Behind the Story: Writer Natalia Galicza unveils the horrors of solitary confinement

In this episode of The Sunday Long Read Podcast, Amanda Ulrich interviews Natalia Galicza from Deseret Magazine about her story on Frank, a man who spent over two decades in solitary confinement. Natalia discusses how she found Frank through Solitary Watch, a watchdog advocacy organization, and was struck by his essay detailing the effects of isolation on his sense of time and cognitive processing. They delve into Frank's initial resolve to maintain a routine, which eventually deteriorated, and his subsequent panic attacks when leaving his cell. Natalia shares her experience meeting Frank, his advocacy against solitary confinement, and the residual effects of his isolation, such as discomfort around crowds and sensitivity to light. The conversation further explores the public safety implications of solitary confinement, the importance of reintegration support, and Natalia's hopes for readers to understand solitary confinement as both a personal and public issue. The episode concludes with Natalia's reaction to being a National Magazine Award finalist and her thoughts on the future of long-form narrative journalism.