Anthologies
Blogroll
- William James Association 0
- Prison Renaissance Prison Renaissance is using visual, verbal, and performance art to create a culture of transformation to end cycles of incarceration. 0
- Judith Tannenbaum's site Judith taught poetry at SQ. She is a networker and amazing resource for prison arts info. She collaborates with prison poet Spoon Jackson and has written about her years teaching at SQ in “Disguised as a Poem.” 0
- San Quentin News We present a progressive approach to criminal justice policies by reporting on positive changes in prisoner behavior, particularly through rehabilitative efforts. 0
Author Archives: Brothers In Pen
Thanksgiving in North Block, through the years
Juan Moreno Haines is a pillar of the Brothers in Pen creative writing class. (Us short people like to be called pillars from time to time.) I believe he joined the class in 2010, so at 13 years in he’s … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
1 Comment
Lockdown Stories
COVID-19 ended all in-person classes in March; the last time I was in the classroom was on March 11. It took awhile, but by early June a “distance-learning” setup began which, while agonizingly slow and inconsistent and unsatisfying, at least … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged #stopsanquentinoutbreak, covid-19, lockdown, prison writing, san quentin
Leave a comment
The Prison Within
The Prison Within, a new documentary featuring former Brother in Pen Troy Williams, was released on August 25, and it’s a beautiful film. Troy’s rumination on his journey into the heart of restorative justice works to weave and bookend the … Continue reading
Inside prison, he said, “there is genius and there’s compassion and there’s creativity.”
Check out a new article featuring our beloved Emile DeWeaver, in a story highlighting the fact that “violent offenders” may be some of the people our communities most need out here. Along the way, Emile mentions the importance of writing… … Continue reading
Ronnie Goodman, beautiful soul
I was very sad to learn that the artist Ronnie Goodman died in his homeless encampment on 16th and Capp. I met Ronnie in San Quentin where he was a fixture in the art studio. He did the covers for … Continue reading
“Aren’t You Grateful You’re Not In Prison Anymore?”
An OG’s Perspective by Watani Stiner This article will be featured in a forthcoming issue of the San Quentin News. Watani Stiner was interviewed by his former creative writing teacher, Zoe Mullery, on July 22, 2020, regarding the outbreak of … Continue reading
‘I’m being treated like I’m not a person’
I posted about the article in the Chronicle that came out on July 25 featuring Brothers in Pen writers Troy Williams and Watani Stiner. Another article also came out in the Chronicle on July 30 for which I was interviewed: … Continue reading
Juan Haines keeps reporting from inside the nightmare
Juan Moreno Haines has been a pillar in the creative writing class for more than 10 years. I linked to one of Juan’s stories in a previous post, but I think his ongoing reporting deserves a post of its own. … Continue reading
Two important articles about the dire situation at San Quentin
Two students in the Creative Writing class, Rahsaan Thomas and Kevin Sawyer, just came out with big articles about the COVID nightmare they are living through. I’ve served 19 years in San Quentin prison and I just got diagnosed with … Continue reading
Brothers in Pen 