Post #8

Leonard Peltier’s Prison Writings has hit me head-on and opened my eyes in a lot of ways. This post will in no way deal with whether or not he’s guilty-- as he says in his book, that particular subject has been dissected far too many times-- but rather the honesty and clarity of his writing. This book offers such a candid look at his emotions and feelings that I could even sense what mood he was in when writing a particular chapter or section. Sometimes within paragraphs I would start to notice a change in the mood, and then he would catch himself and apologize. The very insanity that he described as affecting his fellow prisoners would ebb its way into his own writing from time to time, almost as though he couldn’t control it. He is a prisoner inside and out, and it’s obvious in his writing. It was like literally reading someone’s thoughts.

Still, for being in jail as long as he has, he seems remarkably sound. His writing is focused and clear, with only a few tangents for which he always apologizes. It’s like he can see what is happening to him but just can’t help it. The part at the beginning where he lists the things that he misses (“I miss gardening. I miss children’s laughter. I miss dogs barking. I miss the feel of rain on my face. I miss babies. I miss the sound of birds singing and of women laughing.” Etc. pg 29) really stuck with me. Those are things that most of us take for granted everyday. I can honestly say that if I were in jail for two decades without being exposed to those things, I would probably lose my mind. His power to invoke the Sun Dance has served him well, and has apparently given him enough strength to stay centered in reality, even while being so far removed from it.