Changing Lives Through Literature part 2 of 4: Interview with Ken, CLTL student, Boston, MA

The following set of blog posts summarizes the work I have done with an organization called Changing Lives Through Literature (CLTL). This second post, “Interview with Ken,” highlights the unique interview I conducted while at Boston’s Dorchester Court House. I believe a program similar to CLTL could succeed in Canada, but it will require a great deal of lobbying and effort by committed individuals. Now that I am finished my Master of Arts degree, perhaps I will begin this process.

Ken

Built in Boston’s densely populated inner city, the Dorchester men’s CLTL program is by far the largest, graduating a cohort of 37 men last year and requiring a staff of eight, including two English professors (Taylor Stoehr and Bert Stern), three to four probation officers, a judge, and two former program participants. The class meets for ten weekly sessions of ninety minutes each and uses Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of an American Slave as a primary text. Ken is a graduate from that large cohort who promptly arrived to meet me at the Dorchester District Courthouse to cover for a last minute interview cancellation.

When asked about his experience in CLTL, Ken particularly appreciated the feedback he received on written assignments:

[CLTL] opened up my way of thinking a whole lot differently. I found myself writing about stuff that I wasn’t even thinking about. And the more I wrote, once I started writing I couldn’t stop. . . Taylor, when he used to give us comments, he said I got a knack for [writing]. Now I want to write my own autobiography one day . . . [Taylor] gave me a lot of input and he gave me some places where I can go if I want to go to school, you know? Like, who to contact for loans or whatever . . . after you graduate you get this booklet, when they read it, they was like, wow man you got some talent . . . [Taylor and Bert] knew I had a real talent in writing, and Taylor he really made me feel good, his comments . . . I felt real good about myself after that.

When asked whether or not CLTL changed his opinions of other people, Ken recalled being struck by a story the presiding judge told during a group session:

We had a judge there, and he made a movie, a documentary about his father. About how him and his father didn’t really get along, and his father was a just a provider and this and that, but there was no connection. And we talked about how a male child needs is his father; even though a girl needs her father too. So, we touched a lot of subjects like that. Which was good because like I said it opened up different avenues of my mind. You know what I’m saying? My brain. Where before I wouldn’t even think of something like that. I started writing you know and I enjoy it . . .

Aside from the interaction between the instructors and students, that he and his classmates mainly agreed to take CLTL to get six months taken off of their probation:

Some dudes told stories about how what his father did to him to make him do what he’s doing and how he was sleeping in abandoned buildings, and his alcoholism and things like that . . . A lot of people had a lot of different stories. And I think they felt the same way that I felt: that they didn’t realize that they was going to be talking about this stuff. You know what I’m saying? You know, like you going in and you’re like, I’m just going to read some books. But a lot of people opened up.

Ken’s statements reveal that, along with literature, writing, and the facilitators, interactions between class  participants are another important part of CLTL. Ken’s indication that “they felt the same way that I felt” indicates sentiments of empathy amongst the group.

My next post will summarize my interview with former CLTL participant, Ken. Please leave comments or check other posts I’ve written for the CLTL blog, Changing Lives Changing Minds:

Book Review: “Missing Sarah” by Maggie de Vries

Has the Torch Been Passed? A Review of the 2008 Annual Conference

A Different Light: Report from the 2009 Changing Lives Through Literature Conference

Starting and Maintaining a CLTL Juvenile Program: An Interview with Michael Habib

[Via http://allanmcdougall.wordpress.com]

JAY-Z ON THE COVER OF XXL

IN PREPARATION FOR HIS FORTH COMING ALBUM “BLUEPRINT 3″ JAY-Z WILL BE GRACING THE COVER OF THE OCTOBER ISSUE OF XXL MAGAZINE. YOU KNEW THAT WAS COMING THOUGH RIGHT? ALSO AS THE LEAKS KEEP COMING, BELOW IS A DOWNLOAD OF A NEW TRACK PRODUCED BY TIMBALAND  CALLED “VENUS VS. MARS”. IN MY PERSONAL OPINION IT’S HIS BEST LYRICAL PERFORMANCE SO FAR OF ALL THE BP3 LEAKS AND SINGLES. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD:

VENUS VS. MARS MP3

[Via http://djdsharp.wordpress.com]

Couch to 5K success story: an interview with Erik

I had mentioned before that I would like to share interview’s of people who have used the C25K as a way to become more fit and healthier. My hopes were that these interviews would bring us closer as a running community as well  encourage those of us who needed some more motivation.  I asked Erik a few weeks ago if he could share his experience(s) of running with us. He gladly agreed and below you’ll read his road to running success.

