Carmella J. Braniger, Ph.D. (2003), Oklahoma State University, is Associate Professor of English at Millikin University. She has published poems and critical stories, including a story in Critical Storytelling in Uncritical Times (Sense, 2017), for which she served as editor.Kathryn Coffey is an undergraduate at Millikin University. She has had articles published on the Decaturian and BURST. She also has work published in Collage (Fall 2019).Rebekah Icenesse is an English Writing undergraduate at Millikin University. She has had articles published in BURST, and the Decaturian, where she serves as an editor.Alex V. Miller is a Professor at Millikin University where he teaches all levels of acting and stage combat, serves as Coordinator of Performance, Mainstage Director, Resident Fight Director, and is founder of and Executive Director for Shakespeare Corrected. Though his professional performance career has taken him from coast to coast, he currently lives on a small farm in Hammond, IL with his wife and two children.

“Critical Storytelling from behind Invisible Bars is a valuable read, giving female inmates a voice and reminding us of the human being behind a prisoner’s number or statistic and demonstrating how everybody is confronted with visible or invisible bars.” Lisa Krolak, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, in Learning Environments Research | Vol. 67 (2021), pp. 559–560.

• PrefaceNotes on ContributorsPrologueAlex V. Miller1 A Prisoner’s MelodySandra Brown, Jelissa Lovette and Alisha Walker2 BarcodeSandra Brown3 CagedJelissa Lovette4 The Forbidden & the ProhibitedSoren Belle5 Truth or DareSandra Brown6 The People I Met When the Sky Went DarkBric Martin7 The Great Wall of InsanityJ. M. Spence8 State of MindJelissa Lovette9 The CallSandra Brown10 Pivotal TimesAngie Oakes11 A Daughter’s SorrowSandra Brown12 Talking It out from the InsideCara Quiett13 Mother-Less ChildJelissa Lovette14 Not Waving, Not DrowningSandra Brown15 IsaacClaire Prendergast16 PrisonAngie Oaks17 Love Find MeJelissa Lovette18 Little Girl LostAngie Oakes19 Everlasting KissJelissa Lovette20 Backburner BitchAnonymous21 Love AliveKala Keller22 My DragonflyLaura Neering23 Puzzle Pieces in My EyesRebekah M. Icenesse24 Piece of MeJelissa Lovette25 Nothing New under the SunSandra Brown26 Living a Life with Invisible BarsKathlyn J. Housh27 Where Would I BeJelissa Lovette28 My OdysseySandra Brown29 What Makes Straight so Great?Dwight G. Brown, Jr.30 Nature’s SanctuaryAngie Oakes31 Nature’s Pride and PromiseCara Quiett32 Finding Stability in MotionMegan Batty33 Queen of SoulJelisa Lovette34 Melodies & RecipesCara Quiett35 Unanswered QuestionsPaiten Hamilton36 Gregory’s GiftSandra Brown37 Sentimental SyrupCara Quiett38 Perfection: A History of Me & My Multi-Colored ElephantsKathryn A. Coffey39 Final ThoughtsSandra Brown40 Stopping the Cycle: My Journey with Generational Body ImageKelly Cunningham41 My Four Opportunities to Grow UpNoah Villarreal42 My Last BowAmanda Minetti43 The EulogySandra Brown44 Yoga Me FreeCara Quiett45 MetamorphosisSandra BrownEpilogueCarmella J. Braniger, Rebekah M. Icenesse, Kathryn A. Coffey and Alex V. Miller

Carmella J. Braniger, Ph.D. (2003), Oklahoma State University, is Associate Professor of English at Millikin University. She has published poems and critical stories, including a story in Critical Storytelling in Uncritical Times (Sense, 2017), for which she served as editor.Kathryn Coffey is an undergraduate at Millikin University. She has had articles published on the Decaturian and BURST. She also has work published in Collage (Fall 2019).Rebekah Icenesse is an English Writing undergraduate at Millikin University. She has had articles published in BURST, and the Decaturian, where she serves as an editor.Alex V. Miller is a Professor at Millikin University where he teaches all levels of acting and stage combat, serves as Coordinator of Performance, Mainstage Director, Resident Fight Director, and is founder of and Executive Director for Shakespeare Corrected. Though his professional performance career has taken him from coast to coast, he currently lives on a small farm in Hammond, IL with his wife and two children.

“Critical Storytelling from behind Invisible Bars is a valuable read, giving female inmates a voice and reminding us of the human being behind a prisoner’s number or statistic and demonstrating how everybody is confronted with visible or invisible bars.” Lisa Krolak, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, in Learning Environments Research | Vol. 67 (2021), pp. 559–560.

• PrefaceNotes on ContributorsPrologueAlex V. Miller1 A Prisoner’s MelodySandra Brown, Jelissa Lovette and Alisha Walker2 BarcodeSandra Brown3 CagedJelissa Lovette4 The Forbidden & the ProhibitedSoren Belle5 Truth or DareSandra Brown6 The People I Met When the Sky Went DarkBric Martin7 The Great Wall of InsanityJ. M. Spence8 State of MindJelissa Lovette9 The CallSandra Brown10 Pivotal TimesAngie Oakes11 A Daughter’s SorrowSandra Brown12 Talking It out from the InsideCara Quiett13 Mother-Less ChildJelissa Lovette14 Not Waving, Not DrowningSandra Brown15 IsaacClaire Prendergast16 PrisonAngie Oaks17 Love Find MeJelissa Lovette18 Little Girl LostAngie Oakes19 Everlasting KissJelissa Lovette20 Backburner BitchAnonymous21 Love AliveKala Keller22 My DragonflyLaura Neering23 Puzzle Pieces in My EyesRebekah M. Icenesse24 Piece of MeJelissa Lovette25 Nothing New under the SunSandra Brown26 Living a Life with Invisible BarsKathlyn J. Housh27 Where Would I BeJelissa Lovette28 My OdysseySandra Brown29 What Makes Straight so Great?Dwight G. Brown, Jr.30 Nature’s SanctuaryAngie Oakes31 Nature’s Pride and PromiseCara Quiett32 Finding Stability in MotionMegan Batty33 Queen of SoulJelisa Lovette34 Melodies & RecipesCara Quiett35 Unanswered QuestionsPaiten Hamilton36 Gregory’s GiftSandra Brown37 Sentimental SyrupCara Quiett38 Perfection: A History of Me & My Multi-Colored ElephantsKathryn A. Coffey39 Final ThoughtsSandra Brown40 Stopping the Cycle: My Journey with Generational Body ImageKelly Cunningham41 My Four Opportunities to Grow UpNoah Villarreal42 My Last BowAmanda Minetti43 The EulogySandra Brown44 Yoga Me FreeCara Quiett45 MetamorphosisSandra BrownEpilogueCarmella J. Braniger, Rebekah M. Icenesse, Kathryn A. Coffey and Alex V. Miller

Carmella J. Braniger, Ph.D. (2003), Oklahoma State University, is Associate Professor of English at Millikin University. She has published poems and critical stories, including a story in Critical Storytelling in Uncritical Times (Sense, 2017), for which she served as editor.Kathryn Coffey is an undergraduate at Millikin University. She has had articles published on the Decaturian and BURST. She also has work published in Collage (Fall 2019).Rebekah Icenesse is an English Writing undergraduate at Millikin University. She has had articles published in BURST, and the Decaturian, where she serves as an editor.Alex V. Miller is a Professor at Millikin University where he teaches all levels of acting and stage combat, serves as Coordinator of Performance, Mainstage Director, Resident Fight Director, and is founder of and Executive Director for Shakespeare Corrected. Though his professional performance career has taken him from coast to coast, he currently lives on a small farm in Hammond, IL with his wife and two children.

“Critical Storytelling from behind Invisible Bars is a valuable read, giving female inmates a voice and reminding us of the human being behind a prisoner’s number or statistic and demonstrating how everybody is confronted with visible or invisible bars.” Lisa Krolak, UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, in Learning Environments Research | Vol. 67 (2021), pp. 559–560.

• PrefaceNotes on ContributorsPrologueAlex V. Miller1 A Prisoner’s MelodySandra Brown, Jelissa Lovette and Alisha Walker2 BarcodeSandra Brown3 CagedJelissa Lovette4 The Forbidden & the ProhibitedSoren Belle5 Truth or DareSandra Brown6 The People I Met When the Sky Went DarkBric Martin7 The Great Wall of InsanityJ. M. Spence8 State of MindJelissa Lovette9 The CallSandra Brown10 Pivotal TimesAngie Oakes11 A Daughter’s SorrowSandra Brown12 Talking It out from the InsideCara Quiett13 Mother-Less ChildJelissa Lovette14 Not Waving, Not DrowningSandra Brown15 IsaacClaire Prendergast16 PrisonAngie Oaks17 Love Find MeJelissa Lovette18 Little Girl LostAngie Oakes19 Everlasting KissJelissa Lovette20 Backburner BitchAnonymous21 Love AliveKala Keller22 My DragonflyLaura Neering23 Puzzle Pieces in My EyesRebekah M. Icenesse24 Piece of MeJelissa Lovette25 Nothing New under the SunSandra Brown26 Living a Life with Invisible BarsKathlyn J. Housh27 Where Would I BeJelissa Lovette28 My OdysseySandra Brown29 What Makes Straight so Great?Dwight G. Brown, Jr.30 Nature’s SanctuaryAngie Oakes31 Nature’s Pride and PromiseCara Quiett32 Finding Stability in MotionMegan Batty33 Queen of SoulJelisa Lovette34 Melodies & RecipesCara Quiett35 Unanswered QuestionsPaiten Hamilton36 Gregory’s GiftSandra Brown37 Sentimental SyrupCara Quiett38 Perfection: A History of Me & My Multi-Colored ElephantsKathryn A. Coffey39 Final ThoughtsSandra Brown40 Stopping the Cycle: My Journey with Generational Body ImageKelly Cunningham41 My Four Opportunities to Grow UpNoah Villarreal42 My Last BowAmanda Minetti43 The EulogySandra Brown44 Yoga Me FreeCara Quiett45 MetamorphosisSandra BrownEpilogueCarmella J. Braniger, Rebekah M. Icenesse, Kathryn A. Coffey and Alex V. Miller