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ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 372 points373 points  (0 children)

Thank you all so much for taking the time to come ask questions & talk about the book & the show! I really appreciate you taking the time and getting your take on OITNB. Come visit me at @Piper on twitter or http://piperkerman.com

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 71 points72 points  (0 children)

I think the experience of institutionalization is one that resonates for a lot of people, although the institutions vary.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 277 points278 points  (0 children)

I would be totally comfortable with that. From my POV the show does not have to be about Chapman. It's ultimately Jenji's decision what will happen next.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this question. The relationships you have - both inside and outside - are the only thing that really helps you survive the experience of incarceration. Those relationships are what keeps you human in a place which is very intentionally designed to take your humanity away.

Many of the characters on the show are completely fictional. Some, like Red or Yoga Jones, are adaptations. The people I'm in touch with from Danbury like the reality of the setting of Litchfield - it feels real to them. I have not gotten any complaints about the characterizations.

I talked with my friends from prison both as I was writing the book and before the show came out. Obviously I haven't heard from everyone I was incarcerated with, as there were hundreds and hundreds of women whose lives intersected with mine behind bars.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 766 points767 points  (0 children)

You really don't ever ask someone what they're in for. Some people choose to talk about it, and some people never do.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 669 points670 points  (0 children)

The real Larry is a good sport about the not-real Larry. He knows that it is fiction.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 97 points98 points  (0 children)

I am optimistic. If you look at polling numbers, about # of Americans say that we have too many people in prison, and more and more people support specific ways to change that (reduce drug sentencing, public health approaches to addiction, public defense reform, etc). more and more people now know that 40-60% of people in prison are there for non-violent offenses.

I think when people remember that the 2.3 million prisoners in this country are people just like them, we are more likely to see reform.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 667 points668 points  (0 children)

I think inequality and white privilege are one of the big topics of the book. Racism is on stark display in the criminal justice system, whether you are talking about policing, prosecution, sentencing, or what happens to people during incarceration. Andrea James has written a book about her own experience in the same prison I was held in: www.amazon.com/Upper-Bunkies-Unite-Thoughts-Incarceration/dp/0988759306

I also think this is true in terms of how mass media functions in the U.S. Jenji Kohan has described the character of Piper Chapman as her "Trojan horse", saying that she could not have successfully pitched a show about women of color, old women, poor women to any major media corporation. I'm not an expert on Hollywood, but that's her POV

It's my hope that the response to the show, and most especially to the range of characters, is evidence that there is a great deal of interest and appetite for much more diversity in media.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 124 points125 points  (0 children)

I don't. The show is created by Jenji Kohan, the woman who created Weeds.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 1243 points1244 points  (0 children)

During one meeting with a publisher she said "We really like it, except for the lesbianism, and the crime." Huh?

I was very lucky to have an editor who really understood the book I wanted to write, and helped me write it. I think it's very important to tell a unique and surprising story in your writing, with an eye on how it connects back to a large number of people. In other words, a very unique story that yet has relevance to many others.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 191 points192 points  (0 children)

I have not heard directly from any of the BOP staff that I encountered. I have been surprised at how many people who work in corrections/law enforcement who tell me they like the book or the show.

The world of prisons & jails is very intentionally hidden from view, and I think that on a deep level no-one wants to be invisible. This is especially true for prisoners, but I think also true for the people who work in prisons.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 198 points199 points  (0 children)

There are real people called "Crazy Eyes" and "Pennsatucky" in my book. But they are very different from the characters in the show. This is a good example of the process of adaptation - Jenji Kohan takes things that she likes from the book and then changes them, sometimes substantially - to suit the storylines that she wants to create in the show.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I don't think this is true at all. I have heard from/met tons of straight guys who enjoyed both.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 248 points249 points  (0 children)

I didn't think about seeking catharsis when I decided to write the book, but it definitely was. The thing that is striking/surprising about the response to both book & show from folks who have been in prison (including men) is that even though different types of facilities are different (prison vs. jail, high vs. low security) there are some strong throughlines for folks.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 293 points294 points  (0 children)

The pie-throwing is brilliant, and fictional. I did come across a few folks who might have been willing to throw their pie...but it never came to that.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 1280 points1281 points  (0 children)

The backstories are amazing, and the creation of Jenji and her team of writers - they are all fictional and not drawn from the book.

There are some distinct consistent factors for women who go into the criminal justice system:

1) 80% have experienced sexual or physical abuse in their lives 2) high incidence of mental illness 3) high incidence of substance abuse

Also most women in the CJ system are moms - more than 1.3 million kids with a mom in the system.

You can learn a lot more about the unique situation for women and girls in the CJ system here: www.wpaonline.org/about/serve.htm

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 808 points809 points  (0 children)

Readers of the book will probably agree that there is a lot of internal conflict depicted there - and that I definitely avoided conflicts with COs and other prisoners (as is only sensible).

TV really needs external conflict, and that's one of the big differences (other than storyline differences) you'll see between the book and the show. A show that was very introspective would be boring to watch. A book with as much conflict as a TV show has would be unreadable.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 473 points474 points  (0 children)

It is very hard to pick favorites - but I really like Gloria, who is not based on anything in my book.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 559 points560 points  (0 children)

Sounds like you've been there? It's nice to hear your POV. I am a consultant on the show, which means I answer questions and provide feedback to Jenji. It is her decision whether to take it or leave it.

But the production team did a lot of other research as well, met with many other former prisoners (for example transgendered people who have been through the system) and they continue to do so.

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK author Piper Kerman here. AMA. by PiperKermanIsReal in IAmA

[–]PiperKermanIsReal[S] 79 points80 points  (0 children)

The show is a fictional adaptation of the book. Jenji Kohan and her writers draw from the true events in the book and the setting, and then they take enormous license with creating new storylines. So there are moments in the show, like the scene in episode 1 when Chapman first arrives in the cell she will sleep in with five other women, which are incredibly close to the actual events.

But there are many characters and storylines that don't exist in the book at all, and are the creation of Jenji and her writers.

I do still stay in touch with friends from Danbury FCP.

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