Overview
Prisons are hard places to get into and harder to get out of,"" writes Robert Ellis Gordon as he takes you on a remarkable eight-year journey into the Washington State corrections system.As a writing teacher, Gordon had the unique experience of gaining access to the darkest realms of Washington prisons while remaining free to walk away from penitentiary confines at the end of the day. His account is aided by essays and stories contributed by six extraordinary prison students--works that give this book an unforgettable edge. Together, Gordon and his students provide revealing glimpses of this vast secret-laden subculture of incarcerated individuals, which nationwide comprises more than two million U.S. citizens. Here is a gallery of portraits of prison life, from the female guard who tantalizes male inmates with her sexuality to the terrified young fish trying to stave off other prisoners. These stories are jarring, harsh, compelling. The Funhouse Mirror, which combines extraordinary story material with fine writing, provides us with an inside look at the prison system we often ignore, yet only at society's peril. This uncommon book is a significant addition to the literature on American penitentiaries. It is destined to help alter the terms of the debate about one of the great national problems of our time. Winner of the Washington State Book Award, 2000.
Full Product Details
Author: Robert Ellis Gordon ,
Michael Collins ,
TJ Granack ,
Duane Eaglestaff
Publisher: Washington State University Press
Imprint: Washington State University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 0.80cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.213kg
ISBN: 9780874221985
ISBN 10: 0874221986
Pages: 132
Publication Date: 03 July 2000
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Temporarily unavailable
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Reviews
[Gordon's] passionate observations and his students' uncanny stories provide a powerful statement about the horrors of life behind bars. --Publishers Weekly A fascinating, gritty look inside the walls, with powerful essays by some of the inmates plus his own frank reflections. --Seattle Post-Intelligencer A powerful account of what it was like to be a teacher behind bars [and] an unvarnished examination of a prison culture. --Boston Globe A surprising--and frequently searing--examination of the prison experience, seen from both inside and out. --Kirkus Reviews In this memoir, we get a strong whiff of the fear, degradations, and violence that characterize daily life inside these institutions. --Barry Lopez, National Book Award Winner
Author Information
Robert Ellis Gordon taught writing in the Washington State prison system from 1989 until 1997, when funding for the program was eliminated by the Washington State legislature. He is the author of the award-winning novel When Bobby Kennedy Was a Moving Man.
