Earlier this summer, Peggy, a new writing mentor of mine who teaches English courses at a Nevada University, helped me with suggestions to improve my first chapter of Earning Freedom. Her insightful comments, together with lessons I learned on style from two writing books she sent, gave me more confidence as I sat down this [...]
Last night’s mail delivery brought me a stack of messages that students from Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina sent. Professor Daniel Harrison, who chairs the political and social sciences department, uses my book Inside as a resource for his online seminar of Advanced Studies in Deviance and Crime. I am grateful for the privilege [...]
Beginning a new chapter is not always easy. I finished writing chapter three of Earning Freedom this past Monday, and I left page 149 with a clear break. It was back in 1990, when a federal prosecutor wrote that “if Michael Santos spent every day of his life in an all-consuming effort to contribute to [...]
I’ve finished drafts of two new chapters for Earning Freedom. To proceed with the project, I need to receive the typed version. I’m hoping to secure a new publishing agreement by the fall, but I can’t move forward without editing the work I’ve already completed. These are some of the frustrations of confinement. This morning, [...]
An event of monumental importance is going on in my life right now, and I regret that I am not at liberty to write about the ongoing developments. By the end of this year, I may have an okay from the team working to help me, but for now I must keep my word of [...]
Yesterday my beautiful wife Carole relayed a message from my literary agent Jim Schiavone. Jim told Carole to tell me that he was enthusiastic about representing Earning Freedom, and that he thought the proposal and sample chapters were excellent. Before submitting the manuscript to publishers, however, Jim asked for a second chapter. I finished a [...]
Anniversaries are a big deal for prisoners as we’re always counting toward some marker that indicates we’re advancing along our path to liberty. Today marks an anniversary of questionable value for me, as I’m serving my 8,000 day. I like to complete blocks of thousands, and this is a big one because I do not [...]
