CIRCULATION
In this learning lab called the PonyXpress, we have writers who are honing their skills, we have an audience who read and comment and somehow, we keep this carousel moving round and round. Two weeks ago, we received the following letter from our editor Scott Bitter on top of a pile of submissions that he and Stressla Lynn Johnson had thoroughly read (and in turn written copious notes, encouragements, and proofreader’s marks to pass along to the writers.)
Dear Dan & Tracy/ Tracy & Dan:
Do you recall the first batch of writings from Coffee Creek last year? I looked forward to reading what the women writers had to say about ancestors and life at Coffee Creek. Do you remember how we wanted to include a representative sampling of Oregon inmates from the launch of the PonyXpress website and planned anthology?
Here we are a year later, and I nominate the Coffee Creek writer’s group the Most Improved! I spent the last two days on 12 Coffee Creek submission and am impressed with the content! This is exactly what I hoped to read over the last year from incarcerated women: letters of grief, emotive descriptions, childhood trauma, life-changing experiences, healing tears, abuse, transformation, dreams, relationships, coping mechanisms, faith, fears, sharing, support groups, meditations, deity, inner voices, wisdom, scars, perfectionism, beauty, autobiography, separation, natural observations, self-worth/acceptance, courage, masks, cells, naming emotions, metaphor, poetry, second chances, and heart!This is what I have looked forward to reading since the beginning! Now it is flowing out of Coffee Creek. I see new writers. I see dramatic improvement. And most importantly, I see heart through writing. Please tell the group how proud we are of their courage. | SB
Our collective faith in the Pony is the heartbeat that circulates these stories. This week’s writing compiles three pieces that explore how belief systems that drive people to take personal responsibility and act.
Belief in country that draws people to service. Melissa Black writes a piece on Memorial Day to draw attention to the structural foundations that her grandfather, father, and uncle defended.
In Mandela and Me, Scott Bitter reflects on his admiration for Nelson Mandela and the way the great leader practiced his beliefs when imprisoned; moreover, Scott lists the very life details that provide concrete connection points for his own time in prison.
Alexander James Mendez’s Believing in Sacrifice shares examples from his life that demonstrate his overarching belief in love in the face of great obstacles. | TDS