Meet the Writers

What is it? Who are we? What is writing? Who is a writer? All these questions can create unrest in the hearts, hands, and minds of those that find, or do not find themselves to be creative in the first place. Those that are participating in the JustWrite program, whether it be from the confines of a correctional facility, the classroom of a University setting, the classroom of a charter high school, or in this “free” wide world – ALL participants were posed with the questions below:

Do you consider yourself a writer, why or why not? If so, when did you realize you were a writer? If not, what about writing interests you?
What kind of things do you write about?
What interests you most about writing?
What are your expectations of this workshop/project? What are you excited, nervous, confused, and or in the dark about?
What would you most like to learn about poetry?
What do you hope to learn about yourself?
What do you think you will learn about others?
How old are you? What is your ethnicity? What “Campus” are you participating in the JustWrite Program from?

This set of questions is intended to create a common bond – place, jump off point – in order for all our participants to feel as though they started somewhere and might have a gauge of where they are capable of ending up. Due to the “disconnected” nature of the numerous populations participating in JustWrite, the function of all participants filling out this form is to make sure that we all can look at each other and get somewhat of an idea of where other writers are coming from. This is an introduction of sorts – a way to make sense of the varied skill levels, interests, levels of confidence, etc. that our participants come with. We are all represented by way of intials only on this site – but in the end, we are all represented by simply words – place, intent, feeling, emotion, and the common bond found “between the lines.” There are no right answers to the questions above; in fact, each answer given, as long as it is honest and genuine, is as right as each answer can be – we are writers, will be writers, can be writers, or may never be writers – but right now, we are writing, and this is who we are. JustWrite 2012….

Georgetown University Writers

I really do not consider myself a writer because often I find it hard to express what I really think or feel through words. I find it much easier to write about facts and arguments as opposed to feelings and thoughts which is something I’d like to work on.
If I write, I usually write about things I have to write about – school. However, I hope to write about more personal things.
While I have never considered myself a very good writer, I am fascinated by the honesty that is conveyed in writing.
I am very excited about this project because as I stated, I have never been very open with writing and I hope to use this project as a platform for my thoughts that I have not able to express in writing.
I would like to learn how to convey my thoughts in a genuine manner without always having to completely spell it out.
I hope to discover thoughts and ideas that I have not felt comfortable exploring before whether it be through speech or structured writing.
I hope to learn how writing helps them.
I am 20 years old, I am from South East Asia. I am participating in the Georgetown JustWrite program.

CKW

I think I consider myself a writer. For as long as I remember, I have always been able to express myself better in writing. I tend to think a lot about what I want to say or express and often I write to organize my thoughts.
I write lots of academic papers for my classes – I am studying English and Justice & Peace Studies. These classes require lots of writing. I also write the random thoughts in my head.
I like that writing gives me a canvas to express what is going on inside my head.
I hope to be able to express myself clearly and truly trust myself and my readers to devote complete honesty to these writings. I am nervous to share my writing with my own class but also excited.
I would like to learn more about writing poetry. Though I have read a lot, I have not written much.
I hope to learn to trust my thoughts and opinions and to trust my ability to eloquently express what I am thinking.
I think I will learn the thoughts and writing styles of the people whose work I read or hear.
I am 20 years old and I am white. I am participating through Georgetown.

MAF

No, I have almost zero experience with creative writing.
What I have experience with
I think of writing as an interesting and useful way to express my opinions and thoughts in a very personal manner.
I am excited to read what everyone has written and give writing a try myself, although I often struggle with it. I am nervous about people reading my work.
How to translate the ideas floating around in my head to concrete, well-worded poems/pieces that accurately reflect what I am trying to say.
not sure…
I want to learn about their perspectives/viewpoints on critical life issues
20, white/American/Italian-American, Georgetown University

No, I don’t consider myself a writer – because whenever I think or feel something I like to discuss it with other people that I’m close to, or to ponder it within myself. I’m interested in the power of writing – I want to work in government and the law field – and to be able to change people’s minds, ones needs to have awesome writing skills for bills, petitions, case briefs, etc.
I don’t write on occasion, but I do write petitions and letters to government officials, expressing my opinion.
I’m interested in how it can make one feel content; my best friend writes in a diary/journal and she says it helps her.
I’m excited to see what other people have to say about the topics, learning about others’ perspectives. I’m nervous about being personal and really expressing myself.
I would like to learn how to get one’s point across in poetic form – I am really bad at writing short poems and being able to express myself.
I would like to learn about what I really think about different topics.
I think I will learn about different cultures and ideas.
19, white, Georgetown University

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. I feel most days I am so caught up in the hustle and bustle of every day life that I close myself from my surroundings and other people. But whenever I stop to truly appreciate and actually observe, not just look, at the objects and events around me, that is when I am attuned to my writer-self.
I write about pain, love, family, sounds, scenery: I try to write out what is screaming in my head, looking for an outlet, looking for relief.
What most interests me about writing is that it pulls out the most honest and accurate account of who people actually are.
I am interested in finding out more about myself by finding more about others who come from different backgrounds.
I want to understand why so many of us find catharsis in poetry/creative writing.
Who I am and can become.
I think I will learn that it is much easier to relate with people of different backgrounds than we lead ourselves to believe. Similarly, because of our shared human nature, we are more transcendent than any perceived or actual difference.
22 years old, Latina, Georgetown University

KEW

When I was young I didn’t consider myself a writer. As I grew and wrote more I realized that the quality is not what makes a writer, it is the intention, heart, and dedication.
I write about how I feel, questions I am struggling to answer in my life and the instances of joy or pain that color my world.
I am nervous/excited about the project. I am nervous because I don’t often share my writing, it is a window into me and sometimes a very poorly constructed one. However, I am excited to work past my trepidation and I am ever more excited to read what others write.
I hope to continue to explore the questions of my life. I know that by reading what others have written I will get a new framework and perspective that will help me to make better sense of my life and give me a better understanding of others.
I will learn the beautiful way that they see the world.
20, Caucasian, Georgetown University

I don’t consider myself a writer, because I don’t feel I have a sense of writing. Writing is, for me, the way I can express myself freely and it is often very helpful to organize what I think rationally. Through writing, I can sometimes find what I really think in my mind.
I sometimes write diary. My diary is mostly about what I felt on the day or in the past few days. It can be a very positive feeling, or a super negative feeling.
As I wrote in the first bullet point, writing seems to be helpful and effective to know your real self, your feelings, but it seems at the same time a very rational process.
I am excited not only with seeing people’s writing, but also knowing myself.
I’d like to know how I can be creative.
I’d like to see my mind and emotional parts of myself by writing.
I’d like to learn how people can be creative in writing.
I’m 20 years old. I am Japanese/Asian. Georgetown University.

