think of the time we visited an underage prison in the capital while I was in middle school and I was shocked at how people my age could be in prison even though we share more in common than differences. Therefore, the book questions the justice system we currently use and incentivizes people of listening and think before coming to conclusions.

Prep Note 09/07/23

By William Linquata

On September 7, 2023

In prep note, Will L

Before beginning Writing Our Way Out I thought that the stories that the incarcerated persons would be sharing would be more focused on the present or even what they may have done to end up where they were. Instead, I was surprised to read about their childhoods and the other realities that are occurring in these men’s lives. Whilst reading their stories I get a small glimpse into their lives and emotions; I realize that I cannot truly appreciate their experiences, but in reading I get an understanding of their identity. There are many parallels and differences between each of their stories, emotional distress and lack of family support cause many of the issues that led to their incarceration. This book represents how storytelling can be used by anyone and refined with help by someone to allow a person to share their authentic life.

Prep Notes 9/7

By Zhuoyan Wen

On September 7, 2023

In prep note, Wesley

“Writing Our Way Out” provides readers with a valuable glimpse into the real-life experiences of prisoners. This memoir effectively reveals the different realities faced by those in prison through biographical stories that bring their lives to the forefront. The characters in this book are well-drawn, going beyond their roles as prisoners. As I dive into their stories, I can truly understand their pain, suffering, and, most importantly, different identities they have.

The author’s choice not to reduce prisoners to symbols of guilt. Instead, David Coogan goes beyond – he takes great care to show them as unique individuals, each with their own backgrounds, feelings, and social connections. Coogan’s attention to detail and logical storytelling make these characters feels authentic and reliable.

Prep Note – 9/7/2023

By Nicholas Javier

On September 7, 2023

In Javier, prep note

The novel “Writing Our Way Out” – is definitely a different kind of book than the kind that I am traditionally used to. My usual genre of books tends to be Fantasy, and while they may have dark themes or elements, or graphic scenes- there comes a level of profoundness and also seriousness and tension that arises when it is framed in a sense of a “biography” or “memoir.” Knowing all of their stories, to the current point, makes one think about how at large, it isn’t so commonplace for majority of people’s lives, but for many, it is. Even harder for others.

I’ve been fortunate to have had an environment where I’ve been able to be free of the struggles that they experience. But the overlap in their stories, whether it be struggle in family lives, violence, substance abuse, sexual harassment, and “the streets” – its striking because many of their experiences occur in their YOUTH for the most part. Every day was a fight or struggle, even if they didn’t realize it or not. Even if they were blind or “throwing” themselves into it similar to the fishbowl analogy. Even if they caught themselves up in “embracing” the lifestyle.

I did find interesting, was Dave’s stance through it all. He asks them eye opening questions that really promotes self-reflection in a way that many of them comment upon having never been touched upon. “You’re the only person whose asked that…” “Never thought about that before…” – and the extent to which Dave goes in order to keep in contact and meet with them, even as they are pulled in different directions adds an impressive layer of commitment. Each of the Prisoner has their own stories, and while they aren’t exactly trying to justify their actions- they are trying to open people’s eyes and also not only turn their own lives, but also the lives of others around. Some of them embrace this novel-writing story with full throttle, while others take their time in coming around.

Prep Note 09-07-23

By Brice Di Carlo

On September 7, 2023

In Brice, prep note, Uncategorized

Although I expected this book to address the crimes and actions of the convicts, I was surprised to hear the men’s stories from their childhood. After the first half of reading this book, I realized that social structures and environments are almost certainly determining factors into how peoples lives develop. Prevalent issues such as divorce, drug use, lack of a nuclear family, and emotional/physical abuse had a life changing impact on the lives of the storytellers. For most of the convicts, the struggle to belong to a tight-knit family unit was the origin of emotional trauma. As a result of emotional distress, these men took advantage of poor coping mechanisms in their environment, such as drugs, prostitution and crime.

When it comes to storytelling, this book unveils the high degree to which storytelling allows people to self reflect on their lives. As the book progressed and the convicts continued to share their stories they became more open with David Coogan as well as themselves.

Prep Note 09/07

By Julia Dalmanieras

On September 7, 2023

In Julia, prep note

Going into this book, I didn’t know what to expect about the stories from these men. I knew some of them would be hard to digest, as all of them turned out to be, but I did not anticipate the severity of the long lasting effects that each incident (or incidents) had on all of the men. Story after story, I felt the repetition in their lives. I noticed patterns and themes they all had in common: lack of a parental figure, traumatizing upbringing, sexual abuse, early encounters with (hard) drugs, etc.. I also found myself unable to relate to any of the experiences they wrote of. I could only visualize aspects of what I have seen portrayed in the media. What genuinely brought me back to reality was the ages of each of the men when they experienced such traumatic events. I read many things about trying drugs, having sex, etc., and the men would end it by saying “and I was only 10 years old,” or some age around that.

Another aspect of this novel that I’ve appreciated thus far is that we don’t know who is convicted of what. I don’t have preconceived notions of any of these men. I feel as though I am able to listen to their stories more intently without judgment. Personally, I cannot imagine being in a situation where I was constantly berated, left with no self-esteem, and just no one who believed in me.

