Nature for the Nature Deprived: A Prisoner Writes About Nature

I just looked at the PEN prison awards listing for this year and was pleased to see a few of my students there. It's a national contest, and we usually do well. I was particularly happy to see one of my favorite pieces from last summer's nature writing class honored with an honorable mention. It's short and vivid, and worth a lunch break read.

And congratulations to all the winners of this incredibly prestigious competition! So looking forward to being back at the prison again this summer--to teach my infamous class in Gothic literature. :)

Comments

I really enjoyed reading your student's essay. It's an aspect of incarceration I'd never given much thought, but certainly, I would feel deep pain if I were cut off from nature that way.

Thanks for sharing this.
Mylène said…
Really moved by this, Kathryn. Would love to re-print or at the very least link to it on American Stories NOW. Do you know how I might acquire permission to re-print?
I think if you were to link to it, that would be fine, and you could do that now. As far as putting it on there, I'd have to ask the author. I'll probably see him this summer when I go out there, and I'll tell him you're interested. And there are so many more too. These guys are starved for readers, really starved for someone even to acknowledge them as human beings.
Mylène said…
Great, Katherine, I'll link now. And if I can help give some of them a platform this summer, just let me know. These are American stories too.