One thing that I find myself explaining is that once you are out of prison, you are still, in many ways, imprisoned. Some people grasp this concept fairly readily, even
Category: Dangerous
“Random at our discretion.”“Random at our discretion.”
I’m a total fool. I really expect too much of myself, and that generally translates to me expecting too much from other people. Many people, including my criminal defense attorney,
Like Gambling in CasablancaLike Gambling in Casablanca
News junkies have likely already seen the item about the Minnesota correctional officer and his wife who berated Black Lives Matter protesters. If you haven’t seen it, you can check
Goodbye, Philip Roth and your biographerGoodbye, Philip Roth and your biographer
So, W.W. Norton pulled the Blake Bailey biography of Philip Roth because Bailey stands accused of sexual misconduct. I understand the impetus, but it raises some questions for me: Have
Sympathy for the Devil, Minneapolis-styleSympathy for the Devil, Minneapolis-style
There are many things we might learn from Mick Jagger, but this is the most important for me: “Every cop is a criminal, and all the sinners saints.” If you
The Secret Gub-mint and MeThe Secret Gub-mint and Me
Recently I have been discussing the prevalence of conspiracy theories with some friends. These are friends who have always and forever been on the outside of the razor wire, and
It’s Simpler to StereotypeIt’s Simpler to Stereotype
As I move through the various stages of the American legal system — arrest, indictment, conviction, incarceration, halfway house, and probation — it becomes clearer to me that one actually
Liberal Arts, Liberated MindsLiberal Arts, Liberated Minds
My spouse passed along to me this link to this article from The Washington Post without any comment at all: “Georgetown University to introduce degree program for Maryland inmates.” Good
The Race of the ConvictedThe Race of the Convicted
Every reasonable person who has written about prison in America has observed that there is an unbreakable link between the American carceral system and and the institutionalized injustice of race.
My Euphemism: How Much Do Words Matter?My Euphemism: How Much Do Words Matter?
I never put much thought into the matter before I went into prison, but since I have come out, I have had to start familiarizing myself with a matte of