A Passion Project started by Quinn Harrison
The role books have constantly served in my life is to enlarge my capacity for empathy. I believe a book is one of the best mediums to convey a story, fiction or nonfiction, which can enlighten one's mind. Books have the power to unlock unique and unknown potential within their reader to the benefit of the entire human race.
The idea for The Phoenix Bridge of Books came to me a few months prior to my release from prison. I began observing that what my fellow prisoners valued most and what they most cherished was correspondence/communication (letters, emails, phone calls) with friends, family and real people from the outside world. Additionally I witnessed that many, before being released, experienced anxiety and even fear about returning to the 'real world'. Primarily how they, as felons, will be perceived by others.
With those observations, I imagined a way I could kill three birds with one stone. First send a personal correspondence, second have it come from a mixed bag of members of the 'free' community and a bonus third benefit, the sharing of a book would serve as a bridge. Blending these three notions I came up with The Phoenix Bridge of Books and went about preparing the foundation, getting approval from prison administrators and collecting inmate contact information that would support my efforts upon my release.
