Despite being behind bars, Caligiuri has managed to create an admirable resume, including several PEN Prison Writing Contest awards and an inclusion in Prison Noir, a story collection edited by Joyce Carol Oates.

We spoke to Caligiuri from Faribault Correctional Facility in anticipation of the book’s launch celebration at Open Book this evening.

City Pages: You didn’t include the crime that you’re in prison for in the book. Why did you omit that from the story?

Zeke Caligiuri: I wanted respect for family members and anybody else that may have been impacted by this to be able to feel the way they feel about everything that happened. I didn’t want to bring up any kind of bad memories.

Full article.