ICRN: Telling True Stories (long-form nonfiction)

4/2/2021

OVERVIEW: If last week what we looked at the "creative" side of creative nonfiction, this week's focus is on the "nonfiction" side. Albert Woodfox's story is an autobiography. It spans his entire life and, with the help of a co-author, is written from his perspective and in his voice (The Autobiography of Malcom X was co-authored by Alex Haley, author, most notably, of the book Roots).

There is an idea in Rhetoric called "kairos" which essentially is Greek for "time". In Rhetoric, it refers to what I call appropriateness. It's the right thing to say for a particular occasion--the right content, tone, voice for the particular historical moment. Sometimes the easiest way to see that something is not in harmony with the moment is when it goes horribly wrong--of course, the perspective of the audience plays a significant role in in determining this. Different audiences will view different rhetorical moments in different ways. That's the relationship between audiences, "texts," and speaker/authors.

PROMPT: In some ways, Woodfox's story, does not feel entirely new. I'm asking you to consider Solitary through a kairotic lens: consider the historical moment of this autobiography, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize last year. Why is this story important to tell? In what ways does it feel new, add to our understanding of race and racism in our country? How does it affect you as a reader? Can you imagine a different reaction?

BONUS QUESTION; What does it take to write this autobiography? I'm not asking for, like, courage and mental stamina or a typewriter. I'm talking about the kind of research that goes into a book like this--because even though it is his story, there is quite a bit of archival material in the piece. What does a writer do with the people named in the piece, particularly the people at Angola responsible for much of what Woodfox endured during his time at the prison--or some of his lawyers? How does Woodfox manage himself as a character? These are the kinds of questions you need to ask yourself when you are writing stories where you are the focus, but not the only character, in a long and complex plot.

Please post roughly 300 words in response to the prompt; read and respond to your classmates as you see fit. Connect what they say to your experiences reading the text and/or your reaction to their observations about how the text was constructed.

19 Comments

Ron Corbett

4/2/2021 10:43:52 am

Reading this novel came at the right time. Especially with the trial going on now. I personally found the story educational. One example is what the Black Panthers stood for. When in school or a Hollywood movie, they are portrayed as being the ones causing the violence.
One of the characteristics of Woodfox that I liked is how he protected some of the newer inmates. There is one scene in particular where he 'borrows' a knife from another inmate then saves a younger inmate from being raped when he first arrives in prison.

Amanda Guindon

4/2/2021 11:07:55 am

Oh I totally agree with your thought that this novel was educational. So many aspects of this book were so new to me, like the Black Panthers, that it was eye opening and shocking to read. I also really liked how Woodfox fully discussed the Black Panthers and their efforts to provide safety and salvation to those who needed it, and it was really interesting to read how they were able to expand throughout the prison through words of mouth before it was eventually run to the ground.

Paige Couture

4/2/2021 11:46:15 am

Hi Ron,

This story is definitely educational, especially for learning about certain symbols and for those wondering what actually happens when you're in prison. I personally found Woodfox to be sarcastically funny at times. When Brent Hicks was questioning him about TV remotes and he sort of gave a sarcastic response of aiming it towards the TV and turn it on. However, I believe that this was more of seeing if Woodfox was truthful in his answers of why he was getting write ups. Just to help expand your answer, what scene in the novel do you think helps us understand with racism in our country? Is there a specific scene in the book that you think relates to the trial that's going on right now?

Derek Krysko

4/2/2021 10:45:15 am

Systemic racism is unfortunately ingrained in the American system, and perhaps now more than ever, people have begun to take action against the unjust treatment of Black men and women around the United States. Albert Woodfox’s story is so important to share at this moment in time because people’s eyes have been opened to the harsh reality of racism in America, and I feel like people are now more receptive than ever to understanding the plight of the Black man. There are so many forms of invisible racism present in our society, and the American prison system is undoubtedly the most broken institution of them all. If we as a nation are to achieve any sort of progress towards racial equality, then then prison reform must be taken seriously. Prisons are already overcrowded and overpopulated, often with Black people who committed a minor crime or who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Judges and juries seem to doll out these lifetime punishments to Black men without considering the magnitude of their decision; they are effectively taking the life away from innocent men, a life they cannot get back. The fact that Woodfox survived his imprisonment, and essentially torture, is an astonishing human achievement, and is such a strong example of spirit and strength of will. We need this story now because society needs to learn the damage that the backwards prison system can cause, and can essentially rob a man of his life for a crime he didn’t commit. Woodfox’s strength in the face of severe adversity is a shining example of the resolve of Black men in America.

