I usually try to keep these journal entries lighthearted or at least optimistic, but I’ve been thinking lately that maybe I’m painting too rosy a picture of prison life. Some readers might get the impression that I’m doing just fine here, like this place is some sort...
Jail Journal
Explore my journey through incarceration with a unique collection of daily journals and in-depth book reports. Each entry offers a raw, personal perspective, transforming moments of confinement into reflections of growth and resilience.
BR: Eloquence: The Secrets of Rhetoric and Inspiration by Mark Forsyth
This book is essentially a list of techniques—rhetorical devices—that writers and speakers use to make their words more memorable, moving, and powerful. Forsyth breaks down each device in a short chapter (most only 3–4 pages long), giving a brief explanation followed...
Cycles, Ceilings, and Cellblock Shenanigans
This week has been packed with antics at camp, but before I get into the chaos, I want to talk about my running. One thing I’ve learned about distance training: your body adapts in cycles. When you first start, it’s your legs that give out. Mine were in agony during...
BR: The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
The Celestine Prophecy is a spiritual self-help book wrapped in a fictional narrative. It was anonymously donated to me—thank you to whoever you are. ChatGPT also recommended it as a must-read, and I think it was a cultural phenomenon in the late '90s and early 2000s....
BR: Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. (Serial Entrepreneurs’ Secrets Revealed) by Colin C. Campbell
This fantastic book by Colin Campbell — a founder of Tucows and several other early internet startups — is a must-read for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, especially in the tech space. Big thanks to Doug Hardman for sending me this book — it wasn’t on my radar,...
Deep in Planning Mode – with a Side of Chicken Tenders
Reading all these business books has me fired up and ambitious again. Honestly, being in here without internet access and unable to work is tough—mentally, emotionally, and even physically. But I’m doing what I can: planning, brainstorming, and laying the groundwork...
Trading Silence for Sanity: Why I Left Wing-4
Last Thursday, I woke up from a well-earned afternoon nap to find a note on my locker: “Come see me.” It was from my friend “M” over in Wing-3. We’ve been hanging out a lot lately—he’s around my age, and we get along well. He’s also a night owl like me, which helps....
Tying It All Together: A Week of Growth at Cumberland
A new month means another one down in prison. Normally, not much happens at a camp, and I find myself stretching for content. But not this week. There’s so much to cover that I’m saving the biggest story—why I moved out of the "retirement wing" (P-4) and into P-3—for...
BR: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in 1896, lived through World War I, and witnessed the Great Depression. While The Great Gatsby was first published in 1925, it didn’t become popular until after his death in 1940. In fact, it wasn’t widely recognized until it was...
BR: Wise Guys by Nicholas Pileggi
This book was sent to me by my good friend Killyn. We share a love for gangster movies, so Wise Guys was a perfect fit. The timing was especially interesting, since a good portion of the story actually takes place in prison — something I can definitely relate to these...