About the book
Drawing on extensive interviews with ninety-four women prisoners, Megan Sweeney examines how incarcerated women use available reading materials to come to terms with their pasts, negotiate their present experiences, and reach toward different futures.
Foregrounding the voices of African American women, Sweeney analyzes how prisoners read three popular genres: narratives of victimization, urban crime fiction, and self-help books. She outlines the history of reading and education in U.S. prisons, highlighting how the increasing dehumanization of prisoners has resulted in diminished prison libraries and restricted opportunities for reading. Although penal officials have sometimes endorsed reading as a means to control prisoners, Sweeney illuminates the resourceful ways in which prisoners educate and empower themselves through reading. Given the scarcity of counseling and education in prisons, women use books to make meaning from their experiences, to gain guidance and support, to experiment with new ways of being, and to maintain connections with the world.
Editions of Reading Is My Window
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807833520
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780807871003
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807898352
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469604367
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890885050
- EBook
- ISBN 9798893134179
Read an Excerpt
Drawing on extensive interviews with ninety-four women prisoners, Megan Sweeney examines how incarcerated women use available reading materials to come to terms with their pasts, negotiate their present experiences, and reach toward different futures.
Foregrounding the voices of African American women, Sweeney analyzes how prisoners read three popular genres: narratives of victimization, urban crime fiction, and self-help books. She outlines the history of reading and education in U.S. prisons, highlighting how the increasing dehumanization of prisoners has resulted in diminished prison libraries and restricted opportunities for reading. Although penal officials have sometimes endorsed reading as a means to control prisoners, Sweeney illuminates the resourceful ways in which prisoners educate and empower themselves through reading. Given the scarcity of counseling and education in prisons, women use books to make meaning from their experiences, to gain guidance and support, to experiment with new ways of being, and to maintain connections with the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Reading Is My Window about?
Drawing on extensive interviews with ninety-four women prisoners, Megan Sweeney examines how incarcerated women use available reading materials to come to terms with their pasts, negotiate their present experiences, and reach toward different futures.
Foregrounding the voices of African American women, Sweeney analyzes how prisoners read three popular genres: narratives of victimization, urban crime fiction, and self-help books. She outlines the history of reading and education in U.S. prisons, highlighting how the increasing dehumanization of prisoners has resulted in diminished prison libraries and restricted opportunities for reading. Although penal officials have sometimes endorsed reading as a means to control prisoners, Sweeney illuminates the resourceful ways in which prisoners educate and empower themselves through reading. Given the scarcity of counseling and education in prisons, women use books to make meaning from their experiences, to gain guidance and support, to experiment with new ways of being, and to maintain connections with the world.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Reading Is My Window?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social groups, communities and identities > Gender studies, gender groups > Gender studies: women and girls
Where can I read a sample of Reading Is My Window?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807833520
How long is Reading Is My Window and how many pages does it have?
Reading Is My Window has 352 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Reading Is My Window?
Megan Sweeney
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Reading Is My Window is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807833520) and paperback(ISBN 9780807871003) and ebook(ISBN 9780807898352) and ebook(ISBN 9781469604367) and ebook(ISBN 9798890885050) and ebook(ISBN 9798893134179)
Where can I buy Reading Is My Window online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Reading Is My Window from below
Where can I buy Reading Is My Window?