CCC

Yes, I write almost every day whether it’s for a class or a poem in my diary at night and I enjoy it most of the time.
I like writing “rant speeches”. I pick a topic that really gets me angry or frustrated, usually something political, and I write about changing it.
The fact that it’s totally flexible.
I am really excited to read writings from people who are in jail. I want to hear about their stories and their perspectives and hopefully learn from them and make change.
How to engage in an open way.
How to communicate my ideas better.
Their stories and perspectives.
20. Black. Georgetown University.

I never considered myself a writer, but as I grew older I began to see that writing is a very unique space for one to express themselves. While I enjoy the expression, I do not consider myself a very good writer.
I keep a small journal with me at all times where I write about hopes, goals, and of course tragedies that make me stronger!
When you write your thoughts on paper, it becomes an extension of yourself, and extension that anyone can read and connect to you.
I am excited about this workshop because I feel as if my past and the things I’ve seen are very similar to a lot of other writers and I am excited to share those thoughts.
How to tell a story of despair and hardship in a way that is inspiring.
How I can use my past to positively affect my future and others.
Their unique stories of hope and triumph.
20, African-American, Georgetown University

I do not consider myself a writer because I have never felt fully confident about my writing – especially my creative writing.
I only write about things that I am told to in school, job applications, etc. I have never really written on my own before.
I admire people who are skilled at creative writing. I am interested in the different ways it flows.
I am very interested to see others’ writing styles and to hear their thoughts and and feelings about the writing topics. I am definitely nervous to share because I feel like I can’t always express myself fully with writing.
I would like to learn how to better express myself with poetry/creative writing.
I hope to learn how I can better express myself through writing and if I can stretch myself and feel more confident about my writing.
Their experiences, ways of thinking and writing styles.
19, white, Georgetown.

Yes, because I enjoy writing. I think through writing, and I communicate best through writing (or at least I am often more comfortable communicating through writing). I realized I was a writer…well, superficially in about 4th grade (when I wore that identity very obviously/ostentatiously), and more deeply perhaps in the past few years.
What I am thinking, seeing, or experiencing; what I’m confused about or worried about or grateful for; what I want to remember; what I want to share with others.
I’m not sure…maybe the way you can capture fleeting images, create almost a sense-impression, or the way sometimes your words take on a rhythm and intensity of their own.
I’m expecting to learn about myself from what comes out in 15 minutes of writing and to be able to catch glimpses of other people’s stories through their writing.
All of the different ways in which people express themselves when they’re not given a structure.
I’d like to learn if I can write creatively in a way natural to myself, not second-guessing and trying to structure things the way I think others would make them sound.
Hopefully pieces of their stories
20; white/Caucasian/Scandinavian; Georgetown

I’m maybe not a writer in the strict sense of the term, but I think that everyone has the potential to be a writer because everyone has unique thoughts and ideas – and some way to show them. So in my own definition you become a writer as soon as you start writing – so i guess, since I’m writing now – I must be a writer.
I mostly write to free my head – so i write about everything that i think about: good things that happened to me – that I want to remember, bad things that happened – that I want to get rid of and just thoughts that I need to see on paper in order to get a clear image of them.
I like the structure that it brings to my thoughts and the different ways you can put the same thoughts in very different words
I love to show ideas and thoughts and i’m really interested in seeing what different people with different backgrounds think and feel about the same topics. I’m afraid that I can’t explain all my thoughts like I want to though since English is not my first language.
Just letting it flow.
I want to learn about the first things that pop up in my head when I get confronted with a particular topic and just writing those thoughts down without a lot of thinking about in advance.
What others thoughts are on the same topics, how they are different from my thoughts.
22, Austrian, Georgetown University

AVK

I’ve always considered myself a writer, ever since I could write. As a child, I loved writing stories. A particularly (in)famous story of mine was Megan’s Life, which I wrote in my first grade class. In the course of the story, Megan survived an attempted kidnapping, her father became homeless, her mother died of AIDS, and she died of cancer. It was pretty heavy stuff for a 7 year old, though it’s quite funny to look back on now (my mom kept the original copy). I suppose that was my first attempt to write about justice issues and educate people.
Now, I write a lot, mostly for classes but also on my own. As I grew older, I stopped writing creative stories, which is unfortunate, but I discovered a love of journalism and “writing for a cause.” In my current role as the student body VP at Georgetown, I have many opportunities to write for a larger audience about issues important to students, which is awesome. I also try to write regularly in my journal.
I love writing because good writing makes people care, whether it’s a fictional story or an article in a newspaper. I’m interested in how to write effectively for a cause.
I’m excited to share with others and hear perspectives that I would never otherwise be exposed to.
I’m a prose kind of girl, but I would love to explore poetry as a means of liberating my expression through writing. It kind of scares me, but I think it will be good to be pushed outside my comfort zone.
n/a
I hope to learn about other pepoles’ perspectives on the ‘justice’ system. Last year, I became very interested in restorative justice and prison reform, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to hear direct perspectives.
21, white, Georgetown

SLC (answered questions in chunks)

