Category: Editor’s Note

Greetings friends! Welcome to our latest issue, 28.05/06, of The Beat Within.  We are thrilled to bring you our latest issue of writing and art from the inside and beyond.  This week OT, has plenty to share and with space being a premium,  let’s cut to the chase and pass the keyboard to our dear colleague. “Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.” -Drake Before I get into my message, I would like to let y’all know that this editorial note is dedicated to the great writers and colleagues inside San Quentin that contribute, write

The latest Beat is back in your hands with more insightful writing and art for you amazing supporters, friends, colleagues, partners, writers and artists. This latest issue, 28.03/04, which you are holding will certainly give you plenty of inspiration and insights as you flip from page to page, while reading many of the different entries from around the state and beyond. It’s OT coming to you guys live and direct.  This latest editorial note was inspired by one of the writing prompts this week which was the words from the wise quote of the week. “I really get motivated when

Happy 2023 to all you wonderful readers, writers, artists, followers, friends, associates, colleagues, and the curious.  Welcome to the first issue of the new year! As is our tradition at The Beat Within, we will showcase all the covers from our past year of 2022.  We truly had plenty of amazing artists sharing their talents with The Beat Within community, and we anticipate more of the same going into this new year. If you see a cover you might have missed, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and request the issue you need.  As always, OT is

Season Greetings friends and lovers of The Beat Within. We truly appreciate all your support in helping us be the best possible program we can be.  26 years and counting, what a journey! We are totally grateful for what you courageously bring to the table, if you are a writer, an artist, a facilitator, typist, supporter or community partner. We could not do this work without you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all you do. This is truly a team effort. What you have in your hands is our year end issue.  50 weeks of writing

It’s hard to believe the Winter Holidays are upon us.  We want to wish you and your family and friends the best holiday season and new year, as we all aim to make 2023 the best year yet!  We are super grateful to our holiday artists this year, from our latest cover artist, Michael Sperling, to Olegario Ambriz to our young star, Elder in San Mateo.  All this amazing work if not showcased in this latest issue, will be shared in our year end issue, and our holiday letter/eblast to our friends, colleagues and supporters. It’s that time once again

It’s hard to believe we are into the last month of the year,  and the Winter holidays and 2023 are quickly approaching. Where did these last 11 months go? We certainly hope when you look back you will be fine with how your life is unfolding, if not, we hope you have the will power to do something different to improve your health and wellbeing. Wow, what a year of great work for The Beat Within, and we anticipate plenty of the same going into this next chapter. As always, we warmly welcome you readers new and old, back for

Greetings friends!  We want to welcome you readers back to another edition of The Beat Within.  This latest issue truly shines with plenty of great writings from our weekly workshops with the young people (and the adults) inside and outside of the system.  We are very proud of the great work coming out of our groups and want to extend a big thanks for all of you contributors. It is hard to believe the year is ending soon and 2023 is right around the corner!  We must thank our partners, friends, collaborators and you writers and artists who step up

It has been one heck of a busy year for The Beat Within.  As most of you know, we have been doing the good workday in and day out in our efforts to bring the best program to the sites we visit, and of course bring you the one and only publication that truly matters when it comes to giving voice to those within the walls of the system and beyond.   As we put the final touches on this latest issue, we take a moment to look ahead to 2023, and we certainly anticipate more of the same work

Twenty-six years of service!  What an amazing journey it has been for all of us involved with The Beat Within. It is hard to believe we have been doing this good work, day in and day out for this long.  We have had the great privilege of meeting so many amazing people, inside and outside, along the way.  We have all learned so much about ourselves, our communities and our neighbors through these meaningful interactions we have had over the years. We strive to be the best program possible, first and foremost to the youth we serve, and to our

Happy 26th anniversary to The Beat Within! It is a blessing to say that we have been going strong for this long! Who would have ever imagined The Beat Within would be touching so many lives? The power of our program speaks volumes as we continue to stay true to our mission to provide incarcerated youth (and adults) with consistent opportunities to share their ideas and life experiences in a safe space that encourages literacy, self-expression, some critical thinking skills, and healthy, supportive relationships with adults and their community. Outside of the juvenile justice system, The Beat Within partners with