“A boy with no one to listen becomes a man in prison for life and discovers his mind can be free. A woman enters prison to teach and becomes ...
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reviews
May 01, 2010
Chantell
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This book taught me about how prison life is confined, but hopeful. People have dreams, no matter where they are or in what situation. Everyone is human, and this book enforces that beauty is always there- even if it goes unnoticed. It makes me sad that the prison programs are disappearing. This book is the kind that you just can't read and say, "it was ok." It made me feel like getting out there and helping someone. People need each other, and this book forced me not to just look at t
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Apr 07, 2010
Jamie
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By Heart is a memoir told by two different people, shifting narration every chapter between the two.This memoir, while essentially two in one, is nicely woven together by the themes of art and life behind bars. Jackson puts a human face to "convicts". It's all too easy for those on the outside to paint all criminals as pure evil and forget they too are people just like everyone else. While I can understand from the other side, it's very sad to read about how many of these convicts try
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Apr 22, 2010
Waven
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This dual memoir allows the reader to hear from Spoon Jackson, a man imprisoned for murder, and Judith Tannenbaum, a teacher who believes in humanity and the power of words. The book begins by illustrating how different these two are, how unlikely that their paths should cross. We meet them in San Quentin, the better part of a decade into Spoon's sentence and Judith beginning her second year teaching an Arts-in-Corrections poetry class at the prison. As Judith states on the first page of the
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Jul 26, 2010
Annie
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I finished this two person memoir and was blown away by the deeply personal writing by Spoon Jackson and Judith Tannenbaum. They write about how their childhoods shaped their adult lives and for Spoon, how this led to being incarcerated in San Quentin. I felt that reading about Spoon's experiences was eye opening; he becomes not a prisoner, but a real person, with his love for nature, his innate curiosity and unfortunately the lack of encouragement from his teachers in school. Spoon is not just
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Dec 09, 2011
By Heart: Poetry, Prison, and Two Lives, by Judith Tannenbaum & Spoon Jackson
(198 pages/New Village Press, 2010)
By Heart is a new collaborative memoir by Judith Tannenbaum and Spoon Jackson. Tannenbaum is a poet and educator who has taught poetry in schools since the 1970’s and has been involved in teaching poetry in prisons since the 1980’s. Spoon Jackson is a poet serving a life sentence. The two met at San Quentin State Prison and formed the friendship that led to the writing o More...
(198 pages/New Village Press, 2010)
By Heart is a new collaborative memoir by Judith Tannenbaum and Spoon Jackson. Tannenbaum is a poet and educator who has taught poetry in schools since the 1970’s and has been involved in teaching poetry in prisons since the 1980’s. Spoon Jackson is a poet serving a life sentence. The two met at San Quentin State Prison and formed the friendship that led to the writing o More...
Apr 12, 2010
Joyce
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I RECIEVED THE BOOK LAST WEEK, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN. THIS BOOK IS MUST READ FOR ALL AGES. THE MAJOR LESSON OF I'VE LEARNED IS TO BE LESS JUDGMENTAL, MORE OPEN AND REALIZE PRISON BARS MAY PHYSICALLY BE A BARRIER BUT MAY NOT BE A BARRIER TO ONE'S MIND.
SUPERB!!!!!!!!EVERYONE SHOULD READ BY HEART ONCE IN THEIR LIFETIME!!!!!!!!! SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS
SUPERB!!!!!!!!EVERYONE SHOULD READ BY HEART ONCE IN THEIR LIFETIME!!!!!!!!! SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS
May 31, 2010
Shelley
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I won this as a goodreads giveaway. This book opens up the prison world that the rest of society wants to forget and shows the men with "one foot in light and one foot in darkness" as human. The duel narratives gives different perspectives from two very different people who were connected through poetry. Judith Tannenbaum has lived a very free and artistic life, Spoon has been confined within the prison system and only after being confined finds his artistic voice. Following the de
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Apr 12, 2010
Eleanor
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This book was very interesting. Brought reality back to life in some parts. How someone can go from childhood to manhood without realizing alot surprises me - I would recommend this book to anyone. Really enjoyred it
Mar 10, 2011
Ashley
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Judith Tannenbaum and Spoon Jackson have written an interesting account of their lives and their relationship to one another through poetry. This is a great book for folks who are interested in arts in prisons, and it has an in-depth account of the 1980s production of Waiting for Godot in San Quentin.
Jun 13, 2010
Melissa
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I won this on first reads.
Interesting and enlightening on parts of our culture that are not regularly seen or discussed.
Interesting and enlightening on parts of our culture that are not regularly seen or discussed.
Nov 03, 2010
Katrina
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At the risk of sounding glib, this is a truly inspiring book. We are more alike than we are different.
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