I wouldn’t consider myself a writer as much as a talker I usually like to express myself through words, by talking about experiences, joys, or problems with friends and family. However, I recently started keeping a journal on my computer, and I like the intimacy of writing. I think that it’s nice to take all of your thoughts and get them out on a page, even if they aren’t organized. I am excited to connect with others through the JustWrite project. I am nervous about being so honest with people that I don’t know very well, but I feel like trust and real connections are born this way
I am much more of an academic writer, because in recent years my classes have been focused on this type of writing. I have creative thoughts, ideas, but I need to rediscover the poetic and creative style.
I think I will learn how to open up to others, and that I will learn that I have a lot in common with others.
I am 20 years old, caucasian, and from Georgetown

I consider myself a writer but I think about it as something I can call myself when I am writing actively, not as an essential part of my identity. I don’t remember a time when I was not a writer – I was a writer for most of my childhood and high school years, writing fictional stories, and now that I am getting back to writing after years of letting this passion slip by, I am writing about issues that matter to me to educate and persuade. I want to hone my skills and one day be able to use my writing to influence and cause change on a greater scale. I want to use writing more to reflect on my life personally.
I write about social issues in the US and internationally. I want to write more fiction and write more creatively.
I love writing’s transformative power on both the writer and the audience, as a means for truth-telling, reconciliation, and change.
I’m expecting this project to teach me, by exposing me to the thoughts and ideas of those I might never have come into contact with otherwise. I’m nervous that the things I have to write about and reflect on are trivial and shallow compared to the experiences of others. I’m excited to get over this nervousness and immerse myself in the experience.
Frankly I would like to learn to get back in touch with a creative side of myself that I’ve had to put off on the sidelines for a while since I’ve been focusing on other things.
I hope to push myself through reflection to really explore my deeper thoughts and convictions, and challenge what I think they are through the writings of others.
That’s a difficult thing to predict, and I’m hoping that what I learn is unpredictable and not what I would expect. I hope to learn about common humanity, and how to communicate with people that on the surface I have nothing in common with.
I am 21 years old and white. I am participating from Georgetown University.

I would like to think I am. Ever since I learned what it felt like to pour a piece of your soul on a piece of paper, I have resorted to writing as a therapeutic release. Writing is just a place for me, without any interference and no pressure
I like to make lists. Lists of places, lists of things, and things I’ve done. I write about people, and emotions, just so that I don’t forget what those times are like
The honesty aspect is the most interesting to me. I like that the writing is so genuine, because I write to relieve myself, not to please anyone.
I have a negative perspective of people behind bars. I don’t know anyone who has been incarcerated or anyone who has experienced a rehabilitation process. I want to know that there is some good left in a person, even after doing something terrible
I would like to learn about the effect that poetry has on those writing it and those writing/reading it
I hope to learn how to be understanding, how to listen, and which values I hold most dear.
I hope to learn about different perspectives and experience that I find myself removed from.
I am 20 years old, Mexican American female, I attend Georgetown University

MDC Inmate Writers

EB – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Yes I consider myself a writer. I realized I was a writer when I was 15. I started a poem book since I was 13 and through the years collected my teenage years up until I was 19, then I got drunk and lost my life’s work.
I write about life experiences and fantasy when I write short stories.
What interests me most is hearing the critics and how I can improve or how or where the writing could have been better.
I expect to learn more about poetry and improving my poetry as best I can, especially through others. Performing in front of the group is what excites me, meakes me nervous and confuesed because it’s different than someone reading as opposed to performing it, which I am also in the dark about, but I like it.
I would like to learn everything I possibly can about poetry.
I would like to learn more about my positivity and negativity.
I think I will learn that we all have been through similar experiences and some I’ve yet to learn or experience, but I will learn from others.
I am a 25yr old Native-American at MDC

MM – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

A graf writer, yes, a literary writer no. I like details and being able to paint in words, that’s why I want to be a writer.
I have wrote about skateboarding and other fiction writings.
What interests me most about writing is the word play.
My expectations are learning about poetry in all its many forms. I’m nervous about speaking in front of others.
I want to learn about different forms of poetry.
I hope to learn that I can express myself in words nd performance arts.
I think I will learn how others feel and how they see the world.
I am 30yr old 1/2 Irish-American, 1/2 African-American at MDC

SG – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Yes, I consider myself a writer because since I got in this class I’ve been writing some really good stuff. I just realized I was a writer when I went to prison.
I write about life and things I’ve been through.
I am interested in all the things I could say o0n a piece of paper.
I expect to get better at writing poetry. I’m excited about having one chance to get heard.
I just want to get better at my own poetry.
i hope to learn about what kind of person I am because I’ve never done anything with myself, and I don’t know what I like and what I don’t like.
I think I will learn everything about others.
I am a 23yr old Hispanic at MDC.

CC – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

No, I don’t consider myself a writer. I just like to express myself.
I write about pain, love, government, and hate.
Anything dark is what interests me about writing.
I expect to and want to express myself without judgment.
I would like to learn different words and ways to use my speech.
I hope to larn that I can use bigger words and show people that I am a poet.
I think I will learn that we are not the same and that the world is a crazy place.
I am a 25yr old Hispanic at MDC

V – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Yes I do consider myself a writer. At a very young age I began writing. However, I stopped and did not start again until just recently.
I write about everything but mainly painful events in my life.
I am interested in the release of emotion I put into each entry and the captivation of any reader’s mind.
I just hope this project continues to open my writing closet doors and helps me to reinvent myself through hidden words.
I would like to learn how to diversify my skills, and better my language skills.
I hope to learn anything positive about myself.
I hope I will learn the truth about others.
I am a 37yr old Hispanic at MDC – “V”

TS – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

I do consider myself a writer, because I enjoy writing, using words to help people (myself included) visualize emotions. at the age of 17 I started writing down angry thoughts instead of speaking them.
I write about mostly pain, regrets, the emotions that are not easy to discuss; anger.
What interests me most about writing are its healing powers.
I have no expectations of this workshop. I am just glad to share and listen with like minded people.
I would like to learn everything about poetry, the different styles, types, haiku, isn’t onomatopoeia a type of poetry?
I am not sure what I hope to learn about myself. I’d like to uncover the sourse of rage and sorrow. Why I love to self-destruct?
Hopefully I’ll learn that there are people with very similar problems, who have overcome them.
I am 33yr old White male at MDC.