This story feels like it adds an important new layer to our understanding of racism in this country because Woodfox’s imprisonment began in the 1970s, when he was just a kid, and it highlights how racism has not gone away in any capacity. Prison for Woodfox was just an extension of slavery that was supposedly done away with. If anything, racism has become more and more prevalent in the U.S as time has gone on, and the fact that Woodfox left a racist world when he entered prison and was released into an equally racist society is just appalling and tragic. The 70’s feel like an entirely world to our generation, and the fact that a “crime” committed in the 70s can still have ramifications on someone’s life in this generation is just a shocking reality. The Black Panther Party is a part of history that is completely neglected by the modern American education system, and that is a major issue because it is harder for people today to recognize that the issues they fought against many years ago are still present today. Woodfox’s narrative is so brutally tragic, and it does nothing but make me angry, and I hope others feel the same way too. I can’t imagine how anyone could read this and not feel as if something needs to be done immediately. Woodfox is just one story we have heard of, and there are thousands of others just like his, stories of young Black men having their lives ripped away from them for crimes they didn’t commit. Solitary confinement is modern torture, and is such an inhumane practice that simply shouldn’t exist.

To effectively craft this narrative, I would imagine Woodfox needed to ensure that his names, dates, and places were all accurate, so that the audience trusts him as a narrator. Even though the experiences are his own, Woodfox still needed to establish credibility in order to properly contextualize his position as an advocate for Black justice. His experiences are what drive the impact of his narrative, the audience needs to believe that he really did experience these things. It raises interesting questions of morality in situations like this, because Woodfox has consider the privacy of the names involved. He has to consider whether not these people want their names involved in a report such as this, because though they committed atrocities and one could argue they do not deserve such respect, it is still necessary to weigh that moral quandary. If someone who perpetrated abuse against Woodfox feels remorse and has since changed his beliefs and behaviors, but Woodfox includes his name anyway, then that person doesn’t get the chance to redeem himself. It’s also difficult for Woodfox to manage himself as a character, because he has to balance narrative with reality. He has to consider whether or not his truth is the truth, and if his bias is altering the story in any way. Woodfox had an opportunity to present himself in any manner he wanted, and his depiction will ultimately dictate how he is perceived, but also how legitimate his stance is.

Rebecca Monestime

4/2/2021 10:50:52 am

Hi Derek,
I agree with you. The Black Panther Party is a party where they stand for the rights of black people and will not take any more discrimination from white people. Yes some of them used violence but most of them did not. They are a group of educated black people who demand justice for all not just black people alone. Yes, their history is neglected and it should not be because they are the ones who helped make a change in racial justice. They had a lot of good values yet history likes to portray them as the bad when we know who the true villains are. Woodfox narrative is relatable and modern to the black experience.

Rebecca E Monestime

4/2/2021 10:45:22 am

Woodfox’s story is important because he talks about the black experience from all time. He is showing us that it has not ended in modern times, racism is an ongoing problem and it is plaguing our world. Back in the days of segregation, we read that black people where getting arrested, killed, raped, ratioed and disadvantaged compared to the whites. We can see the unfair treatment throughout his lifetime from him getting constantly arrested even when he went to the hospital in a stolen car to help his sister. But we also see Woodfox commit so many crimes to the point where I thought while reading “is this man serious?” he was perpetuating the stereotype of the criminal black man. This did not help his cause until it was too late. He was already going on trial for all the things he has done since he was young.
In ways that makes this feel new, it was the way he described the atrocities happening around him such as police men beating up black people on the street for simply being black. We saw that with George Floyd last year when he was choked to death by a police officer. And when they crash into Brenna Taylor’s home and shot her dead while she was asleep. All of these experiences of racism in America has not changed which shows the current state of our country. Black people are at a constant fear for their lives when encounter a police officer or simply walking while black.
There are times in my life as a young black women, where I do not feel safe walking by a police officer or feeling like I am being watched when I enter a store. Even when I am looking at something, the worker always asking me “can I help you anything?” every five minutes when there are other people around me who need them more than I do. That is just a small bit of the black experience. As a reader, it affected me a lot because I am also black and I can understand the pain and suffering himself and his fellow black people are going through. Luckily for me, I haven’t experience terrible racism but I have friends who have and it is extremely disheartening. A different reaction for me would be not being able to relate to Woodfox’s experience, especially if I was white…I would try my best to understand but I would never be able to relate.

