What are some of the ethical issues that you are grappling with in your research? What are some of the ways in which you are responding to these questions?
Since much of my work involves reading and analyzing writing by incarcerated people, I am constantly confronted by my own inevitable ignorance on the subject since I have never experienced this condition myself. As much as I attempt to place myself in their shoes, there will always be a level of distance that I hope to acknowledge rather than ignore. I want to acknowledge that writing can only get so far, so even as I read as much as I can from a variety of sources, they are the experts of their own experience. For instance, Jack Henry Abbott in In the Belly of the Beast writes, "I've wanted to somehow convey to you the sensations—the atmospheric pressure, you might say—of what it means to be seriously a long-term prisoner in an American prison. That sentence does not adequately say what I mean." My intention, then, is not to speak over them but to provide a microphone.
In addition, I am trying to be aware of any fictionalizing effect my mind may subconsciously place on the texts due to how absurd the prison experience can sometimes sound to an outside observer. Even as the brutal conditions of incarceration have been increasingly revealed to the public in recent years, there is still so much of the direct experience that is covered up. As a result, what is revealed in the letters of incarcerated people can seem shocking or unreal. As I analyze and draw connections between the letters, I want to continuously remind myself of the reality of events and conditions described. Though the prose may be beautiful or have a literary quality, that does not detract from its truth and the care each piece should consequently be given.
Lastly, I am reading intensely personal and at times confessional writings, some of which were not necessarily intended for me to read. I want to resist any conscious or subconscious judgment I may have when the writer, for instance, describes what they are being incarcerated for or mistakes they have made in their past. I think it is easy for people who are not incarcerated to assume they are somehow, intrinsically "better" than those in prison; that, though the statistics overwhelmingly demonstrate the disparities in incarceration rates, a person in prison must have done something wrong to deserve their present condition. To faithfully and respectfully absorb these writings, it is necessary for me to challenge these assumptions. Knowing that some of these texts may have been intended to be private, I want to also read them from a position of empathy, asking myself how I might be misunderstood or judged unfairly if all of my communication to my friends and family were published.
As you continue your research, have you considered alternative viewpoints in your investigation? If so, how have these alternative viewpoints enriched or changed your project?
I have mostly been reading primary sources from incarcerated people, so I haven't considered many alternative viewpoints yet. As I refine my thesis and read more secondary sources, I intend to look for scholars who may disagree with or complicate each other's viewpoints. In doing so, I want to continuously challenge my own thesis in order to clarify my argument and see where there may be exceptions to my definition of the prison autobiography. I think this process will help me narrow my paper as well to specific authors that reflect my analysis, so I am not overly ambitious and inaccurately generalize a huge body of literature.
Where does your research take place? Take a photo of the place where your ideas and investigations are taking place, and post it to the Network!
I try to research in a new place every day, which has included Blue Bottle, Qahwah House, Wu and Nussbaum, Nous Espresso, Café East, Central Park, Bryant Park, a cafe called the Picky Barista, the Broadway Hall lounge, the River Hall lounge, my room, and the subway (you'll notice no libraries are included).
I saw a some puppies with dyed fur in Central Park: