Hummingbird in Underworld

June 1, 2019
Tobola came to the California Men's Colony with a dream to make the arts program a lighthouse in the dreary sameness of prison life. But she must contend with multiple obstacles?how to choose inmates for her staff, the threat of budget cuts, the ever-rotating roster of students. She discovers that the real light comes from her students, who find poetry in prison. Tobola shares some of those poems, raw and deep, her pride shining through as she introduces each man, such as the gentleman robber or the smarmy computer know-it-all. Growing up, Tobola was drawn to the explosive arguments and proclamations of the men in her family, so different from the more reserved women. Enthralled by Little Women and determined to set her own course in life, she describes how her childhood amid violence and uncertainty prepared her for someday working with prison populations. With open-mindedness and empathy, Tobola explores how systemic issues play out in individuals' lives as they grasp for light in the darkness.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)