Poet, teacher and creative writing director for the Northwest Arkansas Prison Story Project, Matt Henriksen graduated from University of Arkansas in 2004, earning his master's degree from the Program in Creative Writing and Translation.

Through the Prison Story Project, Henriksen and others, including faculty and students at the University of Arkansas, have helped incarcerated men and women tell their stories. The project has had a profound impact on the inmates and the volunteers. 

In this episode of Short Talks From the Hill, a research podcast of the University of Arkansas, Henriksen talks about the Prison Story Project, the craft of writing, and the method he and the other volunteers use to motivate students to look deep inside themselves to find their story.

"This happens with the little kids, but this happens in the prison too," Henriksen says in the podcast. "They're like, 'I don't know what I just wrote.' … Well, sometimes you write something, and it makes sense later. Or sometimes you write something that doesn't make sense, because you're exploring something in the dark corners of your brain."

To listen to Matt Henriksen, go to ResearchFrontiers.uark.edu, the home of research news at the University of Arkansas, or visit the "On Air" and "Programs" link at KUAF.com. 

Short Talks From the Hill highlights research and scholarly work at the University of Arkansas. Each segment features a university researcher discussing his or her work. Previous podcasts can be found under the Short Talks From the Hill link at ResearchFrontiers.uark.edu.