Reginald Dwayne Betts could easily be placed in the tradition of Black men writing about their spiritual rebirth while incarcerated, like Nathan McCall's "Makes Me Wanna Holler" and the genre-defining "Autobiography of Malcolm X." The literary successor to poet Etheridge Knight releases his memoir, "A Question of Freedom," on August 6. In a recent interview, he talked about wanting to connect with the community that he comes from and works in "where men arrange their lives around the mystery of the moon breaking a street corner in half."

Of the many stories in the memoir, one that stands out is his rationale for learning Spanish, so he can talk to his Latino comrades, instead of the usual American attitude that everyone should learn English. After being released from prison, Betts worked for Black-owned Karibu Books and started a book club for young male readers. It was his group YoungMenRead which caught the attention of The Washington Post and a literary agent.

The book deal is just one of Betts's highlights in the last two years. He and wife Terese Marie got married and welcomed a son, Micah, who can be seen strapped to his father's chest at poetry readings in D.C. Betts was also chosen class speaker at his recent graduation from the University of Maryland.