pen america writing for justice fellowship

The first cohort of Fellows was selected from over 800 applicants, said PEN America Prison and Justice Writing Program Manager Caits Meissner. My family thought they were a nuisance. When he died, nearly all his booksthe thousands he collected and the dozens hed writtenwere thrown out. Justine van der Leun combined narrative journalism, primary data collection and analysis, and investigative techniques to report on the structural, historic, cultural, and legal forces behind the criminalization of womens defense and survival from abuse. Read the canon. The important thing is that I step away. 2023 PEN America Emerging Voices Writing Downtown Residency. . NEW YORKToday, PEN America announced the inaugural Writing for Justice Fellowship cohort. I seek the truth about injustice by listening to and honoring the experiences of people working to create more just worlds. life. Zachary Lazar Therefore, I believe the most important voice, when writing about mass incarceration and the justice system, are those directly impacted: incarcerated people, their families, and their communities. Dierdre Sugiuchi As an organization of writers dedicated to promoting free expression and informed discourse, PEN America is honored to have been entrusted by the Art for Justice Fund to engage the literary community in addressing this pressing societal issue. HAINES: Writers can affect resistance movements by working on projects that intentionally connect people to unfamiliar experiences. Usually, I set out to tell a story contextualizing personal narratives within the structures of oppression that create their conditions, hopefully centering the voices of people challenging these structures. Nora Bonner Applications close July 1, 2018. PEN America's Writing for Justice Fellowship commissions writersemerging or establishedto create written works of lasting merit that illuminate critical issues related to mass incarceration and catalyze public debate. The sociopolitical discourse is set by those willing to share their experiences; therefore, you empower the pen. So I do not regret writing about it. During the Fellowship, Mexica acquired an agent, Ian Bonaparte (Janklow & Nesbit), who will be bringing his memoir to auction in the near future. Through the Fellowship, Cunio worked with hip hop theater artist Baba Israel. Boulder, CO 80309-0226, Phone: 303-492-7381 . What inspired your choices and interest? Currently incarcerated writers can submit by sending application materials (preferably typed, but clean, legible handwritten applications will also be accepted) to the address below: Writing For Justice Fellowship . Dr. Eve L. Ewing The most competitive applications will demonstrate how the proposed project will engage issues of reform, fuel public debate, crystallize concepts of reform, and facilitate the possibility of societal change. Since his release, he has immersed himself in the fight against mass incarceration and prison reform, becoming a staunch proponent of juvenile justice. Work out a unique way to say something that matters to people. engldept@colorado.edu, University of Colorado Boulder Regents of the University of Colorado . The awarded projects include the genres of fiction, long-form journalism, theater, memoir, poetry and multimedia. The Fellowship is open to writers at any stage of their career. Writing for Justice Fellowship - PEN America Its about the misfits in our society and how to find beauty in an often cruel world. The final four months of the Fellowship will focus on placing the works for public dissemination and opportunities for Fellows to present their work publicly. Where do you imagine this project living or being featured? The main office is in Muenzinger D110. Experiences in our lives form the way we see and understand the world, and also what is lacking or unjust in society. Read, read, and read some more. PEN America - Art for Justice So I also navigate truth by not adopting the language of the state, not automatically accepting law as fact, and not relying on the perspectives of state officialsbecause aligning with the carceral system while reporting on it obscures the truth about its injustice. However, the essay went on to win the national competition. This week, PEN Americas Prison and Justice Writing summer interns organized the meaningfuland often echoinginterview answers of the 2021-2022 Writing for Justice Fellows into a rich collective tapestry of advice on writing and activism. She received a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science and a Master of Education from Grand Valley State University. When I was young, he never talked to me about being a writer, and certainly not about the subjects he explored in his books. Educator or Librarian. During the Fellowship time period, Nixon edited and published What We Know: Solutions from our Experiences in the Justice System (New Press, 2020), which also features three Writing For Justice Fellows: C.T. Her book made mass incarceration a mainline rather than fringe issue. A meet-and-greet with most of the Fellows will follow the discussion. Poet Jonah Mixon-Webster Joins English Department STARR DAVIS: A good writer is first, a good reader. Closely review all required materials listed below. So I also navigate truth by not adopting the language of the state, not automatically accepting law as fact, and not relying on the perspectives of state officialsbecause aligning with the carceral system while reporting