The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont · Page C12

12C BURLINGTONFREEPRESS.COM»SUNDAY,NOVEMBER11,2012 HEARTOFART OneoftheplacesIex- perienceextraordinary freedomtobemytrue selfiswithinacircleof incarceratedwomen writingtogether. Strippedofpersonal powerandvoice,these offendershousedatChit- tendenRegionalCorrec- tionalFacilityhavebeen broughttotheirprover- bialkneesinasunvar- nishedaplaceaslife gets.Theircrimesofas- sault,dealingdrugs, theftanddrivingdrunk, tonameafew,arewell- publicizedinsmall-town Vermont.Asaresult, therearenoskeletonsto hideorstoriestospin. Hereinourweeklycircle, wewritetogetherasvul- nerablewomengrappling withourpastsandvision- ingourfuturesintohope- fulreality. Asajournalist,Inever imaginedI’dbeworking withincarceratedwomen. Mypassionemergedgrad- ually.Atayoungage,I cametounderstandthein- tersectingforcesofpover- ty,underemployment,ad- dictionandfamilydys- functionthatkeeppeople isolatedandtrapped. Irecalladayinmy23- year-oldlife.ATVreport- eratthetime,Ilandedata houseinSouthBend,Ind. whereasinglemotherand herfivechildrenwerefac- ingimminenteviction.The heatandelectricityhad beenturnedoffdespite frigidtemperatures.This womanawaitedlocallaw MarybethRedmond,left,opens writinginsideVT’s weeklywritingcirclewithwomeninmatesattheChittendenRegionalCorrectionalFacility.Duringthesession,thewomenusedwords andlinesofwell-knowncontemporarypoetsinordertosparktheirownwritingabouttheirlives. MADDIEMCGARVEY/FREEPRESS Programforincarcerated womenusesthepowerof writingtoreclaimvoice andcreatecommunity MARYBETH REDMOND Writingfromtheinsideout FeaturedgownbyJennyYoo 2ChurchStreet~Burlington 802.660.9003 AppointmentsRecommended sewlyyours.com FP-0000318358