Having the images of the men, and of Dr. Coogan on the back of the novel helped me visualize the conversations between everyone, especially in the prison chapel. I’m not done with the book, but I believe that everyone should read it, or something like it, in order to gain some insight on life in prison and the stigmas that surround prisoners.

Prep 9/7

By Haven Buechner

On September 7, 2023

In Haven, prep note

A few very distinct thoughts have struck me as I’ve read the first part of this book.

First, how normal the men seemed. Because the book included their words and actions while they were in the room with Dr. Coogan, as well as their stories of how each of them got to that point, I was able to become invested in them very early on. The stories they told were about their past, but their interactions with Dr. Coogan and each other kind of gave me a sense for the people that those experiences built in the present. It was remarkable to me that they were able to be funny, to consistently have profound and deep insights, when all of them had experienced what 90% of the people I grew up with would label “trauma,” or “abuse.” This brings me to my second thought…

Second, how different their lives were than mine. I know that if any of those experiences (finding their dead mother, being abandoned at a young age, growing up in a single-parent household, an abusive household, or both) had happened to me, I would not have been able to handle it. All of those men lived in a completely different world than the one I grew up in. And when all of those gut-wrenching (to me) events happened, those men were only children. And yet, they survived. They carved out lives for themselves, and yes – more often than not they were centered around illegal or dangerous activity. Yes – those paths eventually landed all of them in prison. But their resilience, and the way they responded and adapted to harrowing events, and so much abuse and uncertainty, made me respect them so much. I’m not saying I approve of all of their choices, but frankly, I am in awe of the fact that they endured so much – and thought they hadn’t dealt with much out of the ordinary. They casually mentioned events that would have been some of the most traumatic in my (fairly sheltered) life.

A quick sidenote: It could be interesting to connect the Memory article to these men and their childhoods. I wonder which “stories” (not necessarily happily-ever-after stories, but just the ideas they were taught in general) they were told as young children? I remember multiple said that it wasn’t an option not to love/support/be proud of/almost worship their mother (it seemed like a no-brainer to them), even though at least one was physically abusive and multiple neglected their children. I bet we could look at how those self-stories could have impacted the creation of their identities.

And third (fourth?), how prepared and observant Dr. Coogan was. It seemed like he was almost watching the conversation like a therapist, waiting for someone to say something that hinted at a deeper meaning, and then instantly seizing on it and digging deep into it to help the men really reflect on themselves, their experiences, and their lives as a whole. His purpose was to help them understand themselves and their lives. That purpose was adopted and absorbed by the men in the class, and that meant that they wouldn’t let their comments be misunderstood either. That prompted them to further try to explain their thoughts/feelings, and eventually, that process would lead to somebody saying a sentence that just struck a chord with all of them, or maybe got to the root of everything they were discussing. Once again, it was remarkable to read about, but I don’t know if those realizations would have occurred without Dr. Coogan creating an environment conducive to self-exploration and reflection.

Prep Note 9/7/23

By Kristine Nguyen

On September 6, 2023

In kristine, prep note

I have enjoyed reading “Writing Our Way Out” because of the storytelling aspect of the book. At first, I was confused what this would be about, and later I wondered how the introduction of the writing class would transition to the ex-offenders’ stories. I like how David Coogan tells the story of how the writing class came to be and then seamlessly introduces each person’s story into the narrative. The stories are by far the most interesting part for me. Reading about lives that are vastly different from mine really opens up my eyes to what some people were born into and how that can affect how their lives play out. In many stories, family members and other people they knew heavily influenced their life outcomes in awful ways, which I found to be very disturbing. From sexual assault to physical and verbal abuse, every one of their stories had me empathizing with them and wondering what it would have been like if I had been born into such a life. I really admire how these people were so genuine and dedicated to this writing project that they were comfortable enough to have them published. Something else I appreciated was the portraits of all the contributors on the back of the book. Whenever I read books, I focus less on the descriptions and more on the dialogue. In this instance however, I wanted to view these people as real humans with real stories, so seeing their faces really helped me see the humanity in them. In the latter parts of the book, I hope we find out what happens to these people after they are released back into the world and if this project helped them in any way.

Prep Note 9/7

By William Sheets

On September 6, 2023

In prep note, Will S

I think that “Writing Our Way Out” is a really powerful book that has a bunch of emotional weight. The stories that the book contains are beautiful because they toe the line between being really tragic and somewhat up-lifting. The stories are sometimes really hard to read, with harsh subject matter and descriptions of traumatic events, but when you consider the people behind the writing, you can see how each person if really working to improve themselves.

One of the things that struck me the most about the narratives in the book was how young all the writers were when they first started going down a bad path. In the stories, kids as young as eleven or twelve years old were committing crimes and risking their lives on a daily basis. I think this is a perfect example of why it’s so important to experience stories like these. Not just because the process of writing and reflecting is therapeutic for the authors, which is of course a fantastic benefit, but because the publication of these stories helps educate the people that read them about some of the fundamental problems in our society.

Prep Note for 9/7/23

By Kaylee Wyrick

On September 6, 2023

In Kaylee, prep note

“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.