Prose, Cons, and Fat Cat

Poetry in prison isn’t just a Saturday Night Live skit from the ‘80’s (the classic “Prose and Cons” starring Eddie Murphy). For poetry therapist Regina Krummel, it’s a vocation. And not only for cons but for "ordinary neurotics" like you and me. Regina is a longtime Norwalk resident and Professor Emeritus of English Lit at CUNY. In prisons, she works with people locked up for everything from drugs to embezzlement. “They delude themselves into thinking they’re right and everybody else is wrong," she says. Writing poetry helps them take a look at themselves and how they got there. Regina has worked with inmates at prisons from Riker’s Island to the maximum security Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for women, often in tandem with a psychologist. She's amazed at how many prisoners seem to respond. “We’re really reaching people with words,” she says. Back to us ordinary neurotics. We can take a session at Fat Cat Joe’s on Wall Street, where Regina leads a poetry group on the third Sunday of every month. Open to anyone who’s interested, the group tends to attract people who are dealing with everyday strife: Divorce, job changes and so on. Members write poems and read them aloud. There’s time for comment and reflection on everyone’s pieces. “The people we get are functioning, willing and able to talk about how they feel,” Regina says. “That’s how a community should work, people having a place they can go to and relax and relate for a couple of hours.” Got something to get off your chest? Email poetry@norwalkart.org for info on this month’s meeting.

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