In the belly of the beast : letters from prison ; with an introd. by Norman Mailer

A visionary book in the repertoire of prison literature. This is a 37 year old literary autodidactic's shocking account of 25 years behind bars. He had been America's longest serving prisoner of solitary confinement. It is the book that inspired the cult film __Ghosts of the Civil Dead__, a term Abbott uses in his book. State-raised Convict -- Varieties Of Punishment -- The Hole : Solitary Confinement -- The Prison Staff -- The Inmates -- Gods And Drugs -- Choosing Sides : Communists And Marxism -- American Violence/american Justice : The Legal System -- Capital Punishment And Gary Gilmore -- Racism In America And Behind Bars -- Foreign Affairs -- Freedom? Jack Henry Abbott ; With An Introduction By Norman Mailer. Introduction Foreword State-Raised Convict Varieties of Punishment The Hole: Solitary Confinement The Prison Staff The Inmates Gods and Drugs Choosing Sides: Communists and Marxism American Violence/American Justice: The Legal System Capital Punishment and Gary Gilmore Racism in America and Behind Bars Foreign Affairs Freedom? About the Author This book collects Abbott's correspondence from prison with Norman Mailer, who provides an introduction. Abbott was a convict who had served the bulk of his life in various prisons across the country. The book is a lauded entry in the repertoire of prison literature.