Cover of "By Heart: Poetry, Prison, and Two Lives," by Spoon Jackson and Judith Tannenbaum

As part of Litquake 2011’s opening, this event is facilitated by WritersCorps training coordinator Judith Tannenbaum (and co-author of the recent memoir “By Heart: Poetry, Prison, and Two Lives”). This panel features books by four men serving long sentences in California prisons:

Kenneth E. Hartman’s “Mother California” (read by Alia Hartman)

Spoon Jackson’s “By Heart: Poetry, Prison, and Two Lives” (on DVD)

Jarvis Master’s “That Bird Has My Wings” (read by Susan Moon)

Boston Woodard’s “Inside the Broken California Prison System” (read by Jon Sievert)

The panel will include readings from each of the four books, plus time for audience sharing.

When: October 8, 2011, 12 noon

Where: Variety Preview Room
582 Market St., First Floor

Cost: Free

Change.org recently published  a fantastic review of WritersCorps training coordinator Judith Tannenbaum’s inspiring two-person memoir, “By Heart: Poetry, Prison, and Two Lives,” which she co-wrote with poet Spoon Jackson.

Wendy Jason writes, “They are an unlikely duo, it seems - folks who wouldn’t typically cross paths. But Spoon and Judith are connected by something that will forever keep them bound: the shared experience of a space that allowed them to be fully human and completely real. And they found this space in the most unlikely of places: San Quentin.”

Watch a trailer for the book here, and listen to Spoon read from the book here.

Our very own Judith Tannenbaum was on KQED’s Forum yesterday morning, talking about arts in prison. Judith is our training coordinator. She is also the author, along with Spoon Jackson, of a new book, By Heart: Poetry, Prison and Two Lives. Listen to the show here:

Check out this beautiful book trailer for “By Heart: Poetry, Prison and Two Lives.” It’s a memoir written by our very own training coordinator, Judith Tannenbaum, and her student and friend Spoon Jackson, who is serving a life sentence in San Quentin. The book comes out this April.

Here’s what Gloria Steinem had to say about the book: “A boy with no one to listen becomes a man in prison for life and discovers his mind can be free. A woman enters prison to teach and becomes his first listener. And so begins a twenty-five year friendship between two gifted writers and poets. The result is ‘By Heart’ — a book that will anger you, give you hope, and break your heart.”

We can’t wait to read it!

WritersCorps teaching artist Myron Michael Hardy will be giving a presentation tomorrow, September 17,  on how writing impacts youth at Log Cabin Ranch alternative school. He’ll be at the Arts Education Brown Bag from noon to 1:30. It’s at the main library (downstairs), right off Civic Center BART and Muni.

Details here.