We come from Kentucky, Hawaii, and Illinois, from large families and small, from small towns and big cities, from the mountains and the ocean.


We have shared words, experiences, laughter, tears, food, stories, and wisdom. We are smart, talented, brave, and honest.


We represent diverse backgrounds and have a wealth of experience.

We all have one thing in common: we are writers.

We are Mary, Margo, Kristi, Julia, Jean, Shanah, Rebecca, Naka, E.J., Judy, Charlene, and Janet.

We joined together every Wednesday afternoon at the Otter Creek Correctional Facility for four months to share our poetry, short stories, essays, and letters. We challenged each other, helped each other grow as writers and as women, and we learned from one another. Our stories make up this anthology. It is a testament to our hard work, dedication, and willingness to be creative and honest.  We hope you will read these words and think about how they relate to your own lives and we hope you will share them with others.