Crossing the Yard: Thirty Years as a Prison Volunteer

by Richard Shelton

Overview

Ever since he was asked to critique the poetry of a convicted murderer, he has lived in two worlds.

Richard Shelton was a young English professor in 1970 when a convict named Charles Schmid—a serial killer dubbed the “Pied Piper of Tucson” in national magazines—shared his brooding verse. But for Shelton, the novelty of meeting a death-row monster became a thirty-year commitment to helping prisoners express themselves. Shelton began organizing creative writing workshops behind bars, and in this gritty memoir he offers up a chronicle of reaching out to forgotten men and women—and of creativity blossoming in a repressive environment. He tells of published students such as Paul Ashley, Greg Forker, Ken Lamberton, and Jimmy Santiago Baca who have made names for themselves through their writing instead of their crimes. Shelton also recounts the bittersweet triumph of seeing work published by men who later met with agonizing deaths, and the despair of seeing the creative strides of inmates broken by politically motivated transfers to private prisons. And his memoir bristles with hard-edged experiences, ranging from inside knowledge of prison breaks to a workshop conducted while a riot raged outside a barricaded door. Reflecting on his decision to tutor Schmid, Shelton sees that the choice “has led me through bloody tragedies and terrible disappointments to a better understanding of what it means to be human.”

Crossing the Yard is a rare story of professional fulfillment—and a testament to the transformative power of writing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780816525959
Publisher:	University of Arizona Press
Publication date:	10/18/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Richard Shelton continues to lead prison workshops and is editor of the journal Walking Rain Review, which features the work of current and former inmates. A Regents’ Professor in the University of Arizona’s creative writing program, he is the author of eleven books of poetry and the award-winning memoir Going Back to Bisbee.

Table of Contents

Shelton began organizing creative writing workshops behind bars, and in this gritty memoir he offers up a chronicle of reaching out to forgotten men and women—and of creativity blossoming in a repressive environment. He tells of published students such as Paul Ashley, Greg Forker, Ken Lamberton, and Jimmy Santiago Baca who have made names for themselves through their writing instead of their crimes.

Editorial Reviews

The stories. . . are enticing observations about life, literature, incarceration, and the human condition, which make for a book that is hard to put down. Shelton writes with skill and candor about society's exiles and their hidden talents, which he was able to bring out in his workshops; his own talents as a writer give the book its power. Both eye-opening and enchanting, this volume would certainly be a worthwhile addition to any collection.”—Library Journal starred review

“In a spellbinding memoir chronicling the uncommon challenges and unexpected rewards of reaching out to some of society’s most complex and generally forgotten members, Shelton’s triumphant paean to the tenacity of the creative spirit celebrates the courage of hopeless men who bravely found a way to express their essential humanity.”—Booklist

“This book is a tribute to Richard Shelton’s artistry, to the power of words, and to the talent of men behind bars. ‘You have saved me before they might have destroyed me,’ writes one of his former workshop participants, ‘I am singing.’ In this deeply felt and honest memoir, Shelton teaches us the meaning of compassion and makes a moving plea for the arts in prison.”—Jean Trounstine, author of Shakespeare Behind Bars: The Power of Drama in a Women’s Prison

From the Publisher

What do you do with a convicted killer who has a poetic bent? If you're Richard Shelton, you help him. Sometime around 1964, a sociopath named Charles Schmid murdered three young girls, for which he received a sentence of 50-years-to-life at the Arizona State Prison Complex. In 1970, Schmid wrote a note to Shelton, a poet and assistant English professor at the University of Arizona, requesting his thoughts on the prisoner's poetry. Fast-forward 30 years, by which point the author had spent hours upon hours teaching, and cajoling and inspiring scores of prisoners throughout the state to use words as their weapons. His engrossing memoir introduces us to National Book Award-winner Jimmy Santiago Baca, who initially annoyed Shelton with his incessant kvetching about prison life; bipolar savant Billy Aberg; fellow teacher Will Clipman, who once accidently brought a couple of joints to a prison; and a large handful of other inmates and their mentors, all of whom more than merit inclusion in this literary redemption song. An oft-published poet, Shelton (The Last Person to Hear Your Voice, 2007, etc.) here sublimates any lyrical proclivities and delivers his story in a simple, straight-ahead and occasionally gritty prose. Some may regret the fact that only a handful of the prisoners' poems are included, but it was a wise decision: Too much poetry would have brought the narrative to multiple halts. With its memorable cast of characters and its heart-in-the-right-place attitude, this stirring text has a chance to reach-and affect-a large audience. Touching, inspiring and at times frightening: a tangible demonstration of the healing powers of art.

Kirkus Reviews