About

Atlantic City

Growing up near the Atlantic Ocean, I spent much of my childhood fishing, exploring, and embracing the freedom of the open sea. But beyond the glimmering lights of Atlantic City’s casinos existed another reality — one marked by poverty, hardship, and the struggle to survive. The streets that helped shape me eventually led me down a path that would forever change my life.

At just 22 years old, I was sentenced to 130 years in prison.

Yet what was intended to confine my body ultimately awakened my mind.

The awakening

During my fight for freedom, I discovered the extraordinary power of the written word. What began as a way to pass time behind prison walls evolved into a passion, a purpose, and a calling. Through poetry, fiction, essays, and journalism, I found a voice that could travel beyond the walls that held me captive.

Although my formal education was interrupted, my pursuit of knowledge never ended. Behind these walls I have dedicated myself to reading, writing, learning, and evolving.

The books

I’m the author of two books that reflect my imagination, my experiences, and my exploration of the human condition:

• For Fiction: It’s Amazing — the fiction world you can enter right here on the blog, through The Play and the Fatally Her series. Buy on Amazon
• For Poetry — for PAIN, for LOVE. Words from what we survived and what we still believe in. Buy on Amazon

And I’m at work on two more: For Freedom, a memoir chronicling my life, struggles, transformation, and pursuit of freedom — and For Fiction: Book Two, the continuation of the story.

See the Books page for covers and reading samples.

The journalism

My passion for truth and storytelling led me into journalism. I’m a proud recipient of the Stillwater Award for journalism, and my work has been published in The Guardian US, the Prison Journalism Project, MindSite News, and other publications. Through my reporting and essays, I explore criminal justice, incarceration, social inequality, personal transformation, and the human stories too often overlooked or unheard.

Start with the reporting readers come back to: 53 Years of Standing on Business — the story of the Inmate Legal Association’s jailhouse lawyers.

The speaker

I’m also a Toastmaster, continuously developing my abilities as a public speaker, communicator, and leader. I believe words possess the power not only to inform and entertain, but to challenge perspectives, inspire change, and ignite revolutions of thought.

Bigger than a sentence

My ambitions extend beyond publishing books and articles. I envision building a creative legacy that opens doors for emerging writers, artists, and storytellers — particularly those whose voices have been marginalized or silenced.

My story is bigger than a prison sentence. It’s a story of resilience, reinvention, ambition, and an unwavering pursuit of freedom.

Through this platform, I invite you into my world — one filled with literature, journalism, poetry, personal reflections, and the ongoing pursuit of truth. New here? The Start Here page is the way in. Subscribe, and every new piece comes straight to your inbox. I welcome your readership, support, guidance, and collaboration as I continue this journey.

Because prison may confine the body, but it cannot imprison the imagination.

— Kory McClary

For editors

The short bio to run with his work:

Kory McClary is an author, poet, and award-winning prison journalist from Atlantic City, New Jersey, writing from inside New Jersey State Prison. A recipient of the Stillwater Award for journalism, his work has appeared in The Guardian US, the Prison Journalism Project, and MindSite News. He is the author of For Fiction: It’s Amazing and For Poetry.