Popular culture often depicts writers as solitary individuals—wordsmiths trolling the depths of their own psyches to forge art. But in reality, we use writing to connect. Through letters, e-mails, books, and stories, our words traverse barriers, time, and space to touch other people. In the MFA program at Drexel, we use creative writing workshops to hone our craft, to learn, and to build relationships with each other. Writing is not an end in itself but a tool we use to build community.  

During the fall term, several students in the Creative Writing program exchanged work with members of the local incarcerated population. Writers on both sides of the prison walls responded to a prompt and exchanged notes. This package is a selection of works from that exchange. As workshop pieces, they are still in development, but the writers have agreed to share them with you.  

Beth Ann Downey, an MFA student who participated in the workshop, and whose piece is included here, writes: “Initially, I felt like my piece was just a rushed, silly exercise—a response to the prompt ‘a conversation by a tree.’ My partner, who chose the same prompt, did not think it silly or rushed at all, and provided both thoughtful criticism and praise. It was amazing to see the completely different conversation his imagination conjured, one that despite my attempted line-by-line analysis, might still have been a bit over my head. He encouraged me, through our distant exchange, to take a deeper look and seek the hidden meaning.” 

It’s opportunities like this, for writers, and also you, a reader, that can help break down the fickle barriers between us. As we look over this pandemic cliff toward a reestablished normal, let’s remember and respect those who continue to be isolated not by a pandemic, but by society and an often broken and biased criminal justice system. We hope these stories of rebirth sink in deep and help you connect with the writers on both sides of the wall. 

Bill Vargo