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The bold account of launching an innovative creative writing class inside San Quentin and the journey of hardship, inspiration, & redemption of its members, from New York Times bestselling authors.
San Quentin State Prison would be an unlikely place to look for writing talent. But Keith and Kent Zimmerman, twin brothers and New York Times bestselling co-authors of Operation Family Secrets, have found creative passion, a range of gritty, authentic voices, and a path to hope and redemption behind the guarded walls of the prison’s H-Unit—through a creative writing course they founded almost a decade ago.
H-Unit: A Story of Writing and Redemption Behind the Walls of San Quentin is the dramatic account of hope and purpose that explores Keith and Kent’s experience teaching the class and their students’ experience in the Literary Throwdown writing competition. Seen from the inside, H-Unit is written in an authentic voice and tells the story of real-life characters, from the recidivous “Big Bob” to the incorrigible “Midget Porn,” whose lives are transformed by the written word.
“A poignant and humorous read.” —Scott Budnick, Executive Producer of The Hangover; Prison Educator and Reformer
“I won't forget the evening I spent with them and their class, and when you read this book, you won't forget it either.” —Michael Tolkin, Screenwriter for The Player; Bestselling Author of The Player and The Return of the Player
“Keith and Kent bring extraordinary energy to their class every Friday night, but they also bring their love for writing and a notion that they could somehow make a difference.” —Jill Brown, former warden at San Quentin State Prison
"Keith and Kent teach men how to put their voice on paper, but they also provide insight into how our lives outside the walls can be if we give ourselves a chance to succeed." —Big Bob, former San Quentin student inmate
Prologue: Collaborators to the Incorrigibles
Chapter 1: Blues for Bobby
Chapter 2: The New Men in Black
Chapter 3: Groucho Marxists
Chapter 4: This Thing of Ours
Chapter 5: First Day of Class
Chapter 6: The Power of the ReadBack
Chapter 7: Layabouts and Lowlifes
Chapter 8: Ad Seg and Hot Meds
Chapter 9: Panthers, Wardens, and Arsons
Chapter 10: The Tale of the Teutuls
Chapter 11: The Dark Side of the Yard
Chapter 12: Welcome Back
Chapter 13: The Magical Box
Chapter 14: It Was Christmas in Prison . . .
Chapter 15: My Favorite Things, Scars & Tattoos and Lunch on Arnold
Chapter 16: Big Bob and Flying under the Radar
Chapter 17: The Broken Nose Bandit
Chapter 18: Click Moment & the Tap Test
Chapter 19: The Long Walk
Chapter 20: Strange Justice
Chapter 21: Are You Ready for a Throwdown?
Chapter 22: Acronyms and Throwdowns
Chapter 23: The Lit Crawl
Chapter 24: Throwdown #2 and Criminal Class Review
Chapter 25: Realignment and Reestablishing Contact
Chapter 26: The Ballad of Big Bob
Epilogue: Statistics are . . .
Appendix: 20 Questions from the Children