In a maximum security prison in Mississippi, a book club becomes something more: a mirror for the men inside. They read closely, see differently, and find hope in unexpected places.

This preview introduces Hidden Mirrors, a documentary podcast series hosted by journalist Alan Huffman. Recorded inside Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, the series explores how literature reshapes conversations about freedom, identity, and resilience.

Hidden Mirrors launches October 15, with new episodes released every two weeks.
For more information on the show, visit HiddenMirrors.com.

Credits
Hosted and Written by: Alan Huffman
Produced by Associate Producers: Amanda Zaremba and Matt Stroud of Amphibian.Media
Audio Production: Red Caiman Studios
Music by Robert Connely Farr
With support from the Mississippi Humanities Council and funding from the McMullen/O'Connor Fund

Inside a classroom at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in Mississippi, a book club meets every other Friday. Journalist Alan Huffman sits with the men and follows the conversation from the page to lived experience: isolation, imagination, brotherhood, survival, and hope.

In Episode 1, Members share why stories matter inside, how books become mirrors, and how reading in community builds the habit of truly hearing one another. Recent reads include "A Long Way Gone," by Ishmael Beah, and "War" by Sebastian Junger, which spark questions about resilience and the choices that shape us.

Hidden Mirrors is recorded with the support of Management Training Corporation, the facility operator and produced in collaboration with the Mississippi Humanities Council's statewide prison book clubs.

Credits:

Host & Writer: Alan Huffman

Co-Editor: Erisa Apantaku

Associate Producers: Amanda Zaremba & Matt Stroud (Amphibian.Media)

Audio Production: Red Caiman Studios

Music: Robert Connely Farr

Support: Mississippi Humanities Council | Funding: McMullan/O'Connor Fund

In this episode, the men of the Wilkinson Book Club unpack A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah — a memoir often described as harrowing, though for them, it was about hope.

As they talk through Beah's story of being forced into war as a child and finding his way back to peace, the group keeps returning to that one word: hope. They see not only violence and loss, but endurance, compassion, and the possibility of change.

For some, Beah's survival feels like proof that people can rebuild after unthinkable experiences. For others, it's a reminder that faith, love, and patience — especially from strangers — can help someone find their way home again.

What might seem like a story of despair becomes, in their hands, a lesson in resilience and the human will to heal. "This book," one member says, "is about somebody who didn't let his circumstances define who he was. It shows that no matter what, you can rise above it."

In our next episode, follow along as the club connects with a group of U.S. military veterans and journalist Sebastian Junger to explore how different kinds of conflict shape our understanding of recovery, identity, and home.

Hidden Mirrors is recorded with the support of Management Training Corporation, the facility operator, and produced in collaboration with the Mississippi Humanities Council's statewide prison book clubs.

Credits:

Host & Writer: Alan Huffman

Co-Editor: Erisa Apantaku

Associate Producers: Amanda Zaremba & Matt Stroud (Amphibian.Media)

Audio Production: Red Caiman Studios

Music: Robert Connely Farr

Support: Mississippi Humanities Council | Funding: McMullan/O'Connor Fund

In this episode, the book club at Wilkinson County Correctional Facility connects over Zoom with veterans from Patrol Base Abbate, led by author and veteran Michael Plunkett, to explore how stories can bridge different worlds. With help from the prison's education department, the men gather in the visitation room to discuss War by Sebastian Junger, joined by the author himself for a rare and deeply engaging conversation.

What begins as a discussion about combat and survival expands into a dialogue about grief, vigilance, and healing — from the front lines to life inside prison walls. The men respond with openness and insight, finding unexpected parallels between their experiences and those of soldiers at war. While the recording carries the familiar hum of a prison Zoom call, the honesty and connection that emerge make this exchange something extraordinary.

In our next episode, the club turns to Jesmyn Ward's Where the Line Bleeds, a story about how choices define the paths we take.

Hidden Mirrors is recorded with the support of Management Training Corporation, the facility operator, and produced in collaboration with the Mississippi Humanities Council's statewide prison book clubs. Special thanks to Patrol Base Abbate and Michael Plunkett.

Credits:

Host & Writer: Alan Huffman

Co-Editor: Erisa Apantaku

Associate Producers: Amanda Zaremba & Matt Stroud (Amphibian.Media)

Audio Production: Red Caiman Studios

Music: Robert Connely Farr

Support: Mississippi Humanities Council | Funding: McMullan/O'Connor Fund

The Wilkinson County book club takes up Jesmyn Ward's Where the Line Bleeds and lands on something bigger than plot: how to listen. What starts as a debate about parenting, responsibility, and small-town pressures becomes a practice in hearing one another with patience and respect. The men weigh different views of Seeley's choices, talk honestly about their own families, and keep circling back to a shared theme: choices shape us, and listening helps us make better ones.

Along the way, the group reflects on how reading together has changed their day-to-day communication. They describe catching themselves before reacting, asking for clarity, and trying to understand where someone is coming from. You'll hear the familiar sounds of the facility in the background, but what stands out is the care the men bring to the room and to each other.

In our next episode, the club spends a holiday inside Where the Line Bleeds and inside the prison, sharing memories of Christmas, hope, and what it means to show up for family.

Hidden Mirrors is recorded with the support of Management Training Corporation, the facility operator, and produced in collaboration with the Mississippi Humanities Council's statewide prison book clubs.

Credits:

Host & Writer: Alan Huffman

Co-Editor: Erisa Apantaku

Associate Producers: Amanda Zaremba & Matt Stroud (Amphibian Media)

Audio Production: Red Caiman Studios

Music: Robert Connolly Farr

Support: Mississippi Humanities Council | Funding: McMullan/O'Connor Fund

For incarcerated men serving long sentences, the holidays bring a complicated mix of loss, memory, and unexpected moments of connection. In this final episode of Hidden Mirrors' pilot season, members of the Wilkinson County prison book club reflect on how Christmas feels when you can't be with family—and how they've learned to create meaning and community behind bars.

Drawing on Jesmyn Ward's novel "Where the Line Bleeds," the men discuss childhood holiday memories, the painful distance from loved ones, and the creative ways they bring Christmas spirit into their pods—from paper-mache nativity scenes to elaborate decorations contests. One member shares the story of his most memorable prison Christmas, when he became a "live baby Jesus" that moved wardens to tears.

The conversations reveal how incarceration reshapes the definition of family, how holiday meals become rituals of unity across divided groups, and why some men have learned to find joy even in the bleakest circumstances. It's a meditation on resilience, community, and what the season of giving means when you have almost nothing material to give.