SS – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

I’ve been writing since I was 11yrs old.
I write about life and what I’ve been through. I write about what i hope for, or pray for, or what I’ve seen or heard, or felt, had, lost, or tasted…
I am interested in complex rhyming… Big Pun, Nas, Raekwon, Kool G Rap, AZ, Apathy, Eminem, and Sean Price, to me are the best rappers of all time, so that’s where I get my style from.
I think this project is dope, it’s an honor really… let’s make history… My girls gonna love watching me online. She’s about 2 and a half months pregnant with our first little monster, so this whole things really therapy for both of us. Thank you for letting me have part, good looking out!
I would like to learn everything, the history of the spoken word, who started recording it, who died because of t, and what type of shit people have to say around the world.
I hope to learn how to be a better man and how to teach my child to be strong minded and to love life.
I think I will learn all types of crazy shit about other people. People are nuts, and it’s amazing what goes on in one’s head, living this life!
I am a 23 year old Chicano, at MDC.

JJS – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Yes, I do consider myself a writer, more now then ever. Especially when I havethe time on my hands. I’m just glad that every time I do write, I get better, so in the future I will do myself a project.
Sometimes when I do write, I’ll focus on a few words, and study it learn differnt styles of writing, especially with poetry, based upon my experiences, beliefs, emotions and feelings.
I am interested in finding myself, exploring myself, and presenting myself to others about my experience.
I really have no expectations, just sharing what I’ve learned and learning with others. I’m excited because I wonder how many people will read what I JustWrite about.
I want to learn all the different styles of poetry and to be more creative, from others, having to know that there is no rules to this kind of writing.
I hope to learn something that I haven’t dug deep for yet I hope to find it soon.
I hope to learn everything they throw at me.
I am a 34yr old Chicano at MDC.

MVL – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

No, I don’t consider myself a writer. I really don’t like to write, but I like to create.
I write about: death, chaos, destruction, love, and hate.
I am interested in the permanence of good work in history. I want to push my potential as far as possible.
I expect to learn how to organize my thoughts. I am excited I love to learn.
I would like to learn how to let it flow out of my head on paper.
I hope to learn about my limits in the area of writing.
I will learn others’ ability to transform words.
I am a 32 year-old, Anglo, male MDC campus.

CC – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

I don’t consider myself a writer, but I have written a few poems that have touched a few people, and I like that effect.
I write about real shit.
What interests me most is others’ reactions.
I expect to write better. I’m not nervous, excited, or confused right now.
I want to remove blocks and open up my creativity.
I want to learn how deep I can go.
I think I will learn different things about others.
I am a 36 year old, mixed-race, male, MDC Campus

MU – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

I don’t consider myself a writer, but a simple guy with thoughts I choose to scribble on paper.
I write about: my life, other people, observations of the world around me, and at times, random subjects.
What interests me is that, I love art. I like being able to stack words and create thoughts to make other people think, just like visual art makes people wonder.
I have no expectations of this project except to let some people hear my thoughts which I rarely share.
I really just enjoy hearing other peoples expression of themselves, it’s cool watching someone develop.
I know myself pretty well, but I hope that through my writing and other creative outlets, to find balance.
I think I will learn where others come from, what their issues are, and maybe what dreams they have.
I am a 33 year old Navajo male, MDC campus.

RC – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Yes, I consider myself a writer. I discovered I was a writer when I was sixteen. I was staying at a treatment center, Pathway House, and had a lot of time on my hands because I was waiting on my GED test results.
I like writing fictional stories. I started writing a book about the Italian Mafia when I was sixteen. Right now, I am writing about a one world government, and why it wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
What interests me is being able to create, control, and alter your own world. In my stories, I can make anything happen. For me, it’s really an escape from reality.
I really like this project. I really expect it to go somewhere. Most likely, with the proper funding, it’s going to go national.
I would like to learn how to openly express myself articulately and poetically.
I hope to learn who I really am, where I am going, what to do, and where I stand.
I think I will learn who others really are, where they are, and where they are going.
I am a 21 year old, Mullato which means black and white, male at MDC campus.

VG – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

I don’t think I am a writer, but I am interested in becoming one.
I write about my life and what I went through.
I am interested in expressing myself.
I am nervous about writing, but excited about expressing myself.
I would like to get better at poetry and build my vocabulary.
I hope to learn to express myself, and to get better at writing.
I think I will learn about others’ lives and talent.
I am 22 year old Hispanic Male at MDC campus.

KG – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

I used to consider myself a writer when I was in school. I wrote a story about a firefighter in forth grade and it was copied for the school to read. I haven’t done much writing since my sophomore year in high school. But after writing a few poems, I still enjoy it.
I am interested in the fact that I am able to take an every day situation and make an adventure out of it, through a story.
I have always had a love for writing. I lost that love after getting involved in partying and drugs. I’m excited to be writing again and feel that I can stay out of trouble when I get out, by making writing my only drug.
I would like to learn about all the different styles of poetry.
I’m not sure what to hope to learn about myself, but I’m looking forward to whatever I do learn.
I think I’ll learn where others came from and what kind of lifestyle.
I’m a 22 year old Anglo male participating from the MDC site of JustWrite

JJ – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Yes, I do consider myself a writer, more now than ever. Especially when I have the time on my hands. I’m just glad that every time I do write, I get better, so in the future I will do myself a project.
Sometimes when I do write, I’ll focus on a few words, and study it, learn different styles of writing, especially with poetry, based upon my experiences, beliefs, emotions, and feelings.
What interests me most is finding myself, exploring myself, and presenting myself to others, about my experiences.
I really have no expectations, just sharing what I’ve learned and learning with others. I am excited because I wonder how many people will read what I “JustWrite” about.
I would like to learn all the different styles of poetry, and to be more creative, from others, having to know that there are no rules to this kind of writing.
I hope to learn something that I haven’t dug deep for yet, I hope to find it soon.
I will learn from others, everything they throw at me.
I ama 34 year old Chicano Male participating from JustWrite’s MDC site.

JP – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

I consider myself a writer, definitely, because of my spelling abilities and being able to speak.
The things I write about are real life events.
What interests me most about writing is being able to express and share with others.
Some of the expectations of this workshop/project is for everyone, even if they don’t think they can do it is, to write down emotions and to express them and share them with others.

KM – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

No, I don’t consider myself a writer, but kind of consider myself a poet because words I write, are spelled write.
I write about passion, hate, worry, and sad moments.
What interests me most about writings is expressing myself.
I have no expectations – i didn’t go over the black and white, just answering the questions.
I would like to learn more about expressing myself openly.
I don’t have only one thing I want to learn about me, I want to learn everything about myself.
I hope to learn what other’s feel like.
I am a Native American Male participating from MDC

LSH – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

I just discovered I can write, it’s “neat-o.”
I write about past experiences and poetry.
What interests me is how people respond to it.
The teacher is helping me to discover my writing ability, and he’s an inspiration.
I would like to learn how to write better and convey more messages.
I hope to learn how my spirit can shine through my writing.
I hope to learn how others’ work will effect me.
I am a Male 38 year old Kiowa Tribe Member at MDC

JJ – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

I like writing because it has no boundaries and I can let out what I feel.
I write about my past, present, and future, and everything in between, such as emotions and life experiences.
What interests me most about writing, is that I become infinite.
I expect to learn more about myself and become a whole person. I am excited about knowing I have no limits. What I am in the dark about is the light I have in me, and that’s what I’m trying to explore, the most about the real me.
I would like to understand the metaphors of poetry.
I hope to learn to understand metaphors, and my own life.
I think I will learn that everybody hides behind metaphors.
I am a 35 year old hispanic male and I am participating from MDC

JS – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

The ability to say things that would normally make me feel embarrassed, interests me about writing.
I write about life, love, and disaster.
Touching the people that are listening is what interests me most about writing.
I expect to become a more advanced writer. I am in the dark about the real me.
I would most like to learn how to express myself.
I hope to learn about my inner fears and emotions.
I think I will learn about how others really think.
I am a 27 year old African American Male at MDC

CQ – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Yes I consider myself a writer because, I write life as I see it, on paper. I realized I was a writer when I came to jail and have had time to unlock my inner-self. I also have had inspiration from Carlos Contreras, and family.
I write about experiences and a new found spiritual faith, and also the past.
Writing gives me a chance to express my inner voice, and also what I see. Meeting other poets and listening to their poetry also interests me.
My expectations are to open my mind and heart to new ways of writing and expressing myself. The whole project in general is exciting. I want to humble myself to the world.
I want to learn different ways to perform and write.
I hope to learn what lies within and who I can be.
I think I will learn who and how others are, all around.
I am a 32 year old Hispanic Male at MDC

RW – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Yes, I consider myself a writer. I don’t want to do anything else.
I write about post-modern romance, activism, and free verse.
What interests me mot about writing is that it connects me with the element of time.
I’m almost through with poetry. I need renewed inspiration and I want to try new styles.
I would most like to learn new styles, musicality, and public performance.
I hope to learn new and more positive styles about myself.
I think I will learn about others styles and perspectives.
N/A

AP – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Not sure…
I write about my kids and family.
My life is what interests me about writing.
I am nervous about the workshop.
I would like to learn about expression.
I hope to learn about my inner-self.
I hope to learn about others inner-selves.
I am a 28 year old Native American (Dine) at MDC

EW – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Yes and no. There is different definitions of the word writer. If I could learn about writing it would be more understandable.
Reality – failures – accomplishments – pain – tension mounted
#1 My handwriting is poor #2 I can’t always say what I’m feeling out loud
#1 How to open a view of the world that exists in my life #2 I get the opportunity to take advantage of something new #3 No confusion #4 No darkness
How to compose my feelings with proper English
I am gifted with many talents, and I am capable.
Not wure I want to learn about others
47 years of age, white, Father is French & Irish; Mother is Portuguese & German, MDC

MC – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Yea, when I was doin’ time.
Life’s trials and tribulations
Someone can always relate to it
Learn to public speak. I get nervous in front of people
Expressing myself
A side of me that I didn’t think existed.
What they went through.
I’m 23, I’m half Black & half Hispanic and I’m locked up at MDC

SM – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Yes
Life
Thinking
Excited
How to do it better.
Everything.
Their stories & life.
24/H/MDC

AV – Questionnaire Responses – MDC Inmate Author

Somethings interest me in writing
Everything I guess.
Letting out what I hold inside
Nervous, I guess.
Everything.
What I don’t know.
The real them.
I’m 22 years old, Latino, I plan to go to UNM

GBCS Roma Campus Writers

CA – Questionnaire Responses – Roma Campus (Charter School)

I consider myself a writer because I like to write my feelings down. it helps me get out all my emotions that I have held in. but I still hold back with the fear of not beign able to write stuff right.
I write about my life, past, present, and future.
Being able to express my feelings interests me about writing.
I am excited to learn new things, nervous people will laugh at me, or that I might fail, confused that my stories may be too dumb for others to relate.
I would like to learn how to write better to and to express myelf more openly.
I hope to learn who I really am and why I have all these mixed feelings.
I think I will learn about others lives’ aand what they also go through.
I am a 35 year old Hispanic Female at the Roma Campus.

EG – Questionnaire Responses – Roma Campus (Charter School)

I do not consider myself a writer because I cannot put words right. I can not put words by writing what I say.
I write about stories in the Alibi, and in my journal.
I just started writing in class so I am not that interested yet.
I expect to become a better and more understanding writer. I’m excited to write poems to my girlfriend.
I would like to know how to put words, when to use certain words, and put them all together at the end.
I would like to see if I have what it takes to be a writer.
I think I will learn how much they’re into writing, and what they like to write about.
I am a 28 year old Hispanic male at Roma Campus.

TF – Questionnaire Responses – Roma Campus (Charter School)

I consider myself a story writer not a poet. I knew I loved to write and it started about tenth grade. Writings interests me because I love writing about interesting things, about life, and thinsg going on.
The thing I love writing about would have to mainly be my life and struggle I went through.
The thing that interests me most about writing would be that you’re free to express how you feel.
I really dont have expectations of this workshop because I dont like to either bring my hopes up or down. I would have to say I’m excited nervous, confused, and in the dark. I’m mainly nervous because I don’t know how to rhyme.
I would hope to learn how to rhyme because I can only write stories.
I would hope to learn about me, to understand myself better, by writing down my feelings on paper.
I think I will learn more about my classmates and their emotions.
I am a 21 year old Hispanic Female at Roma Campus.

SP – Questionare Responses – Roma Campus (Charter School)

I think I realized that I wanted to become a writer after I found out that I actually had a talent for something, that I wasn’t just a nobody, living in the hood, poor, confused, having many kids, welfare addicted, young black man.
I want to expand my topics of writing, but I write about mostly what I see, experience and feel, like: love, sex, God, the truth about what I see is going on in the world, relationships, and family.
What interests me most about writing is how how I can use vocabulary, change words into what I want, and sometimes create my own world. Writing unlike life, has no limitations.
What I expect from this workshop is more understanding about myself, performance, and memorization.
I would like to learn how to memorize and perform poetry, like talking to someone. I would like to learn more poetic forms of writing.
I hope to learn if I have what it takes to be a poet, a writer, and a good public speaker.
I think other powers will show me other ways of expressing myself and that I’ll learn something from other peoples’ performance pieces that I didn’t know.
I am a twenty-one year old. I am Belizean, Black, and White. I am participating in this program from Gordon Bernell Roma Campus.

FF – Questionnaire Responses – Roma Campus (Charter School)

I don’t consider myself a writer because I am not a good writer.
I write about how I got caught-up back in the day, and how God brought me out.
What interests me most about writing is, talking about my life and hoping it can help someone.
I am really excited when I learn something new. I am nervous to read in front of people.
I would like to learn about others people’s feelings and their upbringing.
I want to learn how to feed my brain.
I think I will learn all types of different things about others, like what they have been holding onto and are scared to let out, or don’t know how to let out.
I am a 45 year old African American at Gordon Bernell Roma Campus.

TC – Questionnaire Responses – Roma Campus (Charter School)

I don’t really consider myself a writer. I think writing interests me because it might allow me to dig deeper into myself and discover things I never took the time to look at.
I mostly write in my journal about my day, thoughts, and feelings.
I think what most interests me about writing is that I’m interested to see what comes pouring out of me, and relating to others.
I don’t know it it’s an expectation of the workshop, but I think I will grow as a person.
I am interested in learning the different types of poetry
I hope to find my inner writer and learn more about who I am.
I think I will learn who others are and where they come from.
I am thirty years old. I am a mutt but I usually claim white. I am participating from Roma campus.

CR- Questionnaire Responses – Roma Campus (Charter School)

I don’t think I am a writer right now but maybe later on I could be. I have always had a good imagination for stories, but I just don’t quite know how to let it out yet.
I am not sure, what I would write about. I guess I would write about anything that comes to mind. Things I’ve done, things I saw etc…
I guess what interests me the most about writing is the fact that I’ve been given this opportunity to learn how to write.
The only thing that I would expect out of this workshop would be for everyone’s honest opinion. I am excited to see if this is something I could be good at. I’m also nervous because I still don’t have a lot of confidence in myself, and am a little confused about whether or not I’ll be able to do a good job.
I would like to learn how poets do what they do. They make words flow so smoothly, Like every word is ammunition aimed for the heart and brain, to make people feel and think. I don’t know, poets are just amazingly awesome.
What I would hope to learn about myself from this experience is to be able to open up more and to learn how to put my feelings into words I can write down.
I would like to learn as much as I can about others, I would like to see how others write, during this workshop.
I am forty years old, I am hispanic and am participating from the Roma campus of Gordon Bernell Charter School.

DL – Questionnaire Responses – Roma Campus (Charter School)

I do Consider myself a writer because I love to write, I feel like poetry is my passion. I realized I was a writer when I was young, by just sitting down and writing what was on my mind.
I write about my life, the lives of other people, places and things that mean the most to me. Generally about my perspective on things.
The thing that interests me the most about writing is that you can use words in such unique and different ways to paint pictures.
My expectations of the workshop project is to hear what different people have to say and to say what I feel I must. I’m excited about watching diversity combine through words. Performance makes me nervous, but at the same time makes me feel infinite.
I would like to learn how other people use poetry to make my writing more unique.
I would like to learn how far I can go with my writing, and how much more it can change my life, more than it already has.
I will learn what people have inside instead of out, and see how writing transforms them.
I am a 24 year old hispanic male who is participating in the JustWrite program from Gordon Bernell Charter School, Roma Campus.

EM – Questionnaire Responses – Roma Campus (Charter School)

I consider myself a writer; using literature to express my emotions is something I do quite often. One my first stories in middle school, sparked the flame of me being a writer.
I write about almost anything; perception on reality interests me.
What interests me most about writing is, leaving your mark, a portion/fraction of my mind on paper is something I like.
my expectations of this workshop are to open my own thoughts while lending an ear to others.
What I would like to learn most about poetry is how styles from the past can increase my education.
I hope to learn everything and anything about myself that would help me in the long run.
I think I will learn everything or anything about others and that will help me in the long run.
I am 23 year old hispanic male participating in JustWrite at GBCS Roma Campus.

GM – Questionnaire Responses – Roma Campus (Charter School)

I like and enjoy writing because it is another way of expressing my feelings, not out loud but on paper, a lot of thoughts are written.
I like to write about anything and everything, mostly topics I know about or am learning about.
What interests me most are all my thoughts that are put down on paper not just going through my head.
I am excited about the workshop in a lot of different ways. I am interested in how others feel about when they read what I write and I just enjoy writing.
I would like to learn about metaphors and comparisons in poems.
I think I will learn about things I remember from my past, which always makes me happy to share with others.
I think I will learn a lot of different things about others, how and why they are human beings like me.
I am a 28 year old hispanic male, participating in JustWrite from GBCS, Roma Campus.

VM – Questionnaire Responses – Roma Campus (Charter School)

I first realized I was a writer when I was in middle school.
I write about anything that comes to my mind, what I am thinking about.
There are all kinds of different things that interest me about writing.
I expect to start and finish a project with this workshop, and be proud of myself for doing so.
I would like to learn how to write more and do more poetry.
I hope to learn new things that I don’t know about myself.
I hope to learn what others are about.
I am a 38 year old Spanish female participating in JustWrite from GBCS, Roma Campus

JKCI – Questionnaire Responses – Roma Campus (Charter School)

I don’t think I would consider myself a writer because I don’t like to write. If I do write it will be simple and not long. I do sometimes write a poem but it will be about my feelings.
I write about my feelings and things, or stuff I remember.
Nothing really interests me about writing.
My expectations of this workshop would be to learn how to write a lot better, and understand what writing is all about. I would say I’m in the dark because I really don’t know how to write a poem or story.
I would like to learn most how poetry all goes together.
I hope to learn how to express my thoughts and feelings.
I think I will learn how beautiful and intelligent others are.
I am a 26 year old Native American female participating in JustWrite from GBCS, Roma Campus

JG – Questionnaire Responses – Roma Campus

I don’t consider myself a writer, because I don’t write often.
When I write I like to write about different things, mostly feelings. When I’m sad, angry, or really happy.
What interests me about writing is that no matter what when or how, it’s always interesting to go back and read your thoughts.
I would like to be able to express my poems out loud, the way I hear them in my mind, and to be able to speak more freely my thoughts and ideas.
I would most like to learn how to read and express myself out loud.
I hope learn that I can write.
I think I will learn that everyone has different ways of thinking. I’m sure I will learn how to view things through other people’s eyes.
I am a 26 year old Hispanic female participating in JustWrite from GBCS, Roma Campus

FreeWriters

PY – Questionnaire Responses – Free Writer

I consider myself a writer because I like to write. I realized I like to write when my mom was dying in 2005. I had a job in a cubicle as a medical transcriptionist with nothing to do and so I started writing stories to myself in Word, and I wrote a couple of poems. All this happened when my mom was really sick in the hospital with heart problems and diabetic complications. I took a creative writing class at a community college in San Mateo, CA. I liked it so much I am still going to college majoring in education. I also journal obsessively.
I have a short story about a bunny that goes to die in the woods. Another is about rocks. There is one about a boy who goes to a haunted house and comes out branded by hillbilly monsters. My most recent is about a dominatrix. I like to write poems about fitting in, infidelity, seeds, water, disappointment, nature.
I like the ability to see what I am thinking in front of me. When I like what I read I get happy. I feel accomplished, even if it’s just for myself.
My expectations for this is having a good time seeing what everyone writes and that I contributed something too. I am excited about the writing prompts and sharing our different takes on them. I am curious to see how it all comes together on video.
How to keep going with a thought.
I hope to learn how my differences are a part of fitting in.
I have no idea.
I am a 47 half Mexican, half white (English & German) male What “Campus” participating in the JustWrite Program from UNM.

AS – Questionnaire Responses – Free Writer

Yes, I am a writer. Like parenting and yoga, it is a regular practice for me that I do on a daily basis. I realized I was a writer in fourth grade when my teacher began giving us writing prompts to create short stories, and I absolutely loved doing them. In fifth grade, I wrote my first “book,” a sci-fi story about a girl who enters a fun-house and goes back in time to the age of dinosaurs. Since then, I’ve done writing of all sorts–journalism, criticism, poetry, short stories, a (bad) novel, press releases, advertisements, web features, status updates, pitch letters, persuasive emails, research papers, a masters thesis, and on and on. What I love most about writing is being able to be expressive and persuade with the word. And editing is fun, too!
My poetry is mainly personal, covering relationships with family, friends, lovers, and my immediate world. For work, I mostly write about books and publishing, presenting authors and their work to a larger readership.
What interests me most about writing is finding an outlet for figuring out the world that is healthy, creative, and reflective and might just have insights that can help others do the same.
I’m not really sure what the workshop is at all.
I would like to learn how to write poetry that speaks to a universal mentality; poetry can sometimes be vague or esoteric, and I think that is hard to get around because it is so personal.
I hope to learn how I can be a more dedicated, practiced writer within a community of writers.
I would like to learn how other writers stage their practice, what works for them and what doesn’t vis a vis the regular, mundane necessity to make a living and take care of the usual business of the grind.
I am 34, an Anglo “mutt” with German, English, and Scots-Irish heritage, writing from Albuquerque.

EG – Questionnaire Response – Free Writer

I do consider myself a writer, mainly because before as a hobby, I’d only take maybe a few minutes to compose a poem and such. Now, I take hours on hours on a single piece that might be finished in about a month depending on it’s feel of it. I realized I was a writer when I was praised for my structure in my Sophomore English teacher who really pushed my creativity out.
I generally write about things that matter to me: racial issues, break ups, social commentary, and of course: inner-problems. I started writing those cheesy love poems EVERYONE starts with, and now it’s what I find interesting, or things I need to dismantle to understand. A piece of advice I was given was: “you’re taught to write what you know in school, a good writer writes about what he or she does not know”.
How you can twist images in plain format, and take readers–and yourself, on voyages to the past or future. Writing is a powerful tool for love, understanding, anger and even hate. But I think, writing, like any other super power, should be used for the greater good.
Expectation 1: boosting my experience points up. Expectation 2: improve on the tenfold.
I’d like to learn more techniques on rhythms.
I’d like to learn to attribute myself in advice.
I’ll learn new techniques of writing, mainly
I am 17 years of age, I am a young afro-chicano and in High School. Pueblo High School.

MS – Questionnaire Response – Free Writer

I do consider myself a writer; it’s been a process. I slowly started to accept that I loved writing and that it was something that I needed to do during my first poetry writing workshop when I was 18.
I write mostly about things that I’ve experienced or things people close to me have gone through (although I also fictionalize some things). I tend to focus on my relationships with others or about how other people interact.
The possibility for stories in all shapes and sizes is what interests me about writing.
I’m looking forward to working with a diverse group of people, and seeing what everyone brings to the table—how people are influenced and what blossoms.
I’d like to learn how to read/use meter, I struggle with it—I’d like to be able to master it.
I hope to learn that I’m more capable than I think I am.
I think I’ll learn different writing styles and processes. I’ll learn about how universal some experiences are, and on flip side, how unique others experiences can be.
I’m 27 years old Hispanic. I believe I was referred to as one of the “free folks,” so a poet just floating out in the inter webs.

SG – Questionnaire Response – Free Writer

I’m a writer. When I was 8 I wrote a book about a bicycle ride with Animal from the Muppets.
What my dreams look like when wrapped around everyday life.
The ability to re-define reality or conversely be static as the world whirls around you.
Always grateful to see how others mold words in their own experiences.
What the boundaries of poetry look like…if they exist.
Nothing. surprises are good.
How amazing the people in this world are.
30 something. Chicana. Arizona

LP – Questionnaire Response – Free Writer

I am a writer and have been one for as long as I can remember. I never considered myself a writer, though, until I started making a living–paying the bills–as a journalist. When I look back on my childhood, adolescence, and my 20s, however, I realize that I’d actually been a writer since I learned to read and became captivated by words.
As a journalist and essayist, I write about the environment. Everyday, I write about what I love–rivers, wild places, landscapes, animals–and the things I don’t love–corruption, mismanagement, and the destruction of natural resources. I weave all of those things into stories that I hope will inspire and engage the public.
I think the written word is an incredibly powerful way for people to connect with one another. I also love the intimacy of writing and reading. As an environmental journalist, I can experience something, sequester myself away and work through that experience, then share it with readers I’ve never met. On the other side of things, as a reader, I adore bringing along my favorite writers and books wherever I might be–in a coffee shop, on the back patio, on a camping trip, lying in bed–and learning something entirely new to me.
Most of all, I’m excited to encourage young and emerging writers.
Anything! I’m not a poet at all. But I love trying to incorporate a certain cadence into my essays–and even my reporting.
I’m always looking for new ways to reach people who think they aren’t interested in environmental issues. I’m always hoping that if I can tell more nuanced and more interesting stories about the world, more people will become engaged in these issues that are really important.
I love learning about people who have experiences that are different from my own–and finding out how well we all can relate to one another when we listen, share, write, and create.
I’m 38, white, and single mom to a six year old.

SR – Questionnaire Response – Free Writer

Yes, I consider myself a writer, although the way my writing has manifested has taken many turns over the years, from poetry, to songs, to stories, to actual published articles and back and forth again. I think I first realized I was a writer at around age 10 — I think I was in fifth grade, learning about Phyllis Wheatley and this epic rhyming poem just came out of me. I remember my teacher was really impressed and almost unbelieving. Words are one of the few things that have come easy to me, and that give me fairly consistent joy.
It’s always evolving, but when it comes to creative writing like poetry, it’s typically either about romantic love or the dark, painful side of life. Lately, however, I’ve been writing some angry political pieces. I rarely am writing both songs and poems at the same time, so when I’m writing music it’s usually about love or some other facet of human relationships or the journey of life.
What interests me most about writing as a human phenomenon is the incredible creativity, depth and rawness that can come out of it. It’s really a spiritual endeavor to be vulnerable and honest, but in a way others can relate to. It fascinates me that after thousands of years of words and language, humans can still create something new with words, and inspire new insights and feelings in others. What interests me most about my own writing is that spiritual endeavor side of things, and the challenge to be vulnerable and emotionally honest which is not always easy for me. What interests me is the way poems and songs can have their own lives and just come out in a way that doesn’t even feel like it’s entirely me writing them. I know I’m not the first artist or writer to comment on this experience, but it is truly awe-some and humbling when it happens. I also love the way I can say things in an artistic piece of writing that would require all kinds of rational acrobatics and a lot of footnotes and citations to say in a scholarly article or piece of journalism. While I still do some of the latter, and it has its place, there’s something about the personal nature of creative writing that’s hard to argue with, and people can sort of just resonate and “get it” or not, and move on.
No expectations, not sure what is being asked of me yet! I guess I’m in the dark about what those are, please enlighten? I suppose what I’m both excited and nervous about is sharing what have been intensely private and personal sides of myself with strangers.
What it is that makes a really powerful, excellent poem.
Oh man, there isn’t enough space to answer that. My entire existence on this planet is an expedition into the human condition and my own soul. I am here to grow and learn, and try to accept the lessons gracefully as they come.
No clue, but I hope to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for Earthlings, since I oftentimes struggle with understanding us as a species.
I am 42 chronologically — older in soul and spirit, younger in body 😉 … and my mind? That depends on the day. The Cliff Notes version of the ethnicity question is “mixed” but culturally a mix of White European American and Mexican/Latina. I speak both English and Spanish fluently (and write in both) and pass as either. No campus for me, I am happily an un-student (in the formal sense) at the moment!

JustWrite

There is no wrong, just write.

Meet the Writers ^Reply

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