INTRODUCTION When ConTextos first launched Authors Circles in Division X of Cook County Department of Corrections in February 2017, each participant took risks--as humans, as colleagues and as writers pioneering new possibilities. Together we entered the unknown to co-create a space where we each revealed our complex humanity through intense dialogue, radical vulnerability, deep reflection and authentic collaboration. In Authors Circle, the path toward publishing one’s personal memoir is both a singular and collective journey. The Authors’ first Publication Celebration, when they hold their published memoirs in their hands for the first time and present them to family, friends and the world, is a powerful pivot point. Alum Circle is a space which affords Authors an opportunity to pursue in-depth reading, deep reflection and thoughtful writing where their individual voices are honed, shared and celebrated. Memoir writing is at the heart of a ConTextos circle. In AlumCircle, Authors are encouraged to play with the form: from essays and epistoles (letters) to poetry. What makes memoir, memoir, is the specificity of one’s experience and the attendant exploration of individual moments. Writers become Authors through the sharing of their work in publication. Although each entry of this third Alum Circle Compilation possesses a distinct Author voice, the compilation as a whole is centered around the theme of Freedom. African American author Ralph Ellison once wrote “when I discover who I am, I’ll be free.” The kind of writing that Alum Authors do in circle, the kind of writing that leans so bravely into Author Circle values, such as Be Brave, Be Candid, and Embrace Your Truth, can indeed be a vehicle for self-exploration. This compilation is testament to that. Freedom, whatever meaning one ascribes to it, is hard won and elusive under the best of circumstances. This is exponentially so when grappling with the very notion of it from behind walls. The pieces in Creators of the Future provide a window into this struggle, this triumph. Toni Morrison wrote that “if you wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” Turn the page and read for yourselves some of that weight lifted. It is our hope that the reader values these works as much as the Alum Authors value their ongoing journey of staying engaged and connected as they author/create the future. Peace and Blessings, dr.moore
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