When we open Freedom Libraries and host literary events in prisons across the country we are able to talk to and learn from men and women who are delighted by the fact that we show up, bringing new books, and with them possibilities for transformation and surprise. Here we share just some snippets from our conversations.
A book is a very good thing to have. You know, I wish I was like that when I was younger… nowadays, it’s just good to have a book, you know, depending on what’s in the book… I want to read something that’s going to build my mind up.
I’d advise everyone to pick up a book and broaden your horizons and truly become free.
When you read people like Maya Angelou, she’s been through things that most of us will never understand and we’re actually able to look into her soul through her work. Amazing.
For those that are fortunate enough to get the Freedom Library, take the time, take a look at the books, especially the historical books, the biographies, and learn from other people’s lives, learn from their mistakes so that you don’t have to make the same mistakes that they made.
I also wanted to let everybody know who’s out there who might be feeling alone, there’s comfort in reading books, and I believe that there’s freedom on every page, depending on what book you’re reading.
I would recommend The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. It talks about conquering. It talks about overcoming struggle, and if you’re incarcerated, that’s exactly what is needed to attain freedom.
I believe that reading can allow you to escape the realities of prison mentally and emotionally. We may be physically imprisoned, but through a book, we can escape the realities of the different conditions that we’re faced with that cause us to lose hope at times and find that hope through the storytelling of someone else’s story or through a character in a book.
If you are about to get the Freedom Reads library, I would advise that you take full advantage of this opportunity because the one thing they can never lock up is your mind, and a book can take you all over the world.
