The reading group at Jessup Correctional Institution is part of the JCI Prison Scholars Program, founded by Dr. Drew Leder of Loyola University in Baltimore. The JCI Prison Scholars program exists thanks to the support and assistance of Warden John Wolfe, librarian Grace Schroeder, Sergeant Sonji Lynn, and Security Chief Allen Gang. Thanks to my smart and energetic intern Shelby Norton, to Dr. Kevin McCamant for his insights about the workings of the prison, and to Gerard Shields at the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for his valuable support and assistance. Thanks to all my students and colleagues at the Maryland Institute College of Art, especially Stephen Towns for helping to coordinate the class I taught at JCI. Thanks also to those friends who came into the prison with me to share their talents with the men. Melissa Daum taught yoga sessions; Laura Wexler read from and discussed Fire in a Canebrake; Jess Bither joined the book club for a week; Jess Bastidas sketched portraits; and Mark Hejnar took photographs. I was impressed by the commitment and dedication shown by Baynard Woods during his visit to JCI and his conversations with the prisoners. His article about the prison college program, “Heart of Darkness,” was published in the Baltimore City Paper on April 30, 2014.
To the Owl Bar writing group—John Barry, Paul Jaskunas, and Saul Myers—anticipation of your scrutiny always keeps me on my toes. You are my first and most discriminating readers. Thomas Jones gave me enormously helpful feedback on individual chapters of an earlier incarnation of this manuscript and made incomparable edits. I am hugely grateful to my brilliant agent Betsy Lerner, and to Terry Karten, my gracious editor at HarperCollins, and to everyone else who worked on this book, especially Jillian Verillo, Jarrod Taylor, and David Chesanow. Finally, David Sterritt supports all my endeavors, however unpleasant or unusual, without question or comment, which is one of the many reasons why I love him.
Most of all, this book would not have been possible without the collaboration of the incarcerated citizens of Jessup Correctional Institution in Maryland. It is dedicated, with deep gratitude and affection, to: Sig, Donald, Day-Day, Turk, Steven, J.D., Nick, Charles, Doug, Shaka, Ren, Vincent, Kevin, Alfie, and Guy.