on it obscures the truth about its injustice. Read his work atPEN.orgor see it performed on YouTube. On scratch paper. for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, presented on utilizing personal experience to create compelling stories for justice for the Writers of Kern and is teaching Writing For Social Justice at the Levan Institute at Bakersfield College. To contribute something truly meaningful to the conversation, you must be willing to equip yourself with more than knowledge. |, PEN America v. Escambia County School District, 2023 PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony, Caits Meissner, director of Prison and Justice Writing at PEN America, PEN America Announces 2021-2022 Writing for Justice Fellows. Ive had to piece together where Im from and who I am in the context of this particular history. FLOCK: There are so many voices, but I would have to say Mariame Kaba, who is somehow advocating, organizing, and writing deeply on racial, gender, and transformative justice all at the same time. Include name, address, telephone number, email address, and title of the proposed project. Remember that writing with authority means more than using active voiceit means communicating with the full range of your humanity. SCOVENS: The first book that had a profound impact on me was Ntozake Shanges For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf. Mixon-Webster's first book, Stereo(TYPE), won the Sawtooth Prize from Ahsahta Press and the 2019 PEN America/Joyce Osterweil Award, and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. Through the Fellowship, Natera worked with writer Nelly Rosario. In the case of Lisa Montgomery, who was the first woman executed on death row in nearly seven decades, her defense attorneys did not enter into her trial comprehensive evidence of the sexual and physical abuse she had suffered since she was a child. Zachary Lazar Her features and investigations have appeared onPBS NewsHour, inThe New Yorker,The New York Times,The Atlantic,The Washington Post, and many other publications. PEN America, a nonprofit organization working at the intersection of literature and human rights, offers a unique learning opportunity for individuals who are passionate about human rights, free speech, and creative expression, and interested in how the nonprofit sector works, specifically in the areas of addressing mass incarceration through content creation, digital engagement, and editorial . Project Proposal (maximum of 750 words): Please respond to the following questions: 4. Pines will be working with novelist Ryan Gattis. PEN American Accepting Applications for Writing for Justice Fellowships PDF FELLOWSHIP TIMELINE - PEN America Kiran Misra Write with passion. 7. Copyright 2023 PEN America. The relationships in my past, the people I know, and places I have been are integral to the integrity of my work. Fellows must commit to contribute actively to bringing attention to their work and that of other Fellows. Our goal is to ignite a broad, sustained conversation about the dangers of over-incarceration and the imperative to mobilize behind rational and humane policies. Named today, the ten fellowsthree currently incarceratedand their mentors will embark on range of projects covering topics such as multigenerational incarceration in the Midwest, prison gerrymandering, restorative justice, sex workers and self-defense laws, COVID-19 responses behind bars, and much more. Resources Beyond Prison Journalism Project Once, I was writing a narrative based on interviews I conducted, and I told the young man I interviewed that I was struggling to write his story. Stephanie Rolin Natyna Osborne The PEN Ten: An Interview with the 2021-2022 PEN America Writing for What change might it spur? Stay updated on what is going on, and continue to read to form strong thoughts and opinions. 241 likes, 3 comments - PEN America (@penamerica) on Instagram: "PEN America's Prison & Justice Writing program recently partnered with @Curamag on their Spring." PEN America on Instagram: "PEN America's Prison & Justice Writing program recently partnered with @Curamag on their Spring issue, "Reverb." This is an invaluable resource to any incarcerated writer. Listening gives individuals who speak agency and lets them know theyre valued, which in turn makes them better citizensready to contribute to sociopolitical discourse in meaningful ways. PIZARRO: At the beginning of Mariame Kabas collection We Do This Til We Free Us, Naomi Murakawa writes, Why be a star when you can make a constellation? She goes on to celebrate the community of co-organizers contributing their knowledge and practice of care, refusal, and collectivity to the book. The book exposes the complex individual and structural drivers of mass criminalization through the lens of race and gender. Through the Fellowship, Longworth worked with journalist Maurice Chammah. "The PEN America Writing for - Pioneer Human Services | Facebook Where are you in the timeline of your project? I remember to keep my health first, but I keep going and focus on the lives I hope to impact with my writing. When not storytelling or coming up with conspiracy theories, she . Study the past, but also envision the future. For more than four decades, PEN Americas Prison Writing Program has supported and amplified the writing of thousands of incarcerated authors by providing free resources, writing mentorships, a rigorous annual awards program, and opportunities to find new audiences. She holds an MFA in creative writing from The City College of New York and a BA in journalism and creative writing from The University of Akron. PEN America's $10,000 Writing for Justice Fellowship Unfamiliar stories, or versions of the truth, are often dismissed as a myth. Writing for Justice Fellowship | ProFellow She is a Tin House Scholar; a runner-up of a Nelson Algren prize for fiction; and a former fellow at The Center for Fiction, the Asian American Writers Workshop Witness Program, and Kundimans Mentorship Lab. Prison and Justice Writing Editorial Fellow - Gap Year Fellowship 2022 CITLALI PIZARRO: One could say that Im a young writer looking to contribute to sociopolitical discourse, so Ill offer the thing I am constantly telling myself: Figure out who and what your story is servingits serving something, even if inadvertentlynot who and what will serve your story. Ten writers will work on projects to illuminate issues of mass incarceration, joined by a powerhouse roster of mentors. Writers can inform and empower resistance movements by providing a language and narrative that clarifies complex matters and connects people through shared experience, art, and ideology. Kima Jones Her work has been published inCurrent AffairsandShadowproofas the publications second Marvel Cooke Fellow. PEN America v. Escambia County School District, 2023 PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony, What Coronavirus Quarantine Looks Like in Prison, 13-minute video documentary about writing for social justice, I hope our daughters will not be punished, To those behind bars or patrolling them, COVID-19 represents a shared threat, COVID-19 highlights the need to protect health for all by ending mass incarceration. Get updates on events, literary awards, free expression issues, and global news. PDF PEN America's Writing for Justice Fellowships will commission six Post-Fellowship, Mexica is working with Mexican authors Elmer Mendoza and Eduardo Antonio Parra to facilitate workshops for incarcerated youth across Mexico and Central America, in addition to planning upcoming transnational free speech events stemming from the assassination of journalist Javier Valdez, and convening presenters and other scholarly advisors to facilitate discussions connected to Arizona State University Art Museums Undoing Time: Art + Histories of Incarcerationexhibition (September 2021 through February 2022). The Department of English has moved from Hellems and Denison to Muenzinger. 3. Defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. 7. A similar sentiment runs through the PEN America Writing for Justice fellowship, which aims to harness the power of writing to bear witness to the "societal consequences of mass incarceration by capturing and sharing the stories of incarcerated individuals, their families, communities, and the wider impact of the criminal justice system." THOMAS: The most important voices writing about mass incarceration and the justice system today are those who have experienced it. War & War and The World Goes On are post-postmodernist masterpieces. J.D. Are you an artist at risk or know someone who is? Elizabeth Flock of Tujunga, California will write a magazine piece that exposes the criminalization of sex workers who kill in self-defense. I believe reform efforts have to honor a diversity of voices, including those with an incarcerated past. ELIZABETH FLOCK: Read, read, and read some more. Brandon Brown He received the 2018 PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship. Forget what you learned in college. PEN America Submission Manager - Submittable Earlonne Woods, Copyright 2023 PEN America. Leonard Scovens. The cohort is comprised of tenan expansion . . Mentor: Caleb Gayle will write a longform essay about how prison gerrymandering manipulates electoral powerincreasing the strength of white rural communities. Do it whenever you can. Composing plots that discuss why people rebel against the status quo and inequality feeds the life blood of democraciesand if done with a tinge of empathy, strengthens resistance movements. This extraordinary group of writers, poets, journalists, and essayists, matched with leading mentors in their field, seem to have only become more emboldened in their mission to shine light into the hidden pockets of our profoundly broken justice system. [VIRTUAL] In Fellowship: An Evening with the 2019-2020 Writing for Addimando is one of the many women who killed her abuser in an act of self-defense. Its actually in those intermittent, unexpected moments when your brain or heart finds the moment to think about the world around you, that perhaps the greatest writing can take hold. Upon his release, he plans on earning his MFA, working as an editor, shopping a gazillion manuscripts, holding creative writing workshops, and founding a literary journal for prisoners. CLARICE THOMAS: My advice to young writers is do not be afraid to speak your truth. All rights reserved. In 2018, Thomas earned a Ph.D. in teaching and learning from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. Thomas is a former adult education instructor and continues to work in the education field as a college instructor and researcher. DAVIS: There are so many people to name, but I think anyone who speaks on issues of mass incarceration is important. I mean to say that I dont think there is a single most important voice writing about mass incarcerationif there were, I hardly have the authority to decide whom that