Derek Trumbo

Derek Trumbo Sr. has been a member of Kentucky’s Pioneer Playhouse: Voices Inside Prison Playwright Program since its inception in 2009. As a writer, he has seen his work published in The Marshall Project, PEN America, Prison Writers, Snapdragon (a literary journal), and XfelonINK. His plays have been performed by NylonFusion Theatre and Theaterlab as well as featured in the Kentucky Theatre Yearbook 2017.

As a member of the many Americans imprisoned in state institutions, he’s done everything in his power to seek rehabilitation and wishes there were more opportunities like PEN America’s Prison Writing Program available to fuel the fight for prison reform.


Articles by Derek Trumbo

Wednesday November 11

Tasked to Dream

These dual essays were written by Derek Trumbo and Agustin Lopez, 2020 honorees for the PEN America/L’Engle-Rahman Prize for Mentorship.

Monday September 9

The Thaw

“You had to have something you wanted from life before you came to prison.”