4/2/2021 10:50:12 am

I certainly agree, and I sincerely hope that as you mention, people will start to realize that racism never left this country. Woodfox's experience in prison is merely an extension of slavery, and should highlight to people that though the official practice of slavery may have been abolished, the modern prison system still engages in some form of unjust servitude. Woodfox entered prison in a racist world, and left prison only to find a world just as plagued with racism.

4/2/2021 10:50:38 am

Hello Rebecca,
I also noticed how many times in the beginning he had the chance to turn things around. The only time I felt he got the boot was the car scene when he picked up his sister at the movies and his boss said he was not supposed to have the car, making it look like he stole it.

4/2/2021 10:46:45 am

Solitary by Albert Woodfox is an important story to tell because it provides personal details that Woodfox went through in his life. The beginning starts off small with his family history, then it leads into more important conversations about racism in our country. I feel like this story is important for us to know because it provides personal details about Woodfox’s family history to see how growing up shaped him into the person he become: before, in and out of prison. We learn that Woodfox did not have an easy life living with his mother or brothers. They had to take baths in the middle of the living room, while his mother had to heat up hot water. It was not like bathtubs that we had today. His mother seemed to jump from relationship to relationship without giving much thought or knowing the guy first. The first relationship that the mother had was abusive, not really setting a good example for her children. The next guy that his mother dated was the only one who called Woodfox called dad. However, that relationship did not last long either. Now understanding Woodfox’s backstory, after he met his dad once then never had a relationship with him after a laundry incident, we can understand the way how he reacts or reasonings for things.
I wanted to close read into the questioning with Brent Hicks after the number of write ups he had gotten. An example of Woodfox’s reactions I find to be funny or sarcastic is his answers to the lawyer: “Q: And that was in fact inside your locker box? A: Yes. Q: What is that used for? A: They call it a remote. We use that to change the TV with” (307). Here it sounds like Woodfox was being sarcastic -- almost like everyone should know what a remote is and how to use it. On the other hand, I think the lawyer knew what it was, but wanted to question him to see how he responds to answers. To see if he was truthful. This novel brings new understanding to racism in our country by explaining other meanings of certain symbols. A symbol of a hand is brought up by the lawyer. A discussion of the Black Panther Party advocating violence was brought up. When the answer was “no”, it was assumed that the Party had been peaceful. An example of a symbol would be: “Were phrases such as ‘kill the pigs’ affiliated with the Black Panther Party?” (307). To answer part of the bonus question, the answer to this quote that Woodfox provides insight to writing an autobiography. The meaning of ‘kill the pigs’ could have many meanings to anyone. “As I said, it was a part of political culture, political rhetoric that was being used at that time” (309). That is the whole thing about writing: symbols or other literary devises mean something different to readers. The symbolism of the clenched fist effects myself as a reader: “It was a symbol of organizations at the time. It was a symbol of unity. It has been misunderstood and misquoted over the years, but the clenched fist meant you were in unity and there was strength. Unity of the community” (309). I was shocked of this meaning because I thought it meant something along the lines of fighting or defending oneself. The clenched fist makes sense with Woodfox’s meaning of it more than my own. I suppose the fingers would have to be open and not clenched for it to symbolize fighting and not unity.
For the bonus question to write an autobiography takes historical and legal writing research to back up what symbols mean. Relating to my response, Woodfox needed to study other’s reaction to know the real meaning behind clenched fist. Legal writing and archival material in this text is important because it is important to know reasoning behind lawyer’s actions and questions -- why he responds the way that he does. I think Woodfox takes responsibility for himself and realizes how much little control he has over his life after only having fifteen minutes to eat lunch in prison. The writer writes about important people that play a role in his life -- such as his closest friend in prison that got diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer. I feel like Woodfox took the reins himself to grow up from engaging in fights or other unhealthy ways of life. The first thing that Woodfox wants to do is visit his mother’s grave. That is a big step up from performing illegal acts.

