Parchman Farm Prisoners Share Memories, Stories on Prison Narratives

Louis Bourgeois (front) writes with the inmates at the Mississippi State Penitentiary during a writing class.

Stories from a birth in a cotton field to a first ride in the police cruiser to being mistaken for a cult leader are all from inmates at the Parchman Farm, thanks to Louis Bourgeois’ hard work.

Louis Bourgeois, executive director of VOX Press, drives two hours roundtrips from Oxford to Parchman as part of the VOX Press’ the Prison Writes Initiative. For nearly a year now, he has taught the inmates literature, especially on Eudora Welty, Barry Hannah and Langston Hughes. The inmates then submitted their stories to the book: In Our Own Words: Writing From Parchman Farm (Vox Press, 2014). The book can be bought here.

Meanwhile, several of the stories were featured on HottyToddy.com

‘Hard Childhood,’ ‘Broken’ and ‘My Most Memorable Childhood Memories: Part I‘ by Seriehel Belton

‘The Cop in the Car and the Ride in the Rain’ by S.K. Shaddix

‘Scars That Are Going to Leave a Mark’ by Melvin Miles

‘First Day of School,’ ‘Flying 1969,’ ‘1970,’ and more by Vincent Young

‘Snake Creek’ by Gergory Frazier

‘Drifting Into Darkness’ by Ernest Herring

Callie Daniels is a staff writer and reporter for HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com.