New York State Literary Center

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (NY)
August 10, 2007

He's packing street cred and a powerful pen
Claudia Vargas
Staff writer

Lemon walks into the classroom of 3-North, a juvenile section of the Monroe County Jail, and gathers about 20 young inmates around him

As he performs his poem about growing up poor, some of the teenagers laugh at his reference to the four-stripe fake Adidas sneakers he would buy from Payless ShoeSource.

Lemon, or Andrew Andersen, 32, is known for performing in Def Jam Poets on Broadway, which has won major awards. For two weeks, beginning July 30, the New York City-based urban poet is teaching jail inmates, ages 16 to 18, how to use writing as a form of expression.

Lemon's visit is part of the Arts, Literacy, and The Classroom Community � a collaboration involving the New York State Literary Center, Rochester School District's Youth and Justice Program, and the Monroe County Sheriff's Office � that is funded by the New York state Council of the Arts.

Lemon said he liked to teach the teenage inmates by sharing his hardships of growing up in Brooklyn and spending time in jail. Most of the young inmates have been incarcerated because they are poor, he said.

"They see I have the sneakers they are selling drugs on the street to get," Lemon said.

Lemon's workshops are part of Marty Hardisky's morning and afternoon English classes for inmates who have not completed their high school education and do not have a general equivalency diploma, said jail Sgt. Tom Sarkis. Hardisky is a teacher with the Youth and Justice Program.

Inmates from the morning and afternoon classes will convene today to showcase their work for a select audience, said Dale Davis, executive director for the New York State Literary Center.

The goal of the program, she said, is to educate the young inmates about the written word "and bring an audience to change the stereotype" of inmates.

One of the students � like other inmates in this story, he is not identified because he is a minor � said he is looking forward to performing one of his written works, but is concerned about memorizing it.

The piece he will likely perform today, If you would know me, you would know, describes how he grew up.

This is his first time in jail, the 17-year-old said, and he wishes he was home.

"I just got greedy," he said. "I come from a loving family."

Margaret Porter of the Youth and Justice Program said alternative ways of teaching usually work best with the young inmates.

"We want to improve literacy and increase their self-esteem so they can find a job when they get out or go back to school and know they can be successful as learners."

Lemon used the first week to focus the inmates on writing, the second week on presenting their written words at the performance.

During the three-hour workshops, Lemon worked with the inmates individually, suggesting ways to strengthen their writing.

"Try to edit it after you memorize it ... because this isn't as tight," he said to a student who had written a four-stanza poem. Lemon explained to the inmates that they have to write for the ear and some words sound better than others. So if they memorize it first, they will know what doesn't sound right.

Lemon said he does not teach a specific style of poetry � some of his students might choose to rhyme, others might not. "I let them free write, then tighten it," Lemon said.

He also works to expand their vocabulary beyond the common words in their life, such as guns, he said. "At first, I use their language, but then I put a thesaurus in front of them."

Lemon got into reading and writing while he was in and out of jail, from ages 16 to 19. "My mentors were the corrections officers. They would give me books to read."

His first job coming out of jail 12 years ago was performing his poems with a theater troupe. He couldn't find a job anywhere else because of his criminal record, he said. "I was introduced to the arts... and they don't discriminate" against people with a criminal record, Lemon said.

Since then, he has participated in a number of off-Broadway shows and is currently working for the American Place Theatre in New York City.

"Everyone else like me became a rapper," he said. "I'm the only one doing off-Broadway shows."

During his time working in the Monroe County Jail, Lemon has provided motivation to many of the juvenile inmates, Davis said. "Some of the morning kids like to come back to the afternoon class ... they are really motivated. And that's what we wanted to see.'

A 17-year-old inmate, who is serving a second sentence, said he was inspired by Lemon and wants to be an actor when he gets out.

"(Lemon) went through the same thing I went through and showed there's other ways to hustle," the teenager said.

That's one of the things Lemon said he enjoys about being teaching young inmates: "Here's a chance to get them before they get themselves."