Joshua Wells is a poet and spoken word artist, a guitarist, a singer, and a songwriter, incurable coffee snob with an eclectic music obsessions and a passion for great art of all kinds. During his time in the Wisconsin prison system, he had the great privilege to join and eventually lead the program Prose & Cons, a writing group that uses poetry to restore voice to those society or systems have deemed worthless and rendered voiceless. He is now devoted to expand he Prose & Cons program throughout Wisconsin, and remains driven by a belief that the power of poetry and narrative shared openly and honestly can reach hearts, change minds, and restore community.

In this clip you will hear a poem written by Josh Wells along side a blurb from his and Dasha Kelly Hamilton's conversation that further articulates some of the ideas he covers in his poem.

"I Hate the Dark" by Josh Wells

Jeffery Bodine is a self proclaimed everyday spoken word poetry writer. He credits Dasha Kelly Hamilton for blessing him with her raw spoken-word-talent, and for unfolding his three powerful souls filled with a treasure of love, joy, inspiration, happiness, history and spoken words that you will always love.

In this clip you will first hear a poem written by Jeffery Bodine during a group poetry workshop led by Dasha Kelly Hamilton. It is followed by Bodine's explanation of his thinking, and inspiration behind the message of his poem "I Know Why Rain Falls Upon the Ground".

"I Know Why Rain Falls Upon the Ground"  by Jeffery Bodine

He spent 15 years of his life in prison, including 10 years in solitary confinement. Inspired by the direct impact of his experience, his career has been largely focused on mass-incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, police involved injustice, racial inequality, and violence prevention. Currently, Minister Muab-El is the President of All of Us or None Wisconsin, a grassroots effort geared towards decarcerating Wisconsin, dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and ending police involved injustice, and is also a co-founder of multiple a violence prevention initiatives in the Wisconsin.

In this clip you will first hear a poem written by Caliph Muab'El during a group poetry workshop led by Dasha Kelly Hamilton. It is followed by Muab'El's explanation of his thinking, and inspiration behind the message of his poem "I Know Why Geese Fly in a V-Shape".

"I Know Why Geese Fly in a V-Shape" by Caliph Muab'El

Andron’s personal mission is simple - “to give back and nurture the community he grew up in and loves.” An innovator as well as a fitness and mindfulness practitioner, Andron also launched his own business which focuses on individual goal setting, empowerment and health lifestyle choices.

In this clip you will first hear a poem written by Andron Lane during a group poetry workshop led by Dasha Kelly Hamilton. It is followed by Lane's explanation of his thinking, and inspiration behind the message of his poem "I Know Why Tears Evaporate".

"I Know Why Tears Evaporate" by Andron Lane

In this clip you will first hear a poem written by Ventae during a group poetry workshop led by Dasha Kelly Hamilton. It is followed by Ventae's explanation of his thinking, and inspiration behind the message of his poem "I Know Why We Create 'The Most High' in Our Own Image".

"I Know Why We Create 'The Most High' in Our Own Image" by Ventae

In this clip, you will hear Fontaine Baker recite a poem from a phone inside a Wisconsin correctional facility. Fontaine was one of the first students and a leader of Prose and Cons, a poetry workshop series initially led by Dasha Kelly Hamilton in Racine Correctional Facility.

"I Know Why Tears Evaporate" by Andron Lane

Wisconsin Humanities

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