THE POWER OF SELF-EXPRESSION
The students and graduates of POPS the Club have educated, inspired, and motivated their fellow students, their teachers, their parents, their communities and strangers with their wisdom and the deep truths expressed in their conversation, in their writing, and in their artwork. Sampled here are the many ways we share our powerful stories. POPS students are also published weekly on the Good Men Project .
POPS VOICES
STUDENT WRITING
A small sampling of the powerful stories and poems produced by the students of POPS. For a more comprehensive collection, we invite you to read our anthologies and visit the Good Men Project, which publishes the work of a POPS student each week.
OUR QUARTERLY LETTER
Get to know more about our organization and the students we serve. We will keep you updated on our growth, success, and introduce you to resilient POPS club members through their powerful histories and stories. Find out more about our upcoming events and other ways to make a difference in young lives.
A Story of Healing and Generosity
POPS ART
VISUAL ART
POPS students tell their stories in many different forms–some write, some sing, some dance, and some of the most powerful tales are evident in the drawings and paintings they create.
POPS FILMS
We live in a visual world and POPS students performances on film has expanded the reach of their work. We invite you to share this experience made possible through the generosity of filmmakers, filmmaking teachers, and funders. To view all our video content, please visit our VIMEO and YouTube platforms.
POPS PUBLISHING
ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY
Each year POPS publishes a book collection of the poetry, stories and artwork created by members of POPS the Club. These books are healing for families, relished by students from elementary school through college, described by wardens as rehabilitation tools, and praised by librarians and educators. As POPS expands, so will the number of publications.
We Got Game
6th POPS Anthology
In the Key of Love
5th POPS Anthology 2018
Cracked Masks
4th POPS Anthology 2017 BUY ON AMAZON
Before There Were Bars
3rd POPS Anthology 2016 BUY ON AMAZON
POPS stories change hearts and minds.
I picked up the POPS anthologies and prepared to experience the cute efforts of poor little kids. By the second page I had a fist in my throat and burning eyes. I was laugh-choking silently. I felt transported by the vulnerability and grace of the poetry to a pre-cynical place wiser than all the news in my feed. The POPS anthologies are a masterpiece of light-handed art: stories and perspectives from the children who pay the price of a growing carceral state. Reading this work forces us to see the human deficit of torn families and spirals of harm our worship of non-restorative procedural justice propagates. Above all, the bittersweet richness in these books comes from the hope and resilience present on the page. Without shame, the young writers present in these pages use their skill and clarity to find both solace for themselves, and salvation for all of us.
—Robert Pollock, teaching artist and Prison and Justice Writing Program Manager, PEN America
POPS NEWS
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT POPS
Locked Away: The Toll of Mass Incarceration on Students
By the time she reached high school, Bianca Lopez had been labeled a “bad student” for talking loudly and talking back in class.
POPS EVENTS
Photos of our book launches, galas and other community events.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Mass incarceration is an issue that affects everyone. Here are some reliable resources to understand the scope of the problem.
