American Gulag was the 10^th book I read in 2009:

Reason I read An American in the Gulag:

I have been a fan of Russian literature for several decades, ever since I read my first book by Dostoyevsky.  I’ve also read works by Tolstoy, and as a prisoner, of course I’ve read Solzhenitsyn.  I was looking through the memoir section in Taft prison library, and when I found this memoir about Alexander Dolgun’s experiences with a 25-year sentence, I decided to read his story.  I though the style he chose may help me as I continue writing Earning Freedom, my own story of a prison odyssey.

What I learned from reading An American in the Gulag:

One lesson I learned is that Dolgun and the writer with whom he collaborated made this book come alive with vivid descriptions, and if I am to succeed in helping my readers understand prison, I have a considerable amount of work ahead.  I knew this, of course, but this powerful book helped clarify the message.

When I read the cover’s description of Dolgun’s 25-year sentence, I suspected that he served less time. In Solzhenitsyn’s classic, The Gulag Archipelago, he also served less time than the sentence imposed.  In Dolgun’s case, liberty came in eight years, with the death of Stalin.

This book illustrates the importance literature has on human culture.  Although Dolgun was released from prison in the 1950s, his story as told through this book, preserved his experience forever.  I am glad to have read it, as the memoir helps me understand an earlier period in history, before my birth, on a continent I’ve never visited.

How reading An American in the Gulag will contribute to my success upon release:

Prison has become an inextricable part of my life, as I’ve been locked inside various prisons since 1987.  It is important for me to learn as much as I can about the prison system and prison experiences to that I can teach other more effectively.  One question I asked myself after finishing Dolgun’s story was whether I would have preferred to have served eight years under conditions that he endured, or the 22-plus years of prison I have known.  I think would have taken the eight years, as this stretch has taken too much out of my life.

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Danielle Rios asked whether I encountered any mentors whom I learned from as a federal prisoner. I feel thankful to have learned from many. Some of my mentors were men I had met in prison, some were leaders in society who became friends of mine while I served time, and many mentors were men whom I read about, but never met.

Although I did not follow the adjustment patterns that were normal within the prison culture, by observing the men around me I was able to commit to a strategy for growth that worked for me. It required that I spend a lot of time alone. I developed a habit of sleeping very early and waking very early. The focus, for me, has always been on preparations I could make that would help me emerge from prison successfully.

Because I concentrated on the world outside, and the contributions I wanted to make to it, my most influential mentors were either men whom I read about, or academics who worked tirelessly to educate me. One of the first mentors to me was Socrates. I was in the county jail when I read the story of his attitude toward the sanction of death that judges imposed upon him. The Autobiography of Malcom X was a book I read early in my confinement, and it helped me realize that I could grow through adversity. I read the work of Viktor Frankl and other accounts of prisoners who endured the harsh conditions of Nazi concentration camps. Those people’s adjustment patterns inspired me, and they too were like mentors to me. Nelson Mandela, of course, was a long-term prisoner who made great contributions to the advancement of civilization despite the decades he served in prison. The same went for Aleksander Solzhenitsyn. Those leaders have been my mentors, even though I never met them.

As a prisoner, I frequently lead classes through which I share what I have learned. In many cases, I work with individuals to help them understand options they may pursue. I feel convinced that a successful prison adjustment requires a deliberate plan and a personal commitment. I recently finished reading a wonderful book by Tony Dungy that advises individuals on steps they may take to lead lives of significance. succeeding in prison requires an individual to lead an uncommon adjustment; I do my best to mentor others around me and to lead by example.

Upon my release I expect to build a career that will allow me to share what I’ve learned through my long journey of imprisonment. There have been many lessons that I believe may contribute to the lives of others. The strategies to which I committed may be of value to people who struggle through adversity in their own lives.

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