Bøger af Alexa Marie Kelly

Each page of Tacenda 2015 exposes our criminal justice system. Some of our authors have been entangled in the system. Some are still in prison. All of our artists have thought about the experience of men and women behind bars. The men and women we label criminals but often forget to label as human. Together, these original works of literature challenge popular notions of crime. They shed light on what it means to be a prisoner, and ultimately, what it means to be human.

Alexa Marie Kelly's new book of poems puts to rest any delusions about race in America, especially with respect to the criminal justice system. She masters the difficult challenge of capturing imprisonment, including executions and suicides, from an exclusively free perspective. Few outsiders can understand a life in which the man or woman never feels safe anywhere, but Kelly eloquently describes it: "The caged heart has no mornings." Black Bone is disturbing but also necessary if this country is ever to move into a post-racial society and leave behind the perpetual long, dark night of a criminal justice system that values money and power over the individual. It is a tonic to the misinformation one hears during the unending election cycles and a volume that should be on any thinking person's reading list.

The 2014 edition of Tacenda Literary Magazine features poetry, short stories, plays, essays, and photography produced by a diverse collection of authors drawn from all walks of life: students, prisoners, writers, and photographers, all united in their passionate commitment to justice. Each page of Tacenda 2014 exposes our criminal justice system, reminding us of the enduring humanity and worth of the men and women we so readily label criminal.