Hidden Mirrors with Alan Huffman

In this epilogue to Hidden Mirrors' pilot season, we hear from listeners about why these conversations matter — from bestselling author Sebastian Junger to combat veterans, readers across the country (and one from overseas), and people who never imagined they'd have anything in common with men serving long prison sentences. Their reflections reveal the power of literature to bridge seemingly impossible divides and show what rehabilitation actually looks like. But there's a complication: the

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

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

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

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

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”

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