As I reported previously in one of my earlier journal entries, I received notification that my first article was published on the Prison Journalism Project (PJP) website. Last night I received a copy of that posting in the mail. It was amazing to see the artwork posted over the article and my name in the byline. I showed a few of my friends the print out and everyone was impressed. I was very proud of my accomplishment and can’t wait to talk to my friends at home about it. My second article is in the development process and I am really looking forward to working with the editors to get that one published as well.
Reaching out to the broader community, strengthening my ties with support systems, and finding healthy productive ways to spend time while in prison are opportunities that inmates must really seek out, but I am glad that I’ve invested the time in this and seen the final result. I can only imagine what Michael Santos felt as he began the same process. He described getting published in several of his books and how it began opening doors for him. I now truly understand exactly what he meant and I am really hoping that I can apply the same principles to my life.
I must also continually be grateful to my friend Justin for introducing me to this opportunity, and for helping me with some of the drafting and revision process. He does a lot in terms of research and offering a sounding board for ideas. It is wonderful to have friends who are dedicated to helping you during this journey and are genuinely pleased to see you succeed.
I’m looking forward to more articles, and learning more about this process as I grow!
