Tag Archives: PEN Prison Writing Program

A Constantly Evolving Lifespan: A Review of “This Life” by Quntos KunQuest

Posted on February 8, 2023 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

A life sentence in prison is life, that is, there is living to do in prison, even under a life sentence.  Quntos KunQuest, in his novel, This Life, demonstrates that life goes on inside of prison.  Since 1996, KunQuest has … Continue reading →

Posted in Education & Teaching, Justice Chronicles, Literature & Cultural Criticism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

My Friend Kathy Boudin

Posted on May 3, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

News of Kathy Boudin’s demise quickly spread, as quickly as news spreads through the prison grapevine, and I had hoped that it was greatly exaggerated!  When I Googled “death of Kathy Boudin,” many articles popped up on my screen, far … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Research & Lived Expertise | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Prison Portal

Posted on March 23, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Poets are on a quest to find a word that is worth a thousand pictures.  I don’t know if there’s a poetry gene, but there’s connective tissue joining poets.  Even before I know a writer is a poet – a … Continue reading →

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I’m Driving as Fast as I Can

Posted on March 22, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Bell Gayle Chevigny is another woman I met through my work with PEN America Center’s Prison Writing Program (PWP).  She is also the editor of Doing Time: 25 Years of Prison Writing, an anthology of some of the best writing … Continue reading →

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Poets Are Revolutionaries: Drop Poetry, Not Bombs!

Posted on March 21, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Poets, at heart, are revolutionaries.  In addition to being incurable romantics, they are idealists.  Even in their poetry, they seek the ideal.  They are always in search of the ideal. I also met Susan Rosenberg through my work with PEN … Continue reading →

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Poets, Prison Writing, and Pantoums

Posted on March 20, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Poets feel deeply, oftentimes too deeply. Sometimes they’re overwhelmed by their feelings. Poets are incurable Romantics. They love Love. They’re always on a quest to find Love. Poets are human, deeply human, as human as can be, with all the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Writing Projects, Literature & Cultural Criticism | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments