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“For many of us, [books] are our escape, a figurative (and sometimes literal) doorway to freedom.” “I am a lifer with no parole. Have no family alive anymore. Y’all are the only communication I’ve had.” “My facility banned books for a few months but now the ban is lifted! Yay!”

The @prisonerlitproject is "an inclusive, all-volunteer, grassroots nonprofit whose purpose is to encourage reading, the pursuit of knowledge, and self-determination among incarcerated people". Its Berkeley headquarters, the largest nonprofit of its kind in the Bay Area, takes requests for books while working with the various individual prison reading restrictions and books labeled as contraband to fulfill book requests behind bars by sending 3- 5 books with a handwritten note. Read more at @berkeleyside here: https://www.berkeleyside.org/2026/07/02/berkeleys-prisoners-literature-project or at the link in our bio. by @bayareafippp

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2 days ago

"... I honestly believe the key to my success as an actor and my progress as a person has been the very lack of self that used to make me feel so anxious and insecure. I always wondered why I could feel others' pain so deeply, why I could recognize the somebody in the nobody. It's because I didn't have a self to get in the way." - Thandiwe Newton

October 1 kicked off National Bullying Prevention Month! Words have power. Bullying can have devastating effects on self-esteem and mental health. And it can start with a simple message or harsh word and quickly spiral out of control into hate speech or even violence. It can happen anywhere at any time. TED Talks has a series of 13 talks curated by Monica Lewinsky to help us understand and prevent bullying, covering everything from the inventor of the Buddy Bench to help bullied kids in school to learning from the shame of being a bully to overcoming mockery due to an accent or a stutter. #stopbullying #kindness #kindnessmatters Watch here: https://blog.ed.ted.com/.../monica-lewinskys-favorite.../ by @bayareafippp

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3 days ago

“Every book on this list is a reminder that readers have the right to explore ideas and decide for themselves what to read.”

"Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou. It's #BannedBooksWeek, and this year’s theme is “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read.” This year’s Banned Books Week coincides with the @americanlibraryassociation’s official 150th anniversary. To mark the occasion, ALA has released a list of the 150 most challenged books documented from 1990 through 2025. Check out the ALA's full list here: ala150.org/150books by @bayareafippp

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4 days ago

PERFORMANCE DATE ANNOUNCED! FIPPP launched a pilot Narrative Nonfiction Storytelling Workshop at Berkeley Adult School that has brought together one of our directors, Wayne Harris, our Co-Executive Director, Dylan Russell, and one of our very talented performers, Anthony Michael Jefferson "AJ," expanding our impact by bringing our storytelling skills into the classroom. We're pleased to announce our joint performance in Berkeley on October 20 at 7 PM! Come see our performers, Pharaoh Brooks and Tony Cyprien, on stage with the students of our workshop, sharing their stories. The event is open to the public and free, but registration is encouraged. Sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/wm86nz9k by @bayareafippp

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4 days ago

FIPPP Director Wayne Harris is back with "America...a dream deferred," at @themarshtheater for two nights on October 9 and October 16, which features a special post-show talkback with Movement Voter Project! Master storyteller Wayne Harris brings us a compilation of personal and historical stories that look at life in America through the lens of somebody who has lived a little. Experiences and revelations that confirm the old adage that: “History does not repeat itself, but it certainly rhymes.”
Get your tickets for the two Friday night shows at the Marsh in Berkeley on 10/9 and 10/16 here: https://themarsh.org/shows_and_events/wayne-harris-america/ by @bayareafippp

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5 days ago

Join FlPPP's voice coach @iamcjsings and Randy Craig for a Broadway & Show Tunes sing-along when #SongCircle returns to @themarshtheater on Monday, October 12! There’s nothing that brings people together better than singing our favorite songs. It recalls summer nights around the campfire: someone strumming the guitar and everyone singing.

