The Funhouse Mirror: Reflections on Prison

Gordon, Robert Ellis; Inmates Of The Washington Corrections System; Collins, Michael; Granack, Tj; Eaglestaff, Duane; Landsdowne, Keith R

ISBN 10: 0874221986 / ISBN 13: 9780874221985

Published by Washington State University Press, 2000

About this Item

All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.

Seller Inventory # MINV.0874221986.G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Funhouse Mirror: Reflections on Prison
• Publisher: Washington State University Press
• Publication Date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0874221986
• ISBN 13: 9780874221985
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: good

About this title

Synopsis

"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.

About the Author

Robert Ellis Gordon is the author of the celebrated novel Humping Credenzas With The Late Bobby Kennedy: A Convict's True Account.
 
A past winner of the Washington State Book Award, Gordon spent many years teaching in the prisons. In 2007 he received a special citation from the State Library for his writing about hidden populations.