would beand that the best writers, much like Kaba and Murakawa, are busy making constellations. Photo Credit: Beowulf Sheehan. Fellows from its two cohorts include Art for Justice Fund grantees Reginald Dwayne Betts, Mitchell Jackson, Vivian D. Nixon and C.T. Get updates on events, literary awards, free expression issues, and global news. 588 Broadway, Suite 303 It follows that they frame the stories we tell, whether were conscious of it or not. DAVIS: When I was younger, I wrote a D.A.R.E. I come from a family of refugees from Mainland China who escaped communism in the late 40s. FLOCK: This is the process: 1) I read deeply first, then 2) report the hell out of a story, acting like a hoarder in gathering every piece of information I can, then 3) ruthlessly organize all the information, then 4) get into a mind space to write, using music and movies and immersing myself in any related subject matter, writing for hours without any internet or phone access, then 5) rewrite and chisel down until I have a statue that looks as I imagined it could, but better. For the 2024 grant cycle, we will confer two PEN/Jean Stein Grants for Literary Oral History with cash prizes of $15,000 each. These generationsmy grandparents and parentsdont like to tell stories about the lives they lived while fleeing Japanese occupation and then Mao, the difficulties of immigrating to the United States. Founded in 1922, PEN America champions the freedom to write, recognizes the power of the word to transform the world, and works to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. 8. Thomas uses research to center the voices of individuals who have experienced incarceration. Clarice Thomas. Juan Moreno Haines, an incarcerated journalist and survivor of COVID-19, will write a longform journalism piece analyzing San Quentin State Prison officials lack of adequate response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, which caused the death of 28 incarcerated people and a correctional sergeant. In addition to being a journalist, Pizarro is a playwright and poet. All rights reserved. One thing I learned about proclaiming the truth is, people have to have ears to hear it. Through the Fellowship, Mathes worked with writer and editor Kerri Arsenault. Ends on Fri, Jun 30, 2023 9:00 PM. Have you ever written something you wish you could take back? 2. Who is the most important voice writing about issues of mass incarceration and the justice system todayand why? Membership in PEN America is not required. Photo Credit: Beowulf Sheehan. The Writing for Justice Fellowship is open-genre, and proposed projects may includebut are not limited tofictional stories; works of literary or long-form journalism; theatrical, television or film scripts; memoirs; poetry collections; or multimedia projects. How does your writing navigate truth? How does the history of where you are from shape your identity, and in turn, your writing? PEN America's Writing for Justice Fellowship will commission six or more writersemerging or establishedto create written works of lasting merit that illuminate critical issues related to mass incarceration and catalyze public debate. 52K Followers, 1,118 Following, 2,345 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from PEN America (@penamerica) One of the first incarcerated writers to report on the conditions of COVID-19 in prisons, during his Fellowship Longworth published a variety of articles, including What Coronavirus Quarantine Looks Like in Prison inThe Marshall Project, a contribution to Pandemic Journal, April 612 inThe New York Review of Books, and How to Survive Supermax in The New Republic. Applicants who do not include a CV will not be penalized. Knowledge is true power, dont stop being a student of the craft. Typed materials should be: Currently incarcerated writers should follow formatting to the best of their ability and estimate word count as closely as possible. She is the author ofThe Heart is a Shifting Sea: Love and Marriage in Mumbai (Harper, 2018), a book about marriage and social change in India. The cohort is comprised of tenan expansion from the advertised sixemerging and established writers, including members who are currently and formerly incarcerated. To that end, the organization is accepting applications for the PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship, which seeks to harness the power of writers and writing in being witness to the societal consequences of mass incarceration by capturing and sharing the stories of incarcerated individuals, their families, communities, and the wider impact. What form of mentorship would your project most benefit from? How do you maintain momentum and remain inspired? Writing for Justice Fellowship 2021-2022 - PEN America Another writer I have on my nightstand is Leigh Goodmark, who wrote Decriminalizing Domestic Violence: A Balanced Policy Approach to Intimate Partner Violence. Late applications will not be accepted. What was the first book or piece of writing that had a profound impact on you? During the Fellowship timeline, Mathes published an essay on addition and mass incarceration in CURA magazine; Developed various commissioned theater pieces; And optioned a film, In the Desert of Dark and Light, about border issues and migration. What work do you hope to accomplish during the eight-month creation portion of the Fellowship? Michael Fischer (E.g., a writer in your genre, an editor, an expert in an aspect of criminal justice/mass incarceration, etc.). New York, NY 10012. Hes a genius. PEN America | Inside Philanthropy 8. Matthew Parker Dunne. If that doesnt work, just write a story from the perspective of an uninspired author. I find that the people I knowwhether they make figurative paintings, work in the ICU, are voting rights activists, develop chemical compounds used for mental health treatment, or write poetryall do what they do for a very personal reason. Its the only time that I know it is protected. She is a large part of the reason Americans can imagine a world without prisons today, and understand the concept of abolition. Joan Dempsey Photo Credit: Beowulf Sheehan, Citlali Pizarro is an independent journalist from California. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. She facilitates workshops and professional development sessions that create a space to address inequity and injustice in minoritized communities. Weiden received the PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship and is the recipient of fellowships and residencies from MacDowell, Ucross, Ragdale, Vermont Studio Center, Sewanee, and Tin House. Bio - David Heska Wanbli Weiden 9. One thing I learned about proclaiming the truth is, people have to have ears to hear it. . PEN America - Wikipedia Email him via JPay (#11A0671). Please do not submit a travel research budget unless there is a strong case for the impact of this financial support on your projects completion. What impact do you hope your project will have? Our goal is to ignite a broad, sustained conversation about the dangers of over-incarceration and the imperative to mobilize behind rational and humane policies. I am always bending to the will of the assignment. cohort. Grantee Cohort Randall Horton I imagine hed light a cigarette, mumble something incoherent. Because theyre teachers, not visionaries. After sending 5,098 surveys to incarcerated women across 22 states to understand their pathways to prison, Justine published No Choice But To Do It: Why Women Go To Prison in a joint release with The New RepublicandThe Appeal. Currently, Gayle is the CEO of the National Conference on Citizenship. Jenny Stafford To that end, the organization is accepting applications for the PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship, which seeks to harness the power of writers . The PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship aims to harness the power of writers and writing in bearing witness to the societal consequences of mass incarceration by capturing and sharing the stories of incarcerated individuals, their families, communities, and the wider impact of the criminal Andrew Brininstool Many writers treat inspiration as something outside themselves, as something they must wait for, not realizing it resides in the midst of their daily affairs and interactions. Able to demonstrate a track record of successful projects brought to completion on time. Scovens will be working with journalist Nicole Lewis. I would talk to him about everything in his books: love, war, dreams. Through the Fellowship, van der Leun worked with investigative journalistJordan Smith. Giving incarcerated voices agency cultivates the wisdom that the public needs to improve systems. Despite this challenge, I learned to not allow others to determine the truth for me. Sharing our literary voices can help create spaces for experience and culture that shape our narratives. Please check back for information on how and when to apply to our next fellowship round in fall 2021. I believe in writing stories that center the experiences of people resisting oppression. Co-parent with an incarcerated partner? PIZARRO: I navigate truth, in large part, by listening to people speak theirs. An African proverb warns, Do not let the lion tell the giraffes story. Sharing our literary voices can help create spaces for experience and culture that shape our narratives. The fellowship aims to harness the power of writers and writing in bearing witness to the societal consequences of mass incarceration by capturing and sharing the stories of incarcerated individuals, their families, communities, and the wider impact of the criminal justice system. Prison and Justice Writing - PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship 2019-2020 - PEN America PEN America's $10,000 Handwriting in Justice Fellowship wishes commission six writersemerging or establishedto create written works of lasting merit that illuminate critical issues related to mass incarceration plus catalyze public debate. Ill also offer this: Write the story, even if no one wants to publish it. Mixon-Websters poetic essay, The Hauntologies of Slavery, published in The Yale Review, follows the author on a journey in tracing his lineage on both sides of the slavery narrative through various landscapes, concluding with a visit to the Equal Justice Initiatives museum and memorial as part of the fellowships roster of activities in Winter 2020. The PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship aims to harness the power of writers and writing in bearing witness to the societal consequences of mass incarceration by capturing and sharing the stories of incarcerated individuals, their families, communities, and the wider impact of the criminal justice system. This might be an artist/career biography to express past accomplishments, a statement of philosophy and approach, or an overview of your current practice and/or creative mission.
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