October 2008 Host: Angela

Couldn’t Keep it to Myself by Wally Lamb and the Women of York Correctional Institution

Summary

Best selling author Wally Lamb teaches a writing workshop comprised of a group of women incarcerated at the Correctional Institute in Connecticut. The result is a collection of each of those women’s stories and life experiences with descriptions of their own abuses, rejections, and self destructive behaviors. All of the stories were heart wrenching - most went from bad childhoods to even worse adulthood marriages. Nearly all had been sexually or physically abused at some point in their childhood. These imprisoned women use their writing as a rehabilitating tool; they use their writing to identify and then try to correct their past negative behaviors. There were pictures of the women along with a brief statement of what they were convicted for which helped to relate their past to their current situation.

Discussion

-Only two of us finished the book, most that did not finish the book deemed it too depressing to continue on. The book was at times a harrowing read.

-One point raised was that one of every three or four women have experienced some type of sexual abuse - and that just maybe some of the women in the book subtly MAY have used these experience(s) as a scapegoat for their crimes.

-We found it interesting that one woman developed cancer while she was in prison and was granted an early parole because the state of Connecticut did not want to pay for her chemotherapy.

-Nearly all of the women grew up poor. We discussed how one’s socioeconomic status could be a detriment in getting help for various problems and that the rich simply have more and are aware of more resources available to them.

Menu

Veggie Tray
Macaroni and Cheese
Meatloaf
Cucumber and Sweet Onion Salad
Cheesecake