An obscure trove of short stories penned over a decade in a Midwestern maximum security prison. At first, it appears there is no discernable theme. The randomness of the Wolf collection lacks discipline. Pondering everything from extraterrestrials to being buried alive, readers are taken on a rocky and often erotic journey. Crafted with the heart of an abolitionist using imagination to transcend a cement hell, these stories will make you laugh as well as question reality. Keep reading to learn more about “13 Shades of Black” by August Wolf.

I’m Devon Westerfield, a 29-year-old artist from Independence, Kansas. I am currently incarcerated at Lansing Correctional Facility in Lansing, Kansas. It’s been tough for me to endure these living arrangements, and this is only a peek into my experiences with this flawed system that claims to be in place to “correct” criminal behavior. In actuality, I’ve found that so many of us who are incarcerated have been the victims of true criminal behavior perpetrated by a system that claims to help us. I just want to create true change from within these cages and bring about real positive change for those of us in chains. But we can’t do it alone. We need help.