- A. J. Jacobs
- A'Lelia Bundles
- Abby Collette
- Amanda Montell
- Amanda Stauffer
- Amazing Book Clubbers
- Amy Julia Becker
- Anita Martin
- BK Fulton
- Book Les
- Books and Banter
- Books Are My People
- Brianna S. Clark
- Cadwell Turnbull
- Charlotte Harrison
- Chicklits
- Circle of Friends
- Claire Fullerton
- Crystal Hemmingway
- Crystal Z. Lee
- Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
- Danitza Borges
- Diane S. Nine
- Elizabeth Gauffreau
- Erika Raskin
- Erin Lindsay McCabe
- Fred Lehr
- Free Minds
- Gamma Girls
- Gladys B. West Ph.D.
- Grammartopia
- Hilary Grant Dixon
- J. P. Cane
- J.C. Sasser
- James Markert
- James River Writers Conference
- Jamie Ford
- Jane Friedman
- Jay Cannon
- Jeffrey K. Walker
- Jennie Lee
- Jessica Lee Hutchings
- Joanne Kukanza Easley
- Johnnie Bernhard
- Jones Deady
- Joyce A. Miller
- Judith Bice
- Justine Manzano
- Kadine Christie
- Karen A. Chase
- Karen Rinaldi
- Kathleen M. Rodgers
- Kim Kluxen Meredith
- Kimothy Joy
- Kris Spisak
- Kristin Louise Duncombe
- Kristyn Gansen
- Laburnum
- Laurie Gwen Shapiro
- Lisa Braxton
- Lit Ladies
- Loreen Lilyn Lee
- Lucretia Bingham
- Margaret Davis Ghielmetti
- Meghan Cox Gurdon
- MF Book Club
- Michele Kwasniewski
- My Sistah's BookShelf
- Nancy Houser-Bluhm
- Natalie June Reilly
- Pam Webber
- Pamela Samuels Young
- Reading Women
- Rebecca Dwight Bruff
- Renea Winchester
- Robin Farmer
- Saeeda Hafiz
- Sandra A. Miller
- Sara Crutcher
- Sarah Andre
- Sister Insider
- Stacy Hawkins Adams
- Stefanie Van Steelandt
- Stephanie Knipper
- Steven R. Feldman MD
- Story Spinners
- Susan Cushman
- Sy Montgomery
- T. Marie Vandelly
- Telma Rocha
- The Bookstore Podcast
- The On Reading Well Literary Society
- The Perks of Being a Booklover
- The Stacks Podcast
- Theresa Varela
- Thuan Le Elston
- Tracey Livesay
- Veronica K. Emmerich
- Working Title Podcast
- Yara Zgheib
- Yi Shun Lai
Free Minds Book Club – Empowerment
I turned on C-Span2 Book-TV, and there they were. Men dressed in orange discussing a book they’d read – a book club. I was awestruck. It was happening at a jail. This was my introduction to Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop. Written in the heading of their website is: Empowering young inmates to write new chapters in their lives. Visiting and exploring the site will impact your feelings on the privilege of reading. Congressman John Lewis is among its strongest advocates. What a great discovery!
Members of the Free Minds Book Club, thank you for the UHURU (Freedom) postcard. When I read it, the word that came to my mind: profound. I love having it in my collection. 🙂
~Anita~
About Free Minds Book Club
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
How did you choose the name of your book club?
We are called Free Minds because even if your body is locked up, through books and writing, your mind can always be free!
Names and number of members:
There are 11 members in this group at the DC Jail. Their names are: Jonas, Rod, Jamal, Tay, Arsenio, Manuel, Jerard, Antoine, Jovan, Leonard, and John. We provide services and books by mail even after they transfer to serve time in federal prison – Lifetime membership!
In addition to this group, there are other members that total 1,200.
Age range:
16 – 69 (This group is on the younger side.)
Genders:
mostly men
Date of first meeting:
November 30, 2002
Meeting schedule and place:
Every Thursday on the GED unit at DC Jail.
Book selection method:
Recommendations and book ballots
Most popular book:
So many! Recently, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Currently reading:
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas