It is a Monday night in the ARC trailer on San Quentin’s Lower Yard. There is a circle of chairs with incarcerated people and two outside volunteers sitting in them talking about past situations and choices made during adolescent years. Some are fond memories and some are difficult to recount. The stories shared come from people from all walks of life but they all have one things in common, which is an uplifting and positive twist, a moral of the story so to speak. All these stories are told by men who want to reach out to the at-risk youth in Juvenile Halls around the country, through a magazine called The Beat Within.
The Beat Within is a bi-monthly magazine that publishes youth stories from all over the country. TBW gives the forgotten and unheard a voice. They can submit drawings, letters, poems, raps, and responses to writing prompts. The prompts always touch on things important to young people and offer a new way to think of things. TBW also publishes an insightful response to each entry.
TBW was started 27 years ago by David Incencio and it still lives on today as David’s legacy. Although the magazine is predominantly authored by youth it has a section called “The Beat Without,” in the back half of the magazine for the elders to provide insight. Kid-Cat partnered with TBW around ten years ago to bring the writing workshop to San Quentin, now we run a weekly writing workshop with the Beat Within Staff. We all strive to share our experiences in hopes that the youth do not have to make the same bad decisions as those in prison. The workshop is open to anyone who wants to participate, with the goal of service and helping people who resemble younger versions of those incarcerated.
TBW welcomes stories and art entries from folks incarcerated around the state and country who have made positive changes and want to give back. For those who want to reach out to at-risk youth can do so prior to release by writing to “The Beat Within.”
Prompt example contains writing about a most cherished possession, an important issue such as global warming or drug addiction, what it means to give everything you have, and words from the wise “quote of the week.”
1. Most Cherished Posssession: You might not have even realized it, but all of us have prized possessions in our lives, whether it’s a physical object, an abstract idea like a relationship, a goal, a promise, or life itself. This week, we want to hear about your most cherished possession – the single thing you value above all else, something that you would never want to lose. Now tell us, what is your most cherished possession? Was it given to you, or was it something you found or developed over time? Why does this most cherished possession mean so much to you?
2. An important Issue: The dictionary defines an issue as an important topic or problem for debate or discusiion, such as global warming, police brutality, racism, homelessness, or drug addiction, to name a few. What is an important issue that you would like to see addressed? What is it about this issue that moves you? Is is something you have experienced? What would you like to see done about it. How would you like to get involved? Can this issue be fixed or changed? Tell us your thoughts on an important issue in your personal life, your family, your community, or the world, that you want to see changed.
3. Giving Everything You Got: There are times we have to put it all on the line, if it’s for a job, for family, for our education, for a sports team, for your freedom, to name a few. This week we want to know when you gave it your all and the results showed. Or, if there’s a time you gave it your all and it still didn’t work out, why do you think that is? What went wrong?
4. Words from the Wise, Quote of the Week: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be elt with the heart.” – Helen Keller (1880-1968) was a disability rights advocate who went deaf and blind whe she was nineteen months old. Despite her disability, she proved to educators and people around the world that given the right support, any student can learn. This week we want to know your thoughts on the quote. Do you agree or disagree? Can you describe a time you felt something within your heart, even though it couldn’t be physically perceived? “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.’
