Storytelling and Identity - Fall 2023

we are made of stories

Clarifying plans for Thursday

By

On September 13, 2023

In Announcements, Dolson

I am grateful to Kristine who reached out to ask for clarification.  I am posting our email exchange below.  Usually, if one person has a question, others have it too.  I appreciate the opportunity to make the plan more clear.  Communication win!

initial email:

For Thursday’s class, the weekly schedule says you should bring a “compost heap.” I have posted instructions for the assignment that the compost heap is a part of, and I want to explain what we are aiming for…

Instead of assigning a rough draft, what I am asking you to do is to really slow down your writing process.  Please read the assignment page to get the big picture of the essay topic. In class today, you created the beginnings of a compost heap for a particular man’s story.  For Thursday, decide what memoir story you want to focus on to write a full essay—it does NOT have to be the one you did in class today.   Begin a compost heap for that essay.  This might include: the page numbers of the pieces of that story; some quotes that stand out for you; a sentence or two about what you think might be interesting you about this particular memoir story.

You are not turning this in for a grade.  You will be using the heap for class discussion. The goal of Thursday’s class will be to sharpen your understanding of the kind of analysis that should make up your essay.

Do not stress over this.  Think about which story you want to spend more time with, and come to class having written out a few quotes and a few thoughts.  It should take about the same amount of time as a regular prep note would take.

Let me know if you have questions.

 

From Kristine:

Hello,

I was wondering if we have to make an additional prep note along with this compost heap assignment. Also, do we post the compost heap to the blog?

Thank you,

Kristine Nguyen

 

Reply:

Hi Kristine,

The compost heap is in lieu of a prep note.  It is basically what you need to do to prepare to engage fully in class on Thursday, and it is starting the process of writing your own essay.

I suggest that you put this compost heap into your “private space” or Google folder for the class.  You do not need to post it to the blog, but make sure you have it someplace you can find again.  You will continue to work with what you write in the compost heap.

td

prep note 9/12

By

On September 12, 2023

In Chang, prep note

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.

9/12/2023 – Class Notes

By

On September 12, 2023

In Daily Class Notes, Mitch

*We may meet in dhall on Tuesday, 9/19 with David Coogan, Kelvin, and possibly Terrence.

We’re splitting into groups and recounting the stories of each character in the story, documenting page numbers of where their stories appear, and summarizing their experience.

Terrence (Alpha male stereotype, “…To be a man in any world is to know you are strong, weak, caring, sharing. That’s our true dominion.” pg. 195. Masculinity is a social construct based on actions, not who we truly are, and seems important to defend.)

Naji ,

Kelvin ,

Coogan (David also gains perspective from working with everyone; He hadn’t been exposed to many of the ways of thinking that people like Stan, Naji, or Terrence had. While he develops the thoughts of his students, he also develops his own throughout the story.)

Stan (Conveying feelings by constructing memories that may not have happened; not exclusively using nonfiction to add to what already exists in his tangible life story. For example, when he describes himself kicking in his birth mother’s womb “because she told me to” pg. 19, there isn’t any way he could’ve recalled this but he adds it to his story anyway and it remains in the final draft, also showing that Coogan recognizes its significance.)

*Telling your story is more than simply recounting the event in your life

*Metaphors are a powerful method to make your story more relatable

Dr. Coogan

By

On September 12, 2023

In Brice, Haven, Javier, Mitch, prep note

What we know about him: VCU professor, has a daughter, etc.

Purpose: The opportunity to make a difference through his teaching – asking “why?”

Questions to ask:

  • How has the prison literature class progressed since the book came out?
  • What would you do differently (cliche?)
  • Is he still in contact with the guys in the book/how often does he meet with them?
  • How has his story progressed since the end of the book?
  • What happened that didn’t make it into the book?
  • How did he learn which questions to ask?
  • How did you prepare for the visits/classes?

Page numbers: xi-xii, 1-4, 5, 7-16, 241 (beginning of each chapter), 54, 33, 120,

Themes:

  • Perspective:
    • “‘That’s why I asked if you jumped or got dropped into the tank,’ I say, taking advantage of the moment.”
    • “‘OK, right there!’ I say. ‘What made you let that change happen? I mean, it could have been a one-time thing, couldn’t it? You weren’t looking to get high that night. What made you want to go back and keep getting high? What were you really looking for?'”
    • “‘You always knew the right questions to ask.'”
    • “‘Now, you’re looking at a guy who grew up in an upper-middle-class, white suburb in Connecticut. In Connecticut!’ I repeat, spreading my arms wide.”
  • Guidance (Mentor):
    • What does he become to them? A character witness, a sponsor, a connection to the outside, a way of connecting to themselves? There’s a note that some people are followers, and when they’re together, they follow him.
    • “‘But everyone’s life is a drama,’ I argue. ‘The real question is who wrote the script. You’ve been playing a role I the streets that’s led you into jail. In order to play another role in life that keeps you out of jail, you need to write a new script. And to do that, you n need to figure out how the old script got made, which means you need to question generalizations like ‘the streets’ and ‘peer pressure.’ You have to figure out what those things really are to you.'”
    • “‘We’re the stew,’ Ronald says, turning toward him. ‘Dave’s just stirring the pot.'” (pg 15)

Kelvin’s Story Summary

By

On September 12, 2023

In Nick G, prep note, Wesley, Will L, Will S

Kelvin’s story:

Pg 16-18:
Absentee father, mother who is very supportive, even though she resorts to stealing to support her kids. Regularly smoking merijuana by the age eleven. This section really highlights how supportive his mother was.

Pg 54-57:
Begins to sell weed as a highschool freshman. He graduates to selling cocaine and becomes a big time dealer.

Pg 58-59:
Kelvin’s mom begins to accept that dealing is Kelvin’s way of life and that she can’t stop him. Kelvin mentions that he still does feel bad when selling drugs, but it’s what he has to do to stay afloat.

Pg 120-121:
Kelvin gets a girl named Kelly pregnant. She lies to him, telling him that she got an abortion, causing him to cry. He explains that this makes him “soft”. When Kelly actually does have the baby, Kelvin recognizes that being a mother caused her to grow as a person, while he struggles to grow and be mature enough to keep Kelly around. Eventually, they grow apart.

Pg 192-194:
Kelvin explains how he got close with the other inmates in prison. He talks again about how important it is to be perceived as “tough”. He compares prison to slavery.

Pg 216:
This section details how Kelvin goes back to prison for a second time after being released a month prior, presumably for the same crime of drug possession.

Pg 234-236:
After his release, Kelvin tries to make a sincere effort to turn his life around, motivated by the birth of his second child, Kentrell. He sees Kentrell begin to go down the same path he did, and he tries to change his ways to set a good example for his son, but it’s difficult. The last part of this section talks about how his mother’s death is a key motivation for him.

Themes:

Family:

“But these inmates around me are family, even if I don’t want to admit it” (192)

“It wasn’t until my firstborn, Lil Kelvin, wrote me a letter in prison and told me that he needed me that I made up my mind never to sell again. That letter was- and still is- my motivation.” (234)

Emotional vulnerability is seen as weak:

“That night, in front of Thalhimers, on the corner of Seventh and Broad, is when Ishowed a sign of weakness that I never recovered from. I cried.” (120)

“We act too damn hard when it comes to this type of thing. I’m going to tell y’all the truth: I was soft!” (120)

“If a man cries in these places, it’s the beginning of the end, because now you are considered soft.” (192)

Outline of Najis’ Story & Themes

By

On September 12, 2023

In Chang, kristine, prep note

Page Summary
26 Realizes his mother is dead by trying to wake her up 
35 Highlights the differences between races and embraces his identity
76 Thoroughly describes and comments on the environment and feelings of the funeral
89 Starts irresponsible behaviors; stealing and drugs
112 Questions his religion after getting exposed to the Quran
130 Feels lost after being released & meets Adriene with her kids starting to caring for them
195 Analyses Islam as a religion and underlines his conversion
206 Discovers his grandmother has Alzheimer taking care of her no matter her past
232 Reflects on how therapeutic and revealing writing was in his life

Themes
Identity: “I can’t be detected, defined, or circumscribed: I fit no multicultural niche, I have no political affiliation. I am the Black Ghost: cunning, illusive, deadly” (36).
Religion: “By the time I finish reading the verse, teasers are streaming in torrents down my face!… My heart is drawn into depths and purifies in its wisdom. It is the most profound thing I have ever read. ”
Race: “I am the black ghost: cunning, illusive, deadly. I process an insatiable appetite to prove to myself and to the world that I am more than the victim of the judgment of daylight.”

Writing Our Way Out Story Summary (Terence)

By

On September 12, 2023

In Ana, Julia, Kaylee, prep note

Terence’s Story

  • 145-148
    • Unsure of his mother’s love for him, comes home after having paint spilled on him to no one’s home, mother goes to school and confronts them. Eventually, his mom moved him to a better school. Talks about being beaten, and was conflicted because he wanted to know he was loved. Refused to be walked over, pushed around, did not like authority. 
    • Had a teacher mentor him (Mr. Mattox), a couple more teachers mentored him too but Mattox had the biggest impact. Was the father figure he never had. 
  • 185-188
    • Started smoking weed as a teen in order to escape his reality and to be cool. He lacked direction and wanted to fit in.  Despite his disdain for authority he then joined the military and got addicted to harder drugs (cocaine). 
    • He then has a child, this pushes him to better himself so he goes to college, but then drops out due to his drug abuse. He’s not struggling mentally and resorts to doing crack-cocaine.
  • 194-195
    • Story of heading into prison. Looking back at his life, how was in college and planning to be a lawyer. Chained up with twenty men around him, discussing the emotions of anger, hurt, regret, etc. 
    • Discussed the way that he truly grew and became an “alpha male” (based on his being raised in femininity) is to know you are strong, week, caring, and sharing, which is “our true dominion” 
  • 233
    • In Terence’s final message he focuses on his mother and her perspective of him, and how she is disappointed by his past (getting married young and going to jail), yet supportive of how he tries to change and grow. He still believes he acts as a child, and this is further emphasized by his love for his mother, which hasn’t waned since he was a boy.

Themes: 

  1. Relationship with his mother 
    1. “Her intent was forthcoming, but her words and actions only created questions for me, none greater than the question of mother’s love: was it there for me?” (145). 
    2. “It was just recently I learned for the first time what my mother thinks about many of my choices in life, from the early age of fifteen up until my return home from prison four months ago” (233). 
  2. Substance Abuse
    1. “You never think about where life is taking you through your usage of drugs. They always provide an escape. It’s only when they create a problem in your life that you are aware of their adverse effects” (185)
    2. “He is barely getting along. I’m on the verge of losing everything.” (187)
  3. Perseverance and Regret
    1. “America is the land of second chances, but then when we come home — ‘Have you ever been convicted of a felony?’ These are forms we need to fill out to even get licensed to do certain things.” 
    2. “Every time you compromise something inside you, your spirit dies. Will I say all was bad? The answer is no. Learning to bond and make friends was just as important” (194). 

09-12-23 Prep Note

By

On September 12, 2023

In Brice, prep note

Writing Our Way Out is a novel that considerably changed my views on incarceration and those who find themselves in prison.  The book didn’t place emphasis on the crimes of the prisoners, but instead focused on the impact of childhood and the rehabilitation process for prisoners once they returned to the real world or while they were in jail.  The second half of the novel shocked me in that not everybody had a “happy ending.” In fact, many of the prisoners ended up serving more terms in prison after the writing workshop was completed.  Despite the workshop being a strong foundation for personal reflection, those that got rearrested couldn’t stay away from the justice system, whether it be due to societal biases (racism as told by Coogan) or the fact that many men coming out of incarceration aren’t prepared to return to a life of free will and social dynamics. This sheds light on flaws pertaining to the justice system, as it stresses punishment rather than personal growth.  Many men who come out of prison return to the same relationships, lifestyles, and thus actions that got themselves into prison in the first place.

The story that I wanted to focus on was the life of Stan.  More specifically, I wanted to focus on the impact that storytelling had on his life after being released.  From having a poor relationship with his father to getting caught into prostitution, Stan faced many of the struggles that afflicted other prisoners in their stories.  Despite this however, Stan starts to find and connect with himself at a greater level while in prison. Through a deeper understanding of his faith, Stan realizes that his body is the temple of the living God.  Trying to pursue a loving life of God as he leaves prison, Stan uses his faith as a firm foundation in his everyday life. Whether it be smoking or any other material things that negatively impacts his life, he wants to stay away from it.  Learning that he negatively affected others Stan realizes that by turning his life around he needs to be the bright light for everyone else to see.

Prep Note – 9/12/2023

By

On September 12, 2023

In Mitch, prep note

Naji Mujahid’s grandmother was the only legal guardian that could look after him and his brother throughout his childhood. Both Naji and his brother were brutally abused for the majority of their adolescence. Eventually, Naji would become incarcerated at a young age and adjust to life in prison. He found strength in intellectually bettering people, especially on religious terms, and held his moral superiority highly. Later on, he met someone who was not phased by his implied religious superiority and was eventually given the Qur’an. His reading of this prompted him to change his entire belief system, religious faith (from the ‘five percenters’ to Islam), and name (from James Canaday to Naji Mujahid). After his release from prison, he would gain sympathy for his grandmother who had developed Alzheimer’s in his absence and continue his Islamic faith.

prep note 9/12

By

On September 12, 2023

In Ana, prep note

Writing our Way out has been an incredible novel to read. It means so much to know that these are these mens real stories, and also that all of this happened in Richmond. It says a lot about the bubble that we live in here on campus compared to the communities that these men grew up in. It is beautiful to see the way that these men have transformed their lives, and it is also so powerful to hear their stories and try to understand the struggle that these men have had to endure.

Since our last class period, as I have been reading the book I have been looking at which of these mens stories appeal to me the most, and who I would potentially like to write about. I really enjoy Naji’s story, I think there is so much beauty in his religious transformation, but most of all in the way that he forgave his grandmother for the disgusting abuse she put him through. And went to take care of her while she had Alzheimer’s. He seems like a selfless individual.

I am very thankful for the opportunity to have read this book in class, and I am very excited to meet with Dave and Kelvin.

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