The Untold Story of the Real Me - by Free Minds Writers (Paperback)

About the Book

The Untold Story is a collection of poetry and profiles written by incarcerated youth. Many poets are currently incarcerated in the DC Jail or federal prison; profiles are of returned citizens and their quest for new life. Their work explores themes of parenthood, love, pain, identity, race, and freedom in voices both raw and powerful.

Book Synopsis

The Untold Story of the Real Me is a collection of poems written by young people who were charged and incarcerated as adults at the age of 16 or 17. All poets are members of the Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop; many are currently incarcerated in the DC Jail or federal prison. Their work explores themes of parenthood, love, pain, identity, race, and freedom in voices both raw and powerful. This collection also features individual profiles of Free Minds members who are home from prison and serving as Poet Ambassadors in the violence prevention initiative, "On the Same Page." Already being used in classrooms across the country to start conversations around youth violence and the justice system, The Untold Story of the Real Me provides a new take on the power of one voice to speak truth to pain, to seek redemption and healing.

Free Minds uses books, creative writing, and peer support to awaken DC youth incarcerated as adults to their own potential. Through creative expression, job readiness training, and violence prevention outreach, these young poets achieve their education and career goals, and become powerful voices for change in the community. Learn more at www.freemindsbookclub.org.

Review Quotes

"The literary collection you hold in your hands is a testament to the vitality and spirit of the young poets whose work is presented in these pages, proof in print that books and reading can change and save lives. The key is perseverance; the Free Minds people remain present from lockup through reentry, creating ambassadors to the community who effectively curb the cycle of violence and incarceration. The message is important, and so is the work. The pieces showcased here are moving and real."
- George Pelecanos, novelist, writer/producer of The Wire

"As an English teacher who has worked with troubled teens who have been labeled "unteachable" or stereotyped as "the worst of the worst," I connect to the core of the Free Minds mission. When I visited these young men at the DC Jail, I was awed by the raw honesty, vulnerability and the talent they displayed when putting pens to paper. Through writing, they are confronting their mistakes, healing their pain, seeking redemption and clearing a path for a brighter future. Their powerful poems in The Untold Story of the Real Me represent a wake up call imploring each of us to never give up on any child! May we listen...May we learn!"
- Erin Gruwell, teacher & founder of Freedom Writers Foundation

"These pages - they are vibrant with urgency. Tragedy and pain and loss and that one thing that distinguishes them from so many others: hope. Each one of these chapters is a journey into the birthplace of the grit and gristle, the tenacity and hunger for life that makes the Free Minds Book Club meaningful."
--R. Dwayne Betts, formerly incarcerated as a youth in the adult system, author of
A Question of Freedom and the poetry collection, Shahid Reads His Own Palm. Yale Law School '17

"Free Minds Book Club embodies everything that is right about justice reform. The young men I spoke with were attentive and ready to take ownership of their lives. Reading and writing gave me a second chance. This book and the words within represent the second chance that Free Minds is extending to others. I am honored and proud to be part of such amazing work."
- Shaka Senghor, author of Writing My Wrongs

"These young poets courageously offer a piece of themselves in exchange for an open mind. The Free Minds Poet Ambassadors' visit taught my students that we must listen to hear our own voices more clearly so that we can forge a path to self-awareness and compassion for others. Through such authentic writing, we can all believe that redemption and healing are possible."
- Felicia Jordan, teacher, DC Public Schools

"I displayed the writings of many young men from Free Minds in another book called Voices Of The Future. The poetic pieces in The Untold Story of the Real Me prove the breath-taking power of poetry to illuminate beauty in some of our world's darkest places and to bring out the humanity in all of us. If we are willing to listen, together we take an important step forward in stopping the violence, healing the pain, and creating a new destiny for many young men."
- Etan Thomas, Author, Poet and former NBA player