Poetry Collections
As incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth, Free Minds writers use creative writing to escape, process, and share their lived experiences of the criminal justice system. Too often, youth caught in the U.S. justice system are spoken about but not heard from; by publishing their work, we aim to amplify these critical voices. We’re so proud of the ways their books have influenced conversations around race, criminal justice, violence prevention, and resilience across the city and the country. Through Author Talks, book donations, and book sales, the voices of Free Minds authors have reached readers and leaders across the country. Proceeds from Free Minds titles support new authors and fund future programming for incarcerated youth.
Featured Book
“A powerful, devastating, essential read”
- Starred review in Kirkus Reviews
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Independent Press Award Winner
Foreword Indies Finalist
When You Hear Me (You Hear Us) is an anthology of poetry and personal stories centering the voices of those directly impacted by the incarceration of young people in the United States. Compiled by Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, this rich collection includes firsthand accounts from both the young people charged and incarcerated in the adult criminal legal system and from the community at large: the mothers, the loved ones, the correctional staff, public defenders, prosecutors, and others harmed and left with unhealed trauma. These critical voices, uniquely combined, illustrate the ecosystem that surrounds youth who are incarcerated--and expose the ripple effects that touch us all. This book challenges us to hear these voices calling out for accountability, transformative justice, and healing. Together, they demonstrate the collective impact of the prison system, and our collective responsibility to create a society where every one of us can thrive.
Free Minds Poets
Author Voice
“Sharing this book builds bridges between very different communities, bringing us all together, allowing us to see each other in a new light. Every poem that I’ve read from this book has affected someone... The interaction is so important because it opens everyone’s eyes to what’s happening in the community, which belongs to all of us. We are interconnected, that’s a fact, and I feel a responsibility to work together to create greater understanding.”
Author Talks
Free Minds authors speak at schools, conferences, festivals, and more about their books. You can request an Author Talk for your class, group, or organization below. Contact Free Minds to request an author talk.
Reader Voice
“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.”
Story Behind The Story
Every week in a small classroom at the D.C. Jail, teenage boys facing charges in the adult criminal justice system meet as a book club. For 90 minutes, they travel beyond cell and prison walls to take journeys to places both deep within themselves and far away across the globe. Many have little experience with books and poetry, but they push beyond their comfort zones to engage in discussions about books that often echo their own lives. Then they pick up pens to write about their experiences, their stories, and whatever else they want people to hear. A powerful bond begins to form among them. As longtime member Will explains, “In [Book Club] we all had a feeling that we could somehow make it in life.”
The Untold Story of the Real Me represents hundreds of poems written by Free Minds members over the course of three years, from 2013 - 2016. The book also profiles a number of Free Minds Poet Ambassadors, returned citizens who speak out about violence prevention and the power of writing for healing and self-expression. It was edited by staff and a team of Free Minds members, and published by Shout Mouse Press.
The book’s title comes from Free Minds member KB. Submitting a poem about his childhood (“Dear Brothers, I Remember When,” p. 7) KB writes:
“When I first got locked up, I remember my mother telling me, ‘Don’t let your circumstances define who you are. You may be locked up but that’s not who you are.’ All I do is think of my life before the confusion, before the treachery, before the violence, ...Sometimes, while I’m walking on the compound I may smell something that takes me to a wonderful place! These nostalgic moments are the best moments I have. They remind me of the true person I am...this is the untold story of the real me, not the jail me.”
Shout Mouse Press couldn’t be prouder to serve as the publisher of the The Untold Story of the Real Me, a collection that contains multitudes. As the incarcerated population in the U.S. continues to grow, we recognize the importance of amplifying the voices of those too-often trapped--and silenced--by policy and circumstance. We hope that by providing a platform for these young people to speak for themselves, we can bring about systemic change rooted in the lived experience of those most directly affected.
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