In his comments below Erik tells us how he started running and in what ways he prepares himself for the race.

Thanks again Erik for sharing your experience with Couch to 5K. Keep up the good work!

Read on…

1. Question: Tell us a little bit about yourself. What do you do for a living? Are you a exercise/fitness buff?

Answer: I’m a system admin for a company that creates custom voice-over-IP telephony solutions.

2. Question: How did you discover Couch to 5K running plan? Were you physically active before starting the C25K?

Answer: I used to be very active in high school, running long-distance events in track and field, but 10 years of college and working in IT took their toll on my body.  I put on close to 70 lbs.  I finally decided to start running again after reading an article on the Couch-to-5K running program on Lifehacker.  I knew I needed to start out running shorter distances and work my way up, but I didn’t have any idea how to go about doing it, and I liked that the C25K intervals were already well-thought-out.

3. Question: What were your goals when you started the C25K plan?

Answer: My primary goal was to lose weight.  The weight I had put on since high school was causing me a lot of back pain.  I also had a couple friends that got themselves into shape after years of being inactive, and they were a real inspiration to me.

4. Question: How do you fit in the workout in your daily routine? What do you do to keep yourself motivated?

Answer: I usually run in the evening after work.  I do most of my running on the treadmill in the fitness center at the apartment complex where I live, but I’ve recently been doing a bit of outdoor running in the morning before I leave for work.  I have done a couple 5K runs now, and I’ve been planning other ones to keep myself motivated.  My goal is to continue to improve my time each time I run a 5K, and that is what is keeping me motivated.

5. Question: What iPhone apps / gadgets do you use for your workouts?

Answer: I’ve gone all the way through the C25K app and am almost done with week 8 of the GW28K app.  I also have been using RunKeeper Pro to track my outdoor runs.  I’ve been trying to do a small 20-minute run in the morning if I know I won’t be able to do a C25K/GW28K run that evening, just to keep myself going.

6. Question: So, you’ve completed a few 5K races and are about to do another one soon. What’s your best time? How did you get there?

Answer: Shortly after I began doing C25K, I attempted a 5K for a couple reasons: 1) to see if I could finish, and 2) so I would know how much I improved as a result of doing the program.  I finished in 50 minutes even.  Just over 3 months later, after completing the C25K workouts and beginning the first few weeks of the GW28K runs, I ran another 5K run last month and improved from 50:00 to 36:36.  I’ve got another one planned for September and my goal is to get under 34 minutes.

7. Question: What do you do to prepare for the race day? How is running a race different than your regular 5K run?

Answer: I usually eat a big meal the night before, and then no breakfast the morning of the race.  I eat an energy bar about half an hour before the race, and drink a little Gatorade to hydrate myself.  Race day is different from my normal runs in that most of my workouts have been on a treadmill, so it’s different when you’re running outside.  You use different muscles than you do running on a treadmill, so I’ve experienced a lot of muscle aches the day after a race.  I’ve been running more outside recently to try to build up those leg muscles I don’t use as much on the treadmill.

8. Question: How has doing the Couch to 5K program changed your life? Did you become more active or loose weight, etc?

Answer: So far I’ve lost 30 lbs, lost 4 inches in my waist, and gone down 2 shirt sizes.  I’ve also started personal training to build more muscle in my upper-body, something that running doesn’t really address.  Overall I’m much more active than I used to be, and I just feel so much better.  I can go to a place like the county fair for a couple hours and walk around and not feel pain in my lower back.

9. Question: What would you recommend to someone thinking about starting the Couch to 5K program?

Answer: I highly recommend it.  When I started, I had trouble moving to the second week’s workouts.  I couldn’t even run 3 minutes without being completely worn out.  Now I’m running two 20-minute intervals, and I’ll be stepping it up to 25-minute intervals later this week.  Set goals for yourself.  Register for one or two 5K runs a few months down the line when you’ll be done with the C25K program.  The fact that you are already registered will give you something to work towards.  Set realistic goals for yourself, and keep setting new ones as you achieve each of them.

10. Question: Anything else you’d like to add?

Answer: The C25K and GW28K apps have been a huge reason for my success, so I’d like to thank Alex for his hard work.  It’s a lot easier to have the voice cues telling you when to run/walk than it is keeping track of it on the treadmill’s timer, or carrying a stopwatch with you and constantly checking it.

[Via http://blog.c25kapp.com]