This collection of selected reminiscences of a volunteer teacher in the Pennsylvania prison system recounts her experiences teaching illiterate and near-illiterate prisoners (and others) how to read. The collection describes several different individuals (in and out of prison), their diverse reactions to reading, and their understanding and use of language. The first part of the collection focuses on prisoners, while the second part discusses Vietnamese refugees learning to read English and welfare mothers preparing for their GED exams. A postlude muses on some educational issues relevant to reading. (NKA)