Overview

In Catching Lightning, Patty Prewitt continues the story she began in the first volume of her autobiography, Trying to Catch Lightning in a Jar. Told through letters to family, friends, journalists, and public officials, this second volume traces the final twenty years of her incarceration in Missouri's women's prisons and the long path to her eventual release. Written over decades, these letters offer a rare, sustained account of life inside prison as it is lived day to day. Prewitt writes with keen observation, quiet humor, and deep compassion, documenting not only her own experiences but also the lives of the women around her. Her writing reveals the relationships, routines, and emotional realities that shape a world often hidden from view. Throughout, Prewitt remains steadfast in her insistence on her innocence. Even in the most difficult circumstances, her letters return again and again to connection, care, and the enduring bonds between families separated by prison. Catching Lightning is both a personal record and a testament to resilience, attention, and the power of staying in touch.

Full Product Details

9798994197721

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Prewitt writes with stunning heart and grace about her own predicament, the absurdities of the prison system, and her fellow inmates."" - Hugh Carter, Turn & Work

Author Information

Patty Prewitt was born and raised on a cattle ranch near Lone Jack, Missouri, and was first published in Wee Wisdom Magazine while in second grade. During her incarceration she won a PEN America writing contest and has had both prose and poetry published in Wrath-Bearing Tree, The Massachusetts Review, The Tampa Review, Tacenda Literary Magazine, Cholla Needles, and Duende Literary Journal, and has had two plays performed at the Kennedy Center. In December 2024, after over thirty-eight years of incarceration, Prewitt was released from prison. She now lives in Greenwood, Missouri, with family. Since her release, Prewitt has published her first book, gone skydiving, and earned her bachelor's degree from Washington University. Trying to Catch Lightning in a Jar: Letters from Prison and A Little Person Like You Whose Mommy Goes to Prison are available from Some People Press. A Chicago native, Brian Reichart is an attorney based in Boston, where he lives with his wife and daughters.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available