Cell 17

PREFACE In the second half of the nineteenth century outlaws that preyed on railroads and banks became legends. Literally thousands of “dime novels” were written which gave completely false accounts of the exploits of Jesse James, “Wild Bill” Hickock, Billy the Kid, John H. “Doc” Holliday and dozens of other western desperados, bandits and gunfighters. The Eastern publishing houses printed them as fast as they could for millions of Americans. They became one of the most important forms of entertainment of the age and they were not marketed as fiction. The vast majority of readers accepted the fantastic accounts of superhuman marksmanship, just revenge and heroic encounters as fact. Writers and publishers developed a product that glamorized the outlaw. Their output was embraced by a society that craved information and entertainment. The accuracy of the information was not important if the reader was entertained. The next generation, still fascinated by the invented exploits of Wyatt Earp and the others, produced Bonnie and Clyde, Machine Gun Kelly and Baby Face Nelson; a new batch of legends. Movies of the time showcased Edward G. Robinson and Jimmy Cagney in false but entertaining depictions of their era’s criminals. Like the dime novels, the movies had little to do with reality. In 1971, at the age of fifteen, I made a friend. He was a street fighter; a twentieth century desperado. He and I differed in important ways but we were alike in many ways too. We were on our high school football and wrestling teams. We were both fierce competitors but I think our motivations were different. Like a cross between Marlon Brando and Geronimo he fought and smoked and played the drums and lived a life that his mother and his coaches couldn’t change. Now, twenty-five years after the practice fields and wrestling mats we are still friends. Much has happened in our lives. We’ve been grooms and groomsmen together at three weddings. We’ve traveled. We’ve worked together, and he has gone to prison three times. The first time was for eighteen months and the second time was four years. His last stay was for six months. During his first stay, we corresponded and I sent him a book but I didn’t visit. When he was in the second time I visited on four or five occasions. I lived on the West Coast but I came to Delaware on business often and whenever I could I drove to the Delaware Correctional Center in Smyrna to see him. The visits were short. He said little about his life inside.

המשפט הראשון: “They say, ’You're goin' to jail,’ but believe me, I'm gettin' out, and you better be ready. If I'm not a changed person you better be ready to handle what comes with that

שנה

1996

שפה

English

הוצאה

Pond Pub

מהדורות

1

עמודים

142

ISBN

9780964851313

מקור הנתונים: Wikidata