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Fighting the Ninja

Prison showers can be scary places. I’m not talking about those old “B” movie scenes where the big hairy guy with a handmade blade shanks the hapless prisoner for… More

Prison and Poetry

I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind saying they enjoy being incarcerated. Prison, especially state prison, is a horrible place. It is not so much being told what,… More

Species of a Lesser God

Indelibly etched in the canyons of memory I can remember being herded onto the Grey Gooses as these prison transportation buses are commonly referred to throughout the California Penal… More

The Hole

The Hole isn’t merely a place inside of the prison, it’s an entire psychology used against you—a weaponized psychology—one that must have taken an incredible amount of malicious effort… More

Dad’s Poem

In bed surrounded by humid darkness,Hand-carved hearts above and below.Your snoring echoes across the hall,Halls vapor clings to your breath.My tired belly full of hunted venison.My head full of… More

Escape from a Maximum Security Jail

Los Angeles County has the largest jail system in the world. Their maximum security unit, Highpower, is reserved for the most dangerous, notorious and high risk inmates. Highpowers are… More

Bobby’s Innocence

Mommy’s alright, Daddy’s alright,They just seem a little weird -Cheap TrickChapter 1There’s two things I have never known my mom to do: drive a car, or have a job… More

War

Like Sadam I too Have a weapon of mass Destruction Housed in a bunker Of Bone Hidden in a far-off place So remote Even Jesus can not find it. Camouflaged by a smile and Guarded by demons It sits… More

Announcing the Aura Estrada Prize

PEN Trustee Francisco Goldman has announced the establishment of the Aura Estrada Prize, a fellowship honoring the spirit and aspirations of his wife, a promising young Mexican writer who… More