The first two episodes of John’s podcast This is a Collect Call from Sing Sing have been posted. The episodes feature interviews with documentarian Lynn Novick and Atlantic staff writer David A. Graham. Check out the podcasts on PodcastOne’s website and subscribe so you can be notified of the newest episodes: Interview with David A.…
Author: johnjlennonjournalist
Portrait of John by Eric Refvik
Here is a portrait of John J. Lennon drawn by Erik Refvik, a neighbor of John who lives a couple cells down from him. It’s an amazing piece featuring John surrounded by the publications he has been featured in. John wanted to add about the piece: One of my goals is for my talented prison…
In his essay published by The Poetry Foundation, John J. Lennon offers his thoughts on Reginald Dwayne Betts’s collection of poems, Felon. After reading John’s piece Betts tweeted, “I’m certain no one has written anything about my writing and life that as hit me so hard in the gut.”
I Might Finally Be Free
As John J. Lennon begins the 215th month of his prison sentence, he ponders where he might be in 2029 in an essay for New York Magazine’s “The Future Issue.”
Al Jazeera’s The Listening Post recently published a video focusing on American jailhouse journalists. John J. Lennon was featured alongside other journalists, such as Troy Williams and Kerry Meyers.
How Biden Killed Prison Education
In an article for The Atlantic, John J. Lennon explores how Joe Biden’s 1994 crime bill affected prison education through the tale of Twist, a fellow inmate at Sing Sing.
The Trailer is up for John’s Podcast
Produced by PodcastOne, the trailer for John’s new podcast This Is A Collect Call From Sing Sing is now available for streaming.
The Apology Letter
In an essay for the Washington Post Magazine, John reflects on difficult it is to say sorry to victims and their families, and how those words may mean everything and still not be enough.
John J. Lennon’s essay “This Place Is Crazy” for Esquire has been included in the 2019 Best American Magazine Writing anthology. The essay was nominated for a 2019 National Magazine Award. The book is available from Amazon or Columbia University Press.
In an essay for Esquire, John J. Lennon writes of the suicides behind bars that we never hear about, and why they’re much more common than we think.