Is Writing Enough? Creativity, Incarceration, and Trauma
Time: Jan. 29, 2026, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location: (times and location T.B.D.)
Part of the Syracuse Symposium series.
Conventional wisdom says that creative self-expression is a path to healing and recovery for those who have experienced harm, particularly when that harm is compounded by the criminal legal system. Many of us can recall the power and poetry of prose and verse penned by incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. But is this power sometimes overstated?
While creativity is a human impulse that empowers and can facilitate healing, many justice-impacted people have experienced harms through systems that cannot be surmounted simply through the act of creative self-expression. In this public talk hosted by Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition, Moira Marquis and Johnny Page engage in conversation on the complexities of creativity for justice-impacted people before sharing examples of creative expression.
A writers workshop is planned for Friday, Jan. 30.
About the presenters:
Dr. Moira Marquis is the Manager of Higher Education Partnerships at the Petey Greene Program, which delivers educational programming to thousands of justice-impacted people throughout the country. She has a PhD in English from UNC Chapel Hill and her writing can be found in academic and popular publications including the forthcoming Cambridge Companion to American Prison Writing, Slate and Time Magazine Her book, Thought Threats, which tells the story of censorship in the history of America's prisons is forthcoming from UNC Press.
Johnny Page is a storyteller, systems thinker, and transformative leader committed to shifting the narratives around justice, healing, and community leadership. As Executive Director of ConTextos Chicago, he leads initiatives that use personal narrative, storytelling, and collective authorship to disrupt cycles of violence, uplift lived experiences, and promote healing-centered engagement.
A formerly incarcerated leader, Johnny draws from his own journey to empower system-impacted individuals to reclaim their voices and reshape their futures. His work bridges the gap between policy, practice, and personal experience, centering dignity and truth in every space he enters.
Whether through writing, public speaking, or institutional advocacy, Johnny brings authenticity and insight to complex conversations around trauma, reentry, education, public safety, and justice. His leadership is grounded in a deep belief that community is both the site and source of lasting change.