When the Smoke Cleared: Attica Prison Poems and Journal

Celes Tisdale, a poet and professor, started poetry workshops at Attica prison in 1971, creating a space of radical Black creativity and solidarity. His students' poems were published as Betcha Aint: Poems from Attica in 1974. When the Smoke Cleared includes Tisdale's own poems and journal entries from his time teaching at Attica, offering a unique perspective on the prison and its poets.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 152 pages
Publication date: 08 November 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

Following the Attica prison uprising in September 1971, Celes Tisdale, a poet and then professor at Buffalo State College, initiated a series of poetry workshops with the incarcerated individuals at Attica. These workshops served as a transformative platform for Black creativity and solidarity, providing a space for poets who had firsthand experiences during the uprising to channel their emotions into poetic expressions. The resulting works, compiled in the book "Betcha Aint: Poems from Attica" in 1974, showcased the profound impact of Tisdale's workshop on the lives of his students.

In addition to the published poems, "When the Smoke Cleared" offers a unique glimpse into Tisdale's personal journey as an educator at Attica. Through his journal entries, readers gain a firsthand account of his experiences entering the prison as an educator and returning week after week to engage in poetry discussions with his students. These entries provide a profound understanding of the challenges and rewards of teaching in aarcerated setting, as well as the historical significance of the Attica prison uprising in shaping the lives of Black prisoners and their communities.

"When the Smoke Cleared" not only celebrates the artistic achievements of the Attica poets but also sheds light on their unwavering desire for self-determination and their historical role as storytellers of Black life in a prison system dominated by white guards and administrators. The book serves as a testament to the power of art and education in challenging oppressive systems and promoting social change.

Weight: 249g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478018940