Hear Us: Writing from the Inside During the Time of Covid is a unique collection of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and artwork. The 58 pieces from incarcerated writers, family members, and staff spanning from more than a dozen states –Alaska to California, Florida to Illinois, and more – describe how the pandemic and the killing of George Floyd impacted their lives.

The work shows, in vivid detail, how inequity and injustice play out in the era of mass incarceration. Originally published in collaboration with the New Orleans-based Disorder Press, with a foreword by award-winning author Edwidge Danticat, this cross-section of writers representing different religions, races, gender orientation, and writers with disabilities elevates the voices of those too-often silenced behind barbed wire.  

On Thursday, November 4th at 7PM ET, Hear Us will host a National Launch! This one-hour virtual fundraiser event will include brief remarks by E4C and its cohost partners No Exceptions Prison Collective and Project Rebound, a special appearance by 2021 MacArthur Fellowship recipient Reginald Dwayne Betts, selected readings from Hear Us contributors, and a call to action. Tickets are priced on a sliding scale, and all proceeds will go to help more writers incarcerated in Florida have what they need to survive, thrive, and flourish.