Michael Wood

4/2/2021 10:51:03 am

Good use of relevant excerpts of the text. One question I have is how does this apply to today's society?

4/2/2021 02:13:23 pm

As stated above, this apply's to today's society by giving us a personal glimpse by Woodfox into what life is like in prison. We can understand his actions from how he was raised. Readers are given true experiences of discrimination--problems that really occurred that caused him to end up in jail. Yes, it really sucks that Woodfox was accused for something that he didn't do. However, I feel like this happens to a lot of people in society today. People just don't care about others feelings or necessities to survive. This text as a whole apply's to today's society. Woodfox just had enough confidence to let his voice be heard in society. Basically, to end discrimination or racism. By knowing one's experiences, it will be a chance for the world to not fall onto that route. Like CJ was talking about in class, it might talk one out of being comfortable to have one's back.

Matt McGuirk

4/2/2021 10:48:05 am

I think this story is important for Albert Woodfox to tell because it’s an inside look at his experiences of being discriminated against. He’s directly telling us about his entire life. It was written in 2019 and while that was a mere two years ago, just think of how much has happened since then in regards to the issue of racism that is still prevalent in the U.S. So it does, in a way, feel new. I think it adds to the discussion of race and racism in this country because there are many individuals out there who can connect with Woodfox’s experiences. For me as a reader, it shows me how he dealt with his experiences and educated himself throughout these four decades in solitary confinement. Because I understand the history of racism in our country, there were times in the book where I wasn’t surprised about something, as sad as that is to admit. For instance, when his boss at the car dealership let him take a car home and then he drove it to rescue his sister from being harassed, only to be pulled over by four detectives at a stop sign and subsequently arrested, I wasn’t surprised. Law enforcement has discriminated against African-Americans for a long time with unnecessary stops, so as soon as I got to that paragraph I unfortunately knew what was coming. Again, because I understand our history, I can’t imagine reacting differently.

I feel like overall, Woodfox’s story is another glimpse into the issue of racism in this country. It’s not a new story per se but it feels new, I think, because of the personal recounting he does. It also feels new because these are not things I, a white male from a middle class family, have ever had to experience. They always say you don’t know about someone until you walk a day in their shoes. Although I am not in Woodfox’s shoes, I’m right there with him as he goes back in time and walks through his shoes again. This makes it feel new to me. I hope that makes sense.

Maddie Staples

4/2/2021 10:49:33 am

As I sit here in class, my father is checking in on the Derek Chauvin trial hoping for an acquittal. I would give him this book to read if I thought that he would, or that it would make a difference. I can imagine his reaction, thinking that the small crimes Woodfox did commit as a poor child struggling to survive in the sixties, to which the author admits, would be enough to condemn him as a criminal, that the egregious violence enacted by officers in the prison, to which they admit in their reports, was entirely justified. My father and people like him have stated explicitly that nothing will change their minds on certain issues. Prison abolition and police reform are some of those issues, and I don't imagine that Woodfox's account would have much of an impact on them. Again, I think many would refuse to even read it.

However, I do not think that the cultural moment of this book, released in 2019, can be understated. For me, it reinforced many of the beliefs that I have come to hold over the course of my education. The graphic truths which Woodfox shared in his memoir were disturbing and heartbreaking to read. Especially when the portrayals of prisons in our media are sanitized and even comedic (thinking of Arrested Development and OITNB), it is important to understand the realities of American prisons, especially for incarcerated black and brown people. What is especially important about Woodfox's story is that is shows the span of fifty years of struggle. While BLM has taken over social media in waves, particularly over this past year, it is important to acknowledge the centuries of oppression which black people have undergone, from slavery to Jim Crow to the prison industrial complex. Not only does Woodfox relay the struggle of himself and his peers, he introduces decades of literature from the Black Panthers, anti-capitalists, prison reformers and abolitionists, etc. The epilogue of the book addresses the Black Lives Matter movement, incidents of police brutality and muder that I remember. For younger millenials and generation z, this book emphasizes the duration of the fight for complete social equality: it is not new, nor is it over. I think what is new is the willingness to think about the experiences of people--prisoners--who have historically been portrayed as entirely unsympathetic. The mainstream is becoming increasingly aware of what the Black Panthers and more modern reformers have long known, which is that the justice system is not just. Thus, Woodfox's account becomes more digestible, more "believable" though it has always been true.

I do think that while Woodfox is the hero of his own story, he gives a lot of credit to the other people in his life: his family and comrades in prison, the lawyers who (often incompetently or maliciously) represented him, the other advocates outside of the prison, and even the prison officials themselves. In the last moments of the text he even notes feeling a stab of sympathy for the Miller family who petitioned so hard to keep him in solitary confinement for four decades.

In terms of the amount of research that he did, Woodfox and his coauthor include news reports, transcriptions of court examinations and witness statements, letters from various sides of the fight, and prison reports. I think that perhaps the most effective inclusion of a source outside of Woodfox's own voice came from the chapter on the men's fight against strip searches. On pages 166 and 167, Woodfox elects to include two disciplinary reports describing how he refused to submit to a visual cavity search, and was forcibly bent over a table and physically examined. The inclusion of these reports were effective for a few reasons. First and foremost, telling of these incidents entirely through the official reports allows Woodfox to make us aware of them without having to relive his trauma for us. Even the standard strip searches were humiliating and degrading (167), so the violent force used in at least these two instances must have been intensely traumatizing. It is not for us to know if Woodfox experienced more violence or violation than is noted in the report, which only mentions injuries sustained by officers. In nonfiction, particularly memoir, the author is reliving their lives for their audience, and some parts of life are too difficult to bare repeating. By allowing the disciplinary report to speak for him, Woodfox alludes to his experiences without having to rehash them in graphic detail.

The inclusion of the official reports also adds realism to Woodfox's story. He tells us time and time again of the indignities experienced by prisoners at the hands of the officers, ranging from verbal abuse to physical deprivation to bloody assault. In this supremely traumatizing moment, Woodfox lets the officers speak for themselves, and their candor is shocking. The legal record of the incident reads, "Inmate Woodfox had to be physically restrained over a desk with his buttocks spread open b

4/2/2021 10:49:58 am

From a kairiotic perspective, I find that Solitary is a relatively current topic as racism has remained strongly prevalent. Especially during the last few years. To follow the life of a young black man as he faced scrutiny over the course of his life, it helps to have a visual sense of what had occurred personally. The books serves as a powerfully uncomfortable memoir that illustrates the struggled of poverty and racial objectification that have been consistent even by today's standards. Through reasons of bigotry, general hatred, or religious scrutiny, the main character does provide context for all sides of the argument while never shying away from personal hardships. While turning to crime at a young age, it is shown as a personal necessity but still gives light to general stereotypes associated with a poor upbringing. When writing a personal memoir like this, it requires a certain degree of background research in current events to help illustrate points in the topic and how similar events have effected other lives. There could be insight on how people in other parts of the world were effected by similar events and what others did in the face of racism. One's agrument would become more impactful when outside research is shown as a form of professionalism and could lead to further discussion on working toward a better good. Even from the perspective of people who have not been to prison, this could serve as a good cautionary tale in order to raise awareness to these heavy handed events.

Brittany Ann Oppenheimer

4/2/2021 10:50:17 am

This story is important to tell because it shows that anyone can be sent up for false accusations, no matter how good of a person you are. It also shows how Woodfox was easily set up due to his race and how easy it became to turn people against him for his color. He endured prisons where men on horseback was waiting to shoot people down when the prison consisted of mostly African American's. These prison guards were, of course, white males who had no sympathy for the other race an was practically ready to shoot them down at any time as if their lives don't mean anything to them. The story here shows that police officers had it out for African American's for many many years, it's just that the tortures' these people had were forced to stay hidden for a long time. It might be due to fear, it might be due to the fact that someone will come after them if they talk. The fact that no one spoke up back then about these situations and that no one would believe them if they did made everything so much worse.
One of the ways it feels new is, honestly, based on the idea that people now of days think racisms is over or that no one ever considered how big of an issue it was back in the sixties. Police brutality was constant during the 60s and 70s where no one would bat an eyes if a African American was beaten by an officer. This book presents those crimes in a way that shows it was always happening, but only now are people starting to care about them. I think that's one of the ways this book comes off as new to me.
The fact this was happening for a long time effects me greatly as a reader. To know that this man was in jail for so long because he was accused of a crime he never committed. That makes me sick to my stomach knowing this has happened to so many people. When I read the book, I felt my heart edge deeper and deeper into my gut almost as if it knew everything and everyone was coming after Woodfox and his friends. This makes me angry honestly that no one has the guts to try and defend these men who were wrongly accused for so long. It honestly makes me think twice about people and what I should do to better my community and look out for those who need it.

