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Felon
- Poems
- Narrated by: Reginald Dwayne Betts
- Length: 1 hr and 22 mins
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Publisher's Summary
A searing volume by a poet whose work conveys “the visceral effect that prison has on identity” (New York Times).
Felon tells the story of one man in fierce, dazzling poems - canvassing his wide range of emotions and experiences through homelessness, underemployment, love, drug abuse, domestic violence, fatherhood, and grace - and, in doing so, creates a travelogue for an imagined life. Reginald Dwayne Betts confronts the funk of post-incarceration existence and examines prison not as a static space, but as a force that enacts pressure throughout a person’s life. Challenging the complexities of language, Betts animates what it means to be a “felon”.
From “Night”
What she tells me: prison killed you
my love, killed you so dead that you’re not
here now, you’re never here, you’re always.
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What listeners say about Felon
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Angel Sanchez
- 11-04-19
Resonates
I served 12 yrs in prison, entering a teenager and released a man. These poems and essays spoke feelings and that I have felt but have been unable to articulate. Powerful. Moving.
16 people found this helpful
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Performance
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Story
- S in Seattle
- 06-28-20
Wonderful
This book really makes you feel the experience of the writer as if talking to your best friend. I am neither black nor male. Highly recommend this book.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Eugene Haynes IV
- 08-02-20
Free Verse for the Free Mind
An exceptional literary achievement born of actual life experiences. You will find these stories impactful.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Tom
- 09-28-21
Painful verses by a hurting man.
These are the words of a man writing as if under water or drowning under the weight of memories. Beautiful yet painful to listen to. Four Stars ****
1 person found this helpful
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Naomi C.
- 06-08-21
Enlightening & Real
This provided both familiarity and insight to me. He articulated his personal plight while also being a voice for so many others affected by mass incarceration. Hearing the writer read his own words was powerful.
1 person found this helpful