The Jailhouse Lawyer, A Limited Number of Miracles and More Books to Read

The Jailhouse Lawyer

“The Jailhouse Lawyer” tells the story of Calvin Duncan, who was imprisoned from 1982 to 2011 for a crime he didn’t commit, including 23 years where Duncan served as a “jailhouse lawyer” at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, aka Angola. This memoir, penned by Duncan himself as well as Cull, the latter of whom is a criminal justice reform advocate, shows how Duncan fell in love with the law while in prison, after winning an early legal victory for some older inmates who couldn’t eat the food without teeth (and how that win got them dentures). Since this book has been released, Duncan has won an election to become the New Orleans clerk of court. “The Jailhouse Lawyer” is a great book that gives the reader insight into the injustices that are all too common in our criminal system, while also giving the reader some hope for how those wrongs can be righted. 400 pages, $32.00

A Limited Number of Miracles

New Orleans poet Jonathan Penton writes a beautiful and poignant book exploring 66 pieces from the sculpture garden in New Orleans’ City Park. Penton meditates on what the sculptures “know” as he writes about family, relationships, grief and sexuality. Penton’s book explores dark, personal topics, using poetic forms and the sculptures to explore grief. One of the forms that Penton uses is the haibun, which is a prose poem followed by a haiku.  Penton’s deeply moving poems will resonate with every reader. 94 pages, $19.95

Tomorrow Brings Joy: Elysium

“Tomorrow Brings Joy: Elysium,” is a novel that explores the relationship between humans and androids in the future. The heroes of the story are a human, Dolores, and her eccentric android companion, named KR. They start to learn the mysteries of Elysium, which was designed to abolish the traditional hierarchies of the world and achieve perfect harmony for all. It is easy to see the parallels to our world when the protagonists run into the “Walled City.” Mahyar and Mahbod are brothers who wrote a beautiful novel with compelling characters and philosophical questions, published by UNO Press.  425 pages, $28.95

Louisiana from the Sky

Philip Gould has been taking photographs of Louisiana since 1974. In “Louisiana from the Sky,” Gould takes photos of Louisiana that show its expansive landscape, different terrains and immense beauty. The photos also show in clear pictures the challenges that the state faces, as Louisiana loses a piece of land greater than the size of Manhattan every year. The folklorist Ben Sandmel gives context to the photographs with lyrical prose in his essays. “Louisiana from the Sky” is a powerful book, and was published by UL Press. 216 pages, $34.95