Since 2014, HWM has been reporting on Rikers Island, which is why it was great to hear about authors Graham Rayman and Reuven Blau’s new book “Rikers: An Oral History.”
Join the reading with authors Graham Rayman and Reuven Blau on Thursday, April 20th, 2023.
“In Rikers, Graham Rayman and Reuven Blau shatter a century-old code of silence by skillfully amplifying the words of the people who have been there—those who have been detained in horrific conditions, those who work there in desperate circumstances, and those who are responsible for an institution where it costs more than half a million dollars a year to incarcerate one person. This mesmerizing and gut-wrenching book shows the brutal realities that tens of thousands of people have been forced to navigate, and survive, in America’s most notorious jail.”—Piper Kerman, New York Times bestselling author of Orange Is the New Black
“I read Rikers like a wildly disturbing novel too mesmerizing to put down. As a journalist, I’m awed that such a book is even possible. How could anyone capture this detailed a view from inside the beast? Somehow, Rayman and Blau have pulled it off. This is one of the most impressive pieces of journalism I’ve ever read.”—Sebastian Junger, #1 New York Times bestselling author of War, Tribe, and The Perfect Storm
“Rikers is a profound examination of a storied facility. It is simply a must-read for anyone interested in ending mass incarceration or the history of prisons and jails. The stories within highlight the sheer cruelty of the corrections system, the resounding hope of the people trapped within, and the possibilities of something altogether new and better. A stunning work.”—DeRay Mckesson, activist and author of On the Other Side of Freedom
The BHS Social Action Committee hosts this event with the Katal Center for Equity Health and Justice to spotlight this seminal account of the humanitarian crisis that demands both attention and action.
Spread the word regarding the book “Rikers: An Oral History,” join the event to hear extraordinary interviewers and discuss the book’s implications.
Special guests will present authentic accounts.
“Together we will decide how we can use what we’ve learned.”
An in-person event with a Zoom option
Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, 131 Remsen Street (between Henry and Clinton) Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, 11201, 718.522.2070, https://bhsbrooklyn.org/
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