American prison literature
American literature / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about American prison literature?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
American prison literature is literature written by Americans who are incarcerated. It is a distinct literary phenomenon that is increasingly studied as such by academics.[1]
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
In the words of Arnold Erickson:
Prison has been a fertile setting for artists, musicians, and writers alike. Prisoners have produced hundreds of works that have encompassed a wide range of literature. [...] Books describing the prison experience, including the Autobiography of Malcolm X, inspired an audience far outside the prison walls. The importance of these works has been recognized in this country's highest courts. See Simon & Schuster, Inc. v. Crime Victims Board, 502 U.S. 105, 121-122 (1991)(citing works by prisoners).[2]