Our January Author: Jarvis Jay Masters

The first stop to supplement your reading of Finding Freedom: Writings from Death Row by Jarvis Jay Masters, must be his support committee's website: freejarvis.org particularly the material they have explaining the current status of his appeal.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation provides this site with overview and stats on San Quentin. The department provides a set of pictures of death row, as well. Marin County provides us with a fascinating San Quentin photo album from its historical archives. Hulu.com has full espisodes from the MSNBC series Lockup, including Inside San Quentin. It's very guard-centric and focused on the sensational, but it's one way to get inside and look around.

San Quentin in the news: Don't miss this July 2008 NPR report (with illustrative photography) of the overcrowding at San Quentin. Then there is former warden Jeanne Woodford's LAT editorial from October 2008,

I worked in corrections for 30 years, starting as a correctional officer and working my way up to warden at San Quentin and then on to the top job in the state -- director of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. During those years, I came to believe that the death penalty should be replaced with life without the possibility of parole.

The police chief of Newark, CA has also recently expressed concerns that the death penalty hurts public safety and his budget concerns are echoed by at least a couple of California lawmakers.

Under the direction of writer Tobias Wolff, San Quentin has recently revived its prisoner produced newsletter. Copies can be downloaded here. Highly recommended! Of course this reminds me of another favorite book of mine, Life Sentences: Rage and Survival Behind Bars, by Ron Wikberg and Wilbert Rideau, which is sadly out of print, but worth a look in your library. It contains articles from the Angolite, the newspaper of Angola prison in Louisiana. Samples of Rideau's writing can be found here. Other sources for prison writing include PEN American Center's Prison Writing Program and this Canadian site contains links to the writing and art work of more California death row inmates.

For April: Yellowcake by Ann Cummins

For April, we have chosen Yellowcake by Ann Cummins,

This absorbing novel of the American Southwest introduces us to two unforgettable families -- the Irish-Catholic Mahoneys and the Navajo Attcitys -- who despite their differences are joined through shared history and tragedy. Two decades ago, Ryland Mahoney and Woody Attcity had both worked processing the radioactive concentrate yellowcake in a New Mexican uranium mill. Now both men are facing terminal illness. Woody's daughter is convinced that the mine is to blame and is determined to help her father fight for compensation. But Ryland wants no part of dredging up their past -- or acknowledging his future -- choosing instead to focus on his own daughter's upcoming wedding.

Peace on Earth

... and goodwill to all. This picture of our backyard, offered especially for my Southern California Readers, was taken as the the snow came down yesterday (hence a snowflake or two reflecting on the lens) while it was still looking like the most peaceful place on earth and before the winds came and chased me indoors. Enjoy the holidays, wherever you may be!

Our December Author: Ismail Kadare

Not the most complete Wikipedia biography for Ismail Kadare (The Successor) but it's a start, with a bit more from the BBC here. His English translator weighs in on his translation of a (French) translation. For a taste of the controversy surrounding the author, try this essay. I suspect there may be more interviews available in French, but here's one from the Times Online.

Bonus New Yorker short story here.

Happy 60th

Today is the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To kick our celebration off here's a special animated video for the occasion:



If you're feeling nostalgic, here's the old Amnesty International 'running man' animation.

Not in a cartoon mood? This ACLU vid gives a nice capsule history of the UDHR beginning with footage of Eleanor Rooseve lt and presents its present day relevance to the civil rights movement.

Of course, we recommend Rights Readers selection, A World Made New: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Mary Ann Glendon, for the full story. Facing History brings us a Glendon video too.

Action! Action! Action!

We've added a new sidebar feature: feeds from Amnesty International - USA of the latest actions and news releases. Never be at a loss for something you can do!

Travel with Rights Readers!

At long last, the maps of settings of our Rights Readers books have been completed. You can zoom in on Tiananmen Square (Mandate Of Heaven) or Old Anarkarli (The Reluctant Fundamentalist). Asia & Australia can be found here and Africa & the Middle East here. See the sidebar for links to the previous maps of North and South America and Europe.

Bonus peak at cafe life in Old Anarkali here and here! Bon Voyage!