4/2/2021 10:50:31 am

It's not like I didn't know that prison life would suck--and it's not that I didn't know that the justice system is inherently racist. And though sometimes I worry that us folks up north imagine we are immune to the kind of racism that feels blatant and obvious in the south, it was not a surprise that a prison in the deep rural south would be deeply cruel to black men. But there were things that I found important to understand more deeply. First, the legal process in general--particularly in their last years in the prison when they and a large collection of supporters were working the court system on their behalf. AlsoL reading about the beatings in prison, about how they were underfed, how they were mistreated in small petty ways and in larger, constitutionally fraught ways is important to see. I also think, and this is not new, but I want to always be thinking about it, seeing how poverty leads young black men to small, petty crimes sometimes that have no business screwing up their entire lives--and how sometimes just proximity to crime or even no proximity to crime can mean you get caught up in the justice system. I still don't think white America gets that. I also thought about how it doesn't feel like things are that different right now. I'm reading this the week of the George Floyd murder trial. I've been reading what has been happening in court each day. I think about the life path that put George Floyd on the ground that day and what life path put Derek Chauvin on his neck that day. That's what I mean about Kairos. This story weaves together so many strands of how systemic racism is evident in the lives of so many Americans. I would also argue that it is a call to action for me. Because Woodfox talks a lot about how revolution is painful and requires sacrifice. I live a very nice life that could be largely untouched by the kind of life Woodfox describes--full disclosure I am married to black man and I do see in ways I never would have thought possible how racist most people are --and are all too happy to put it on display. But what this book reminds me of is what the next phase of American life needs to look like for White America. And I think it will require some painful sacrifice for many folks--not because we are actually sacrificing anything, but because it will feel like that as we lose some level of privilege. Not to mention reparations, which I believe we need to give serious consideration to. I have other things to say, but I think that what this story does is bring together a lot of ideas that white america is just now understanding. Also: the story of who the black panthers are. Just really learning about that. Saw a movie called Judas and the Black Messiah about Fred Hampton, who Woodfox talks about in the book. It's inspiring and tragic at the same time.

Lynne Campbell

4/2/2021 10:50:43 am

I think that it is a very unfortunate thing to consider that Woodfox's story doesn't feel entirely new. Even though this is an incredible and earth rattling story that should be told; is anyone who reads this book surprised that this country let this happen? We are currently living in a time where historical events that shake us to our core are happening more and more often. We are reading this text during a time where a lot of people around the world are suffering. I think this story is important because it sees some more light on the dark and cruel things that go on in this country. Woodfox has suffered greatly and this book has made others realize that there are so many people on this planet who have needlessly suffered. Woodfox's story may be the focal point, however, this story can also be viewed as a call to arms for people to fight for those who do not have a voice. Woodfox was able to be released from prison after about 43 years, and for 43 years he did not have a voice. He could've chosen to live out his life without bringing too much attention to his story. But instead he documented all of the horrible experiences he had to endure being alone in a cell; while also sharing the good things like teaching another inmate to read and write. I think that this story feels new because while reading the book the readers are able to, in a way, experience his life along side him. Of course a lot of people who read this book cannot relate to the racial, physical and mental hardships that Woodfox had to endure. But having his words and a recount of his experiences sheds so much light on how human beings in our country are being treated. I watched an interview with Woodfox at a bookstore; and in this video a woman said that the book inspired her to set up a foundation to help inmates in Maryland get better access to basic hygiene supplies and better communication with their loved ones. This book most likely inspired so many other people to want to make a real difference in the world.

