
Writing My Wrongs
Life, Death, and One Man's Story of Redemption in an American Prison
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Narrated by:
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Shaka Senghor
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By:
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Shaka Senghor
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An “extraordinary, unforgettable” (Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow) memoir of redemption and second chances amidst America’s mass incarceration epidemic, from a member of Oprah’s SuperSoul 100
Shaka Senghor was raised in a middle-class neighborhood on Detroit’s east side during the height of the 1980s crack epidemic. An honor roll student and a natural leader, he dreamed of becoming a doctor—but at age eleven, his parents’ marriage began to unravel, and beatings from his mother worsened, which sent him on a downward spiral. He ran away from home, turned to drug dealing to survive, and ended up in prison for murder at the age of nineteen, full of anger and despair.
Writing My Wrongs is the story of what came next. During his nineteen-year incarceration, seven of which were spent in solitary confinement, Senghor discovered literature, meditation, self-examination, and the kindness of others—tools he used to confront the demons of his past, forgive the people who hurt him, and begin atoning for the wrongs he had committed. Upon his release at age thirty-eight, Senghor became an activist and mentor to young men and women facing circumstances like his. His work in the community and the courage to share his story led him to fellowships at the MIT Media Lab and the Kellogg Foundation and invitations to speak at events like TED and the Aspen Ideas Festival.
In equal turns, Writing My Wrongs is a compelling portrait of life in the shadow of poverty, violence, and fear; an unforgettable story of redemption; and a compelling witness to our country’s need for rethinking its approach to crime, prison, and the men and women sent there.
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Critic reviews
“[A] harrowing [portrait] of life behind bars . . . Gritty, visceral . . . Senghor writes about the process of atonement and the possibility of redemption, and talks of his efforts to work for prison reforms that might turn a system designed to warehouse into one aimed at rehabilitation.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
“My first glance at the person on the book's cover—a dreadlocked, tattooed, heavyset black male—left me skeptical. Full of judgment. Why should I be interested in the story of a murderer? But as [Senghor's] words unfolded, so did my understanding—of what it means to fall short, to go astray, to lose your way . . . His story touched my soul.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“[A] powerful memoir.”—The Washingtonian
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Judge Not!
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I couldn't put it down 😊
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Compelling
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An excellent read/listen
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The vivid imagery afforded by the authors choice of words established a connection to the people, places and events throughout the reading. The structure of the chapters and sections held my interests as the author ties youthful decisions to adult consequences.
Readers do not need to be from the "streets" to enjoy and appreciate this work of redemptive value. I believe that those looking for an understanding of the systematic oppression of Africans in America, and how that same system, by design, will inevitability consume the offspring of any ethnicity, will be blessed by this contribution to literacy.
Thank you Shaka.
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