Prison Literature

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course addresses prison literature—writings by established authors such as Franz Kafka and James Baldwin, as well as unpublished fiction by inmates. Many of the texts that we examine are written by people of color, women, or LGBTQ+ inmates. These stories, poems, and essays provide an impactful view of racial and socioeconomic injustice in the prison system. They provide a platform for critical analysis of mass incarceration and related policy issues. We also consider other carceral confinement, such as immigration detention, camps and internment. The course has an interdisciplinary reach and includes consideration of documentary and Hollywood film and other media.