How reading can transform your life (w/ Reginald Dwayne Betts)

“We have tried to create a system devoid of beauty, and it has failed. We have never tried to create a system that is replete with beauty and ask us what it might do.” Reginald Dwayne Betts is a poet, a lawyer, and a prison reform advocate. In this episode, he joins Chris to discuss the detrimental effects of prison systems and how lack of resources and the lack of beauty in prison perpetuates dehumanization. Reginald and Chris also share their favorite poems and books and discuss Reginald’s work with the Freedom Library to bring books to prisoners and correction officers.

Poems and Books Mentioned

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee

won’t you celebrate with me by Lucille Clifton

Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden

Failing and Flying by Jack Gilbert

The Forgotten Dialect of the Heart by Jack Gilbert

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

under a soprano sky by Sonia Sanchez

For Freckle-Faced Gerald by Etheridge Knight

Featured guest

• Follow Reginald on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at FreedomReads.org
• Buy Felon: Poems and Doggerel: Poems

Connect with the team

• Follow Chris on Instagram and at chrisduffycomedy.com
• Buy Chris’ book, Humor Me 
• Watch How to Be a Better Human videos on YouTube at TEDPods
• Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok

For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts

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