Best American Poetry 2011 contributor Cara Benson writes to spread the word about the Pen Prison Writing program fundraiser. Read Cara's moving post about her experience teaching poetry in prison here. Even if you can't attend the fundraiser this Wednesday, this program is worth supporting. Here's what Cara says about this event:
With Cara Benson, John Paul Infante, Randall Horton, Hettie Jones, Claudia Menza, Marie Ponsot, Emily Raboteau, Susan Rosenberg, Jackson Taylor,Tiphanie Yanique, Mel Williams, and other special guests.
Join PEN Members and special guests for a reading of award-winning prose and poetry from the PEN Prison Writing Contest. Proceeds from the event help ensure that PEN’s hallmark program continues to promote the restorative and rehabilitative power of writing by providing hundreds of inmates with skilled writing mentors, free Handbooks for Writers in Prison, and a forum where inmates are encouraged to use the written word as a legitimate form of power.
On Mel Williams, Cara writes: The writing is really strong, and Mel is a former student of mine from "inside" who has a voice I could listen to all day.
For more about the fundraiser and for information about how you can support this program, go here.
— sdh