Reginald Dwayne Betts is a poet and lawyer, and the founding director of the Million Book Project. There are a lot of things he believes are important. But on some fundamental level, what feels more significant than the books he has published and the awards that he has won is that he has helped get three men out of prison who he served time with and is working to get others out. His books include his latest poetry collection, Felon; the memoir, A Question of Freedom; and two previous collections of poetry, Shahid Reads His Own Palm and Bastards of the Reagan Era. In 2019, Betts won the National Magazine Award in the Essays and Criticism category for Getting Out, his New York Times Magazine essay that chronicles his journey from prison to becoming a licensed attorney. He holds a J.D. from Yale Law School.
