I enjoyed both seasons of Orange is the New Black, and plan to enjoy a third (which was confirmed by Piper Kerman herself during her talk). So, naturally, I was excited to see and hear from the real “Piper Chapman,” the character based on Kerman in the series. During her talk, she gave a synopsis of the book, how it was turned into a show, and her take on some of the problems (and solutions) regarding imprisonment in the United States. There was a large crowd, and people were able to ask questions at the end.
It was fun to hear more of the back story of a show that I had really enjoyed watching. It was also good to hear people talking and thinking about prisoners. I was a nurse at Champaign County Jail for a year, and so some of these questions I have considered myself in a more intimate way. Kerman is a great speaker. She was organized, projected her voice, and was relaxed. She even asked the crowd to take a selfie with her at the end — and they loved it.
You might be able to find the talk somewhere on the web, but here’s a recap in photos.
