resistance behind bars

the thing is that i write about people and their experiences even though i have not experienced that myself.

i am thinking about this after reading vikki law’s book on prison women’s resistance.

Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles Of Incarcerated Women

it is an incredible book.  i had to put it down several times because i was crying.  the stories in there speak to a word that i have just learned to re posses.  bravery.  and courage.  and solidarity.

but also it speaks to me of what an amazing gift it is to be able to organize, build community, speak up for ourselves and our loved ones.  whenever whereever we are able to do this is a celebration of our being ness.

vikki writes with such grace about women prisoners.

i am thinking about this because honestly i spend a lot of time writing about my experiences with people who are not me.  frankly i think that this is what story telling is.  the very human act of telling stories about people.  i mean i dont want to tell stories where i am the only character.  i get so deathly bored of myself.

so the question is not if we should write stories about other people. but how do we do so.

and that is what i love about vikki’s book.  not just the stories that she tells.  but how she tells them.  i got to communicate with her a bit as she was writing the book.  and i loved hearing about her process.

vikki’s book is not only a book about the resistance of women’s prisoners.  it is also a model for how we tell stories.  and how she in the writing of this book and for years before encourages other women, mainly imprisoned women but not only, to write their stories.

please pick this book up.  these are stories that so many of us need to hear.

also she has a great resource catalogue in the back of the book for how to work in solidarity with women prisoners.