Cracked Masks: With You and Without You

by Amy Friedman (Editor), Dennis Danziger (Editor), Alison Longman (Editor)

Overview

POPS the Club is a California-based nonprofit creating and supporting high school clubs for those young people whose lives have been touched by the Pain of the Prison System. In weekly club meetings, guided by teachers, writers, artists, activists, performers, and nonprofit leaders, club members tell their stories, write their stories, draw, paint and otherwise share their lives with each other, and with the larger community. The students publish their work on our website and in partner publications, and each year POPS the Club publishes an anthology of work generated by these powerful, wise young people who are telling us stories we all need to hear.

Cracked Masks: With You and Without You is the fourth release by POPS the Club, another powerful compilation of work by students from schools across Los Angeles and as far away as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. We also welcome the work by Friends of POPS, those who have visited our clubs as speakers, teachers, volunteers guides and observers, those who have stories to tell about the impact of incarceration on their lives, most ofen as the loved ones of the incarcerated.

These are stories from the children, siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, boyfriends and girlfriends of the incarcerated. These are stories readers seldom hear. These are stories vital to our understanding of our country, of who and what we are and how we live.

Teachers who use these anthologies in their classrooms tell us their reluctant readers cannot stop reading, that often the POPS Anthologies are the books that introduce their students to the pleasures of reading.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780998838274
Publisher:	Popstheclub.Com, Inc.
Publication date:	06/05/2017
Pages:	226
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.48(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Amy Friedman, co-founder of POPS the Club, is an author, editor, ghostwriter and writing teacher whose memoir Desperado's Wife tells the story of her life as a prisoner's wife and mother to two daughters struggling with the stigma, shame and sorrow of loving a prisoner. In many ways, it is the origin story of POPS the Club.

Dennis Danziger, co-founder of POPS the Club, is an author and 26-year veteran of the LAUSD, an English teacher who has taught at Crenshaw High, Palisades Charter High and Venice High. Prior to his teaching career, Danziger worked as a television writer and also taught writing at the UCLA Extension. Over the years his students in the LAUSD have been recipients of dozens of writing awards, including top awards from The Beverly Hills Literary Society. Danziger is also a novelist and playwright.

Alison Longman is currently studying to be a teacher at California State University Northridge. She is a writer, editor and longtime volunteer with POPS the Club.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Flashback 13 Katherine Secaida

I Watch Milena Mousli

Where I’m From Vincent Gutierrez

Happy Mask Leslie Aquino

Letters from the Moon Amani Scoggins

Chasing Pavements Jiselle Torres

Kicking It with My Homies Joslyn Stevenson

Where I’m From Jasmin Moreno

Walter Mosley and Me Glorious Owens

Everything for a Reason

Zamillah Phillips

Cookies Crumble Joslyn Stevenson

I Come From Rap Stars and Crenshaw Mereya Sanchez

How Can I Love? Alfonso Manzo Casteneda

Love Is Everywhere Linda Duran

Coathanger Zoë Carpenter

The Love for Poison Nina Estevan

I Feel Loved Melissa Rodriguez

Eighteen Years Through My Eyes Darlene Silva

The Endless Ride Andrew Hernandez

My Uncle and I Justin Munoz

Another Rich Crack Baby Alfonso Manzo Casteneda

Kept My Head on Straight Demetrius Davis

Who I Am Katherine Secaida

Growing Up All Alone Kimberly Alejandri

10 Minutes to Say Good-bye Jose Santiago

Missed a Visit Jennifer Birstein

Mother Bianca Monroy

A Mother of Four Bianca Lopez

My Short-term Mother-in-Law Angela De La Cruz

Fear of Losing Her Anonymous

Amazing Amy Jessica De La Mora

His Life His Life His Life Andrew Hernandez

I Have a Disability But Still Have the Capability Leslie Mateos

Trouble by Jessica De La Mora

The Top Six by Colbie Witherspoon

La Vida de los Buses Tyanni Gomez

Nothing to Something Alfonso Manzo Casteneda

Mi Chicano by Angela De La Cruz

The Ugly Truth, Parts 1& 2 Angela Hernandez

Two Together Tony Lopez Figueroa

When I Fly Angela De La Cruz

It Wasn't My Plan Frances Flores

Fatherless Girl, Parts 1& 2 Kimberly Alejandri

I Never Wanted to Be Angel Harrison

Behind the Glass Wall Maynor Galletan

You Weren't There Crystal Gutierrez

My Best Friend Tania Paz Morales

An Ounce of Love Alicia Valenciana

Mask Jasmine Silva

Constant Crisis Jessica De La Mora

Dear Papa Maynor Galletan

Dad, Do You Remember? Katherine Secaida

Pops Poetry Jennifer Birstein

Pain of the 'Hood I'sis Wyche

POPS Marcel Manson

A Place at POPS Group Write

I'm Here, He's There by Daisy Lopez

From Us to Them by Emiria Henry

Dear Brother by Leslie Aquino

Faded Memories by Rosio Salas

Break the Chains of Oppression by Mona Viera

The History of Violence by Devin Garza

They Don't Know Us by Lizeth Garcia

Los Scanalous, California by Marcel Manson

A World of Gunshots by Tyanni Gomez

Free Time by Oscar Lopez

Simply Me by Daniela Sanchez

When I'm Alone by Milena Mousli

I'm Right Here by Priscilla Guererro

Wide Eyes by Joslyn Stevenson

Shy Girl by Lizbeth Ramos

Melanin Queen by Kei'Arri McGruder

Vacant by Milena Mousli

I Come From Africa by Sindé Tantua

More Than Just Black by Emiria Henry

You Look Old Enough Devin Garza

I Write Because Paradyse Oakley

Once There Was by students of El Camino POPS

Unite by Jennifer Birstein

I'm Afraid of Being Afraid by Tyanni Gomez

All On My Own by Gloria Funes

Someone Save Me by Jessica De La Mora

Not Ever Again by Marilyn Ruiz

The Value of Life by Vanessa Barajas

Thankful by Delmas Arnold II