In this stunning collection of prison writing, dozens of incarcerated men share poems, stories, and essays that celebrate the power of the written word.
For more than ten years, Chris Belden ran a weekly creative writing workshop at a maximum-security prison. Closer to Freedom demonstrates the deep humanity of society's outcast, who, in their own words, explore the meaning of time, love, and the world they inhabit.
Closer to Freedom
Chris Belden ran a weekly creative writing workshop at a maximum-security prison for more than ten years. He is the author of the novels Shriver (now a movie starring Michael Shannon and Kate Hudson) and Carry-on and the story collection The Floating Lady of Lake Tawaba. His essay "Inside Words: How to Teach Writing in Prison" was awarded the 2013 Bechtel Prize by Teachers and Writers Magazine. A graduate of the Fairfield University MFA program, Chris has run writing workshops at Fairfield University and Westport Writers Workshop. He lives in Ridgefield CT with his family.