That Bird’s Got My Wings

A young inmate picks up a rock to throw at a seagull standing in a puddle. Jarvis Master, a black man on death row, raises his arm to stop him. The San Quinten yard got quiet because, in this culture, you stay out of other people's business. Angered, the inmate shouts, "What do you think you are doing?" Jarvis answers, "Don't! That bird's got my wings."

Our Basic Goodness

And photo of a man’s face in the newspaper confirmed his guilt. Seriously, I didn’t even have to read what happened. The article’s heading had something to do with kidnapping a child.

What We Remember is Kindness

le who showed me kindness. A nurse at the sanatorium who stopped by my bed to stroke my face before she left work. The high school teacher who tolerated my rebellious ways and listened instead of punishing. The woman I waited on at the Fireside Lounge...