Nobody has to worry about whether you know the songs or can sing like a pro. This is our chance to share the joy of singing simply for the fun of it. Learn more about the @amateurmusicnetwork, Song Circle, and register here: https://amateurmusic.org/info/workshop/songcircle/ by @bayareafippp

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6 days ago

"In states like California, librarians trying to purchase materials must first ensure their asks adhere to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)’s “Disapproved Publications” list*. They must further contend with weekly updates of this list, which prompt the removal of items already part of the established collection."

It's #BannedBooksWeek (October 4–10, 2026), which celebrates free and open access to information and draws national attention to the perils of censorship. @bookriot examines censorship in prison and how librarians can provide strong service to those experiencing incarceration. Read more at Book Riot: https://bookriot.com/internal-censorship-in-prisons/ by @bayareafippp

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6 days ago

TONIGHT is the I WAS, AM, WILL BE Release Party + Artist Showcase hosted by FIPPP Fellow Anthony “The Chef” Jefferson "AJ", from 6:30–9:00 PM from 6:30–9:00 PM at @discover_community_cafe (207 Louise Street, Oakland, CA).

The night will feature raw storytelling, dramatic performances, a short film, "Affirmations (Why Write)" world premiere, live music, a live Q&A and community discussion facilitated by AJ, and special giveaways—all in celebration of the release of I Was, Am, Will Be by author J.R. Rice. Jon AJ, J.R. Rice, and a team of Bay Area creative superheroes assemble for the official release of I WAS, AM, WILL BE. Preorder the book or RSVP here: https://jrrice.com/ by @bayareafippp

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9 days ago

"Sometimes there are things I wouldn't have a venue to talk about that I would just internalize, without being able to express it or ask, and when I get on stage and talk about this stuff, even when I'm just practicing, it sincerely nourishes my soul." - Gerald Cypert

Learn more about some of our current and former performers in "Voices of FIPPP," featuring Christina Aanestad, Gerald Cypert, Anthony Michael, Al Sasser, Tylon Sizemore & Algiin Ford, in their own voices in this short film produced by the FIPPP Resident Filmmaker, Jim Granato, for the 2026 FIPPP Festival. Watch here: https://youtu.be/VQl_502NCKE by @bayareafippp

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9 days ago

"The work of artists and journalists who are incarcerated is a lifeline, creating ways of spreading information within and beyond prison walls in the face of a system that seeks to deny the humanity of its population."

There's a long history, since the 1800s, of people incarcerated inside U.S. prisons printing their own newspapers. Beyond being an avenue to share first-hand accounts and experiences of the conditions of life behind bars, it's also an avenue to create art and use design and artmaking skills. The @chicago_reader examines the prison press and how it creates connections between people inside and out. Explore the world of ‘prison papers’ here: https://tinyurl.com/ys3xrzx5 by @bayareafippp

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10 days ago

" ...more than 75% of incarcerated workers report that they are required to work or face additional punishment, according to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union."

Today is the last day of #CivicAwarenessMonth. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime when you are behind bars. For Labor Day, @prisonjournalism asked their contributors, three incarcerated writers, to weigh in on the minimal training and compensation ("12 to 15 cents" an hour) and sometimes vital societal function of their day jobs. Read more here: https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2026/09/03/jobs-in-prison/ by @bayareafippp

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11 days ago

At FIPPP, we develop and present stories by formerly incarcerated people, with the goal of changing the world, one story at a time. Since our founding six years ago, we have grown into a full-fledged theater company with a team of eight professional theater directors and twenty formerly incarcerated performers. FIPPP works year-round. Now that the FIPPP Festival is over, we are stepping onto Bay Area stages, large and small, to share these important stories. Visit our “SEE FIPPP ON STAGE” tab to see what we have coming up: https://fippp.org/see-fippp-on-stage

Interested in bringing FIPPP in for a show, panel, or training? Please contact Dylan at dylan@fippp.org to learn how you can work with FIPPP. by @bayareafippp

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12 days ago