Hey everybody, welcome to the Michael Steel podcast. Michael Steel is such a pleasure to

be with you as always. Look forward to having you in the house as we have interesting conversations.

I love it when you come and spend some time with us. Certainly you know you can find me

on the speaker app, Apple podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, wherever you the podcast thing on,

follow me on Twitter at Michael Steel. And if you really like this episode, please comment

it on it on the speaker app, on the speaker app. It helps me to know your thoughts and

you know, bring better programming as they like to say. Well, you know, I was really

looking forward to our conversation today because we've got a gentleman who has had an interesting

walk and a very, I think, an important story to tell as a part of that walk. Reginald Wayne

Betts is a poet, a lawyer, and the founding director of Freedom Reads. He's also a 2021

MacArthur fellow. And he, his story is born out of lived experiences. And certainly one

of his works really kind of tells the story that chronicles his journey from prison to

becoming a licensed attorney. He holds a JD from Yale Law School. But his latest poetry

collection, Felon, the memoir, a question of freedom, is what we're going to get in today.

In fact, one of his other works, Bastard, so the Reagan era, I need to check in with

this brother on what that because I'm hope I'm not one of those bastards from the Reagan

era. Brother needs to come correct if I am. Hey, Duane, welcome, brother, welcome. And

it's so good to have you part of the conversation.

No, it's my pleasure. You know, it's one of those things where when I was younger, I didn't

know what my life was shake out to be. And now I find myself sometimes in conversations

with people who helped my thinking develop and helped my thinking grow and also reminded

me that the way different ways that Marilyn was on the map, you know, it was like you.

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