Literary Journalism Goes Inside Prison

This much needed, timely collection engages with prison writing in a radically new way. At a time when civil liberties are increasingly at peril and democratic freedoms are under threat, the diversity of authors presented, the variety of texts studied, and the range of methods showcased reveal the deep commitment and manifest strike force of literary journalism. As the editors rightly argue, immersion is key to the genre. Literary journalism allows for innovative approaches and original insights, not only by incarcerated people but by journalists skilled at overcoming obstacles. The editors’ tour de force lies in presenting chapters focusing on both well-known – Mandela, Boochani, Koestler, Orwell, Conover – and unexpected case studies. Together, they convincingly make the case that literary journalism is an excellent genre to tell inspirational stories of courage and resilience. Isabelle Meuret, Associate Professor, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium This remarkable book of scholarship examines the unique power of literary journalism across the globe to illuminate one of life’s darkest experiences. It explores questions pivotal to the field of literary journalism studies and our emerging understanding of prison life. These include… what might immersion reporting reveal when the writer is incarcerated? How can journalists from “outside” navigate the tensions between prisoners’ values and their own? How can literary journalism about prison enrich and be enriched by other storytelling genres: memoir, letters, oral histories, audio narratives, encrypted digital messages, even songwriting? And how can anyone — reporter or subject — write without restraint about a world of restraints? Lisa Phillips, Associate Professor, Digital Media and Journalism, State University of New York, New Paltz, NY, USA