I WROTE THAT! Author Talk Series Returns To The Palace This February with Chris Belden

On Tuesday, February 4, 2024, at 7:00 pm, join the Palace Theater for an evening of story, poetry, and theater, written and performed by former inmates of Garner Correctional Institution, a maximum-security prison in Newtown, CT. 

The presentation is based on Closer to Freedom: Prose & Poetry from Maximum Security, a collection of works featuring written work by the men incarcerated at Garner and edited by Chris Belden. Belden, with the help of former Garner librarian Mark Aldrich, will guide the audience through an exploration of shattered pasts, uncertain futures, and the ever-changing meaning of “doing time,” offering a unique and deeply moving look into the world of life behind bars. This event is made possible through the support of Mary Ellen & Tim Rourke.

Tickets are $20 and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis as seating is limited. Tickets and more information are available at palacetheaterct.org or 203-346-2000.

Chris Belden ran a writing workshop at Garner Correctional Institution from 2009 until the pandemic in 2020, and he became impressed by the writing of men in those workshops, eventually editing Closer to Freedom: Prose & Poetry from Maximum Security. At the same time, Mark Aldrich produced original plays written and performed by the men incarcerated at Garner. The evening celebrates the importance of storytelling and the power of the written word and will include a performance of the short play The Confrontation, written by Pat Walsh and Isschar Howard (from an idea by Dwayne Griffin) and performed by Floyd Lawrence and Jamar Boyd.

About Chris Belden

Chris Belden is the author of several books, including Shriver (the basis for the film A Little White Lie), Carry-on, The Vote, and Who Am I to Judge? Belden is currently an instructor at the Westport Writers Workshop and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Fairfield University.

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