4/2/2021 10:55:33 am

Solitary was published during a tumultuous time of “Black v Blue”, a time of a misogynist heavy political era and the beginning of more awareness of anti-racism as a movement. If it had been published a year later? I feel like it would be on more people’s bookshelves and performative lists to become the poster child for the prison industrial complex. That being said, it pairs well with the documentary The 13th and is important for those without context of the Deep South. There are aspects of this story that need to be told. My family is from LA and much of what is said is true. Before the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, I don’t think that many of my NE white friends would agree with me that racism still exists with the same level of ugly and danger that it once did. This book affected me as a reader in the beginning because I kept waiting for the traumatic/jarring and close your eyes moment of prison rape. About halfway through, I relaxed and began to do more than watch for a scene I knew could be coming. My favorite poems were Man of Steel and Echoes. I found that softness helped the onslaught of dates and names. By the time he got to Anita Roddick and her work on his case, I began to remember purchasing skincare that had its profits headed to his cause or environmental causes she supported. At the end, when he began his call to action, I was already thinking of how little I had done to even know what prisoners in RI deal with, what our stats on solitary confinement entail, and I worked briefly with juvenile offenders in a locked facility. How quickly we forget about those who are locked away.

If I were to write a second edition of this, I would remove many of the dates and people from the main text and add footnotes. I found this part too fatiguing. A timeline at the beginning of each decade would have also been helpful since, in reality, there’s no real spoilers to alert the reader from. As far as court research, placing mock ups or actual photos of docs would also break up the text and create visual interest. But maybe that is the intent… to give the reader a sense of the monotony and loss of time that he went through. I too felt that Fox manages some of his culpability… he seems to edit… crime isn’t all wrong place/wrong time and he didn’t always come up on systemic racism 100%. As someone who has worked in a locked facility (21 bed juvenile to 21yo offenders), there is a familiar perspective that I recognized at times. But, given how much the failed system worked him over? I think as a reader, I can forgive small edits to make himself seem less culpable. What I hope is that a reader “looking” for proof that he was lying/reframing the narrative doesn’t zoom in on p. 190 “Killing them, beating them up, spitting on them, cussing them out - all of that was going through my mind. If, in that moment, any of us could have gotten our hands on them without restraints, there is no telling what might have happened.” For me, this makes him a more reliable narrator, but for someone just hoping for a crack in the armor, to choose to view him as dangerous? This sentence could do it… I also wonder if this is written to be a character arc or if it comes from his private journals? The writing has evolved as he did - sentence structure and internal monologue/narrative have become more complex as the story evolved.

4/2/2021 11:04:48 am

As I started reading this book, I was reminded of how it was one of the most popular books last summer when the protests were raging and people were looking to educate themselves on matters they had not been affected by previously. In terms of looking at this through a kairotic lens, this is the type of story that everyone who experiences white privilege needs to read, but the world may not have been ready for until more recent times. As a white woman who grew up in a suburban (predominantly white) tiny town in MA, the things that Woodfox endured seem unfathomable yet only happened just a few decades ago in the same country I call my home. Hearing all the different things that he had to endure while incarcerated really opened my eyes to how cruel the country was, and still is, to those who just don’t have white skin. Woodfox talked a lot about the crimes that him and other inmates were framed for, like the death of a prison official and conspiracy and more, and he also talked a lot about the excessive use of cruel and unusual punishment (like how he almost had to spend 300 days in the dungeon cell because he refused their attempts of excessive strip searches). These events are very real and very current and more attention needs to be brought to them, but only now is the country ready to have these difficult conversations because the generations have grown and are able to question the practices of previous generations. As unfortunate as it is, I don’t think the kind of civil unrest we see now would have been possible years ago, and only now are people ready to fight back for equality.
I agree with what Prof. Torda had said with how this story feels kind of familiar as more and more discussions of systemic racism have opened up throughout the past couple years, but as someone who grew up incredibly sheltered just by circumstance, this story feels shockingly real and new and unlike anything I had thought to be possible until now. Of course I always knew that racism existed and still exists, and I am constantly learning now how minority groups are discriminated against more and more, but I didn’t know that these specific things that Woodfox discussed happened commonly. This novel further solidifies the idea that change is necessary. I think these types of novels are becoming more popular as more and more people want to incite change. I think my reaction to reading this novel is as real as possible, the shock and disgust I felt reading the different things that Woodfox was subjected to as a black inmate is the honest reaction of many people reading this.

ICRN: Telling True Stories (long-form nonfiction)

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