HUMANITY UNLOCKED

While in prison, Mark Español received his first college credits from University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Odyssey Behind Bar’s English class.

“It made me feel human again,” Español says of his experience crafting and reading his personal narrative to the Odyssey class.

The powerful insight that often comes from such important moments is explored in a new season of the Human Powered podcast from Wisconsin Humanities. The new series, called Humanity Unlocked, offers a unique opportunity to hear from people who have been incarcerated about how creative writing and humanities education can transform understanding of oneself and the world.

Episodes of the new podcast will explore the impacts of art exhibits, storytelling, and poetry workshops on prisoners; what happens in classrooms where college students learn alongside incarcerated students; and the benefits of prison newspapers for people inside and outside.

Today, more than 35,000 residents of Wisconsin are serving time in prisons and jails. Human Powered offers the uncommon opportunity to hear directly from current or formerly incarcerated citizens, as well as advocates working to make the experience of incarceration less de-humanizing.

“I got to interview people about how they think about their own humanity, and how they keep their curiosity and creativity alive in a space that is not designed with their humanity as a priority,” says Adam Carr, a public historian and co-host of the podcast. The six-part series is also co-hosted by Dasha Kelly Hamilton, the former Wisconsin Poet Laureate, who ran Prose & Cons workshops in Racine Correctional Institution and founded A Line Meant, a poetry exchange for people living in Wisconsin prisons and around the state.

Listeners can find the Human Powered podcast in any listening app and at wisconsinhumanities.org/podcast.

—Jessica Becker

Short Story Night At The Pub

It’s a Monday evening but the inside of Lion’s Tail Brewing Co. in Neenah, Wisconsin, is packed with so many people, it feels like a Friday evening fish fry. It’s Short Story Night, and an equal mix of men and women, from college students to retired folks, are discussing Erin Somers’ short story, Ten Year Affair, from the 2022 Best American Short Stories collection. After a conversation that touches on everything from the mundanity of marriage and child rearing to a debate about the ending of the story, the host, Richie Zaborowske, a librarian from the Neenah Public Library, connects with the author via Zoom for an interview plus audience questions. The interview is lighthearted and covers a broad range of subjects, from writing advice to the symbolism of a character’s toothpick habit. To finish the evening, Zaborowske hands out copies of stories for the next session of Short Story Night and just about everyone, plus a few newcomers, will attend again next month.

Celebrated writers have included Bobbie Ann Mason, National Book Award Finalist Deesha Philyaw, and National Book Award Winner Phil Klay. While the group occasionally dips into classic stories (Hemingway, Carver, Ferber), contemporary stories are preferred since they allow the group to discuss present-day topics.

The group meets the second Monday of each month at 7 pm. Visit www.neenahlibrary.org for a copy of the short story and complete details. On April 8, the evening will feature Wisconsin author and former Wisconsin Academy communications director Christopher Chambers.

—Richie Zaborowske