A Family’s Ties

*This story is dedicated to Mrs. Vera Prather. Without her loving support this story may never have been told.My parents had a secret. And as secrets go, they shared… More

Romantic Realism

That dinner party is etched in my memory for many reasons: the discussion during soup of the American embargo on Cuba; the recital during entrées by Bill Styron,… More

Why I Care

Doing outreach work in the Bayview-Hunters Point area of San Francisco can be fun, also dangerous, as the district has seen countless shootings of youth. I was working as… More

Shame

Mama always took me with her to pick up her paycheck at the café on Wednesday afternoons. Sitting on a stool at the counter, sipping a chocolate shake, I… More

Pictures Don’t Lie

So, I’m looking at this car, right. It’s a mess. Yeah, it’s not going anywhere. It looks like a spaghetti strainer. Holes everywhere. Big holes.I’m thinking, “What’s up with… More

A Three-Strikes Sojourn

“Dey, wake up. You have court today.”Oh man. Here we go. Judgment and sentencing. I was about to feel the entire weight of the drug war era justice system… More

A Place in the Procession

Long long ago I dreamed this: an old soul, mud-colored, thin, ropy-haired, hunkers at a campfire. A line of naked youth has formed on the lip of a cliff.… More

Labyrinth

Missouri State Prison looks like it was pulled up by the roots and transplanted block by block, wall by wall, tower by tower, massive iron gate by gate from… More

The Whitfeld Files

Author's Note This is a work of nonfiction. The descriptions of events are based on personal experiences of the author, court transcripts, affidavits, law enforcement documents, reports, and audiotaped interviews,… More

Buddhism in Prison

The Martha Stewart verdict is screaming from the headlines as I begin to write these lines. Martha used to be something of an idol to me. Before landing in… More