When Emily Dickenson originally submitted some of her poems for publication, she received a rejection letter that noted: "They are quite as remarkable for defects as for beauties and are generally devoid of true poetical qualities."   I'm sure Miss Dickenson found this initially disheartening, but that certainly didn't stop her from finding a way to publish her poems to a more receptive and appreciative audience.

Escaped Poetry might equally be described as "remarkable for defects as for beauties" as the poetry within was written by poets unschooled in the structures and rules of modern poetry writing—what  Emily's critic called the "true poetical qualities." The authors of these poems are inmates of Tennessee prisons.   Their poetry is raw, real, and remarkable in expressing their unique perceptions and experiences.