How do you survive seven years in solitary confinement? The gift of literacy is what saved Shaka Senghor. Reading, journaling, academic study, and writing books was a way to structure and survive an inhumane, mentally toxic environment. And after 19 years in total behind bars, he was finally able to apply that gift and create employment for himself as a writer and organizational leader upon rejoining society.
Shaka joined Tyler to discuss his book Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison, what it was like to return to society not knowing the difference between the internet and a Word document, entrepreneurialism and humor in prison, the unexpected challenges formerly incarcerated people face upon release, his ideas for helping Detroit, what he connects with in Eastern philosophy, how he’s celebrating the upcoming anniversary of his tenth year of freedom, and more.
Follow Shaka on Twitter
Follow Tyler on Twitter
More CWT goodness:
Daniel Kahneman on Cutting Through the Noise
Paul Romer on the Unrivaled Joy of Scholarship
John Nye on Revisionist Economic History and Having Too Many Hobbies
Eric Schmidt on the Life-Changing Magic of Systematizing, Scaling, and Saying "Thanks" (Live)
Ben Thompson on Business and Tech
Rob Wiblin interviews Tyler on *Stubborn Attachments*
Paul Krugman on Politics, Inequality, and Following Your Curiosity
Bruno Maçães on the Spirit of Adventure
Michele Gelfand on Tight and Loose Cultures
Claire Lehmann on Speaking Freely
Michael Pollan on the Science and Sublimity of Psychedelics
Michelle Dawson on Autism and Atypicality
Vitalik Buterin on Cryptoeconomics and Markets in Everything
Juan Pablo Villarino on Travel and Trust
Elisa New on Poetry in America and Beyond
David Brooks on Youth, Morality, and Loneliness (Live at Mason)
Nassim Nicholas Taleb on Self-Education and Doing the Math (Plus special guest Bryan Caplan)
Bryan Caplan on Learning across Disciplines (Live at Mason Econ)
Balaji Srinivasan on the Power and Promise of the Blockchain
Agnes Callard on the Theory of Everything
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Navigating Life After 40
Teaching Learning Leading K-12
Regenerative Skills
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast