A Fashion Statement Worth Considering
Flying without my family isn’t something I do often and I really don’t like it. So when I flew the friendly skies solo last month I needed some company. Enter the book Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman. I was already hooked the television series by the same name and therefore curious about the true story that inspired a show ripe with character and drama. Piper Kerman, in describing her incarceration for a decade-old offense, clearly got an education beyond what she received at Smith College: a first-hand look at the prejudices, substandard living conditions, and the rivalries and friendships forged in prison. Her writing, articulate and filled with SAT-level vocabulary (I kept my dictionary app at hand), was at times overdone but her vivid narrative made me feel I as if I were doing time alongside her.
What surprised me as I read this account was how much artistic license the show has taken with Ms. Kerman’s book. Certain situations and relationships have been vastly altered and much material added for more dramatic viewing. And while some characters in the show are clearly inspired by actual women Ms. Kerman met, many seem original. But comparisons aside, the book for its own sake is enjoyable and shares a true glimpse into the conditions in a women’s prison. That, without a doubt, comes across well without embellishment in the television show.
The new black. Apparently.
