THE TRAGEDY OF TRUE CRIME panel discussion
At the Ossining Public Library, 53 Croton Avenue, Ossining
To mark the launch of New York prison writer John J. Lennon’s debut book, "The Tragedy of True Crime: Four Guilty Men and the Stories that Define Us," join the Ossining Public Library for a panel discussion about redemption, prison programming, and the stories we tell about crime and punishment, between two men currently incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility and two formerly incarcerated men leading organizations that provide life-changing arts and education programs in New York state prisons.
In The Tragedy of True Crime, Lennon’s vivid, intimate accounts of life on the inside cut through the sensationalism and reveal the humanity beyond the headlines. As he and his subjects search for meaning and redemption, the same desire echoes throughout the lives of these four men: to become more than murderers.
The first-ever full-length work of narrative reportage researched and written entirely behind bars, The Tragedy of True Crime poses fundamental questions about the stories we tell about crime and punishment—and who gets to tell them.
Lennon and Hale will be joining this discussion by phone, calling in from Sing Sing. Hudson Valley Books for Humanity will have books available for purchase at this event.
Praise for The Tragedy of True Crime:
“A nuanced biography… and a scathing criticism of the media ecosystem that launders tragedy into entertainment.”—The New York Times
“John J. Lennon is one of our most incisive writers on crime, incarceration, and the human lives behind statistics… His first book tells the stories, in full color, of four men who have killed, and in doing so, naturally ‘challenges our obsession with true crime.’” —Literary Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025
“At once a true crime page turner and a powerful memoir, The Tragedy of True Crime reminds us all that to be flawed is still to be human.”—Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Blood in the Water
Panelists include:
John J. Lennon, acclaimed prison journalist and author of The Tragedy of True Crime
Jermaine Archer, executive director of Rehabilitation Through the Arts
Sean Pica, President of Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison
Michael Shane Hale, featured in The Tragedy of True Crime
Co-Sponsors include:
Rehab Through the Arts (RTA), Hudson Link, the Sing Sing Prison Museum (SSPM), and the Ossining Public Library.
Hudson Valley Books for Humanity of Ossining will be in attendance with copies of the book for purchase.