It's not that I don't like being told no. If it makes sense and is reasonable, it's fine. I especially appreciate being told no by someone who is stopping me from making a big mistake or doing something that would ultimately end up being very foolish and I just can't see it that way right at the moment. Oh, I've had plenty of times I wish someone had told me no in my life. And probably just as many times when someone did and I wish I would have listened. Those were generally my much younger days (like last week...).
But the last no I got just did not settle well with me. I have been working with the Hope House girls - a JD school program - on putting together a literary art journal. We've been working on it for months. Angela got involved with the layout and design and a great deal more in terms of editing and working with the girls on their writing and critiques. Kathy came in and worked with them on art and art critique as well as going over all the works herself and giving the girls each individual conferences on their work. I thought we were good to go. I had met with staff, who were very excited about the project. I was told that at the state level there might be problems if they did not allow such publications, to which I responded I would be happy to provide them with any information and support they needed to see what we were doing. All seemed okay.
Then, last week, we were told no. That the director of the funding organization - Child and Family Services - and the director of Hope House decided against the project. I spoke with the Hope House director, and she said it was their decision, at this level, for two reasons: the girls' right to confidentiality and liability.
Mind you, these are issues we worked with in the classroom very carefully with the girls. None of them were forced to publish, they could select which works to submit, no one could use their full name - it had to be first name, initials, nickname. We talked repeatedly during the class about content and respecting others' identities, but also having the right to tell the truth in their writing. Yadda, yadda.
I was shocked at the denial. Surprised. Then, after talking with the Hope House director, who repeatedly said to me, "It's not like camp..." I was pissed. Just seething mad over it all. Camp? When did I ever work in a camp? Seven years in a domestic violence shelter, three years in a high school dropout program, teaching composition in a men's maximum security prison, a mentor for newly released prisoners coming back into society - camp? Excuse me?
After spending time fantacizing about the Rambo-Jane approach to salvaging the literary-art journal ("For the arts!" she yelled as she tossed the grenade into the office cubicle...), I decided that the best defense was, well, as much defense as I could gather. I went over the Hope House director and made an appointment with the Child and Family Services director, then I went to work.
I researched other JD programs and publications. I found the sponsoring organization for a book written by women in prison, I researched libel law both at the federal and state level, and I made printouts and photocopies and - armed myself. Regardless of the outcome of this situation, I'm glad I did what I did. I amassed a great amount of information in short period of time and hope to continue research in this area. Some of the best stuff I found:
The Beat Within - A Weekly Publication of Writing and Art from the Inside
Their publication is amazing. Dave was a great person to speak with here, and he immediately sent me three issues. It's chuck full of writing, and to top it off, The Beat writes a response to each piece they publish. It's incredible work, from both ends - the writers themselves and the publishers.
Aid to Inmate Mothers
This is the group responsible for publishing the anthology Right to Remain Silent, which I found out about on the Tolerance.org website, and for which I wrote a review on NewPages.
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
Who knew? Based out of New York, they have a hotline staffed by law students who can answer most initial questions coming in on the lines, and if they can't, then they consult with staff lawyers and get back with you. Every writer and artist should know about these people. Brava/o for the work they do!
Pongo Publishing
"The Pongo Publshing Teen Writing Project is a volunteer, non-profit effort with Seattle teens who are in jail, on the streets, or in other ways leading difficult lives. We help these young people express themselves through poetry and other forms of writing and publish annual anthologies of their work."
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