Old Letter
On your plain white envelope a handwritten address hints at the personal inside. Long time companion through many transfers and years, you have been worked soft and your stamp… More
The First O.J. Book
I got the idea for an O.J. Simpson book long before all the others came out. The inspiration came in a flash at three in the morning as I… More
A Strangely Fruitful, Frustrating Experience
It is the end of another January. I find myself locked away, facing the most unforgiving punishment any human being could possibly face: the “death penalty.” Consequently, I have… More
Learning to Swim
Gary Shively 103443 Powhatan Correctional Center, D7 State Farm, VA 23160 I am sinking. Just like a stone, I am sinking. Coils from the black icy depths pulling me under. My scream is… More
Six Basement
I was 12 months into my bit in reform school and had caught some kind of awful disease. I had sores all over, with puffy scabs on them. They… More
A Twisted Evening With Dr. Gonzo
My early literary influences naturally gravitated towards counterculture writing that started with Kerouac’s On the Road, Ginsberg’s epic poem of the Beat Generation, Howl, and experiencing the utter depths… More
Poinsett County
—for Uncle DaleOrange-red gravel roads crisscrossedfields where the flat farmland yieldedbales of cotton and tons of soy beans.We planted, chopped, and picked cottonfrom spring into summer through autumnfor fifty… More
Locker Key
He devoutly watchedfrom the wooden bleachersas his son click, click, clickedhis way around the icein double blades.Layers of clothes prevent the boy’sarms and legs from bendingmaking him stutter stepmore… More
The Secret Place
The flowers of grass open to/ my dull tread tracking/ through the dew of grace, More
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