Spoon jackson
Encyclopedia
Spoon Jackson was born August 22, 1957 in Barstow, California
. He began serving a life without possibility of parole sentence in 1978. He has served time in more than a half-dozen California state prisons and is currently at California State Prison, Sacramento
(New Folsom).
Spoon began writing poetry during his years at San Quentin State Prison
. He enrolled in a four year poetry workshop run by Judith Tannenbaum
and discovered himself as a writer. Spoon played Pozzo in the 1988 production of Samuel Beckett
's play "Waiting for Godot" directed by Jan Jonson which brought him international attention. Since then, Spoon has written plays, poetry, novels, fairy tales, short stories, essays, and memoir. Along with friends from Sweden, Spoon started the "Peace Gang" in order to spread and share his poetry.
In 2003, Michel Wenzer produced a documentary in Sweden
entitled "Three Poems by Spoon Jackson." The film included recordings of Spoon reciting his poems, taped from telephone calls. Michel Wenzer completed a full length documentary (2011) about prisoners in the Art in Corrections program at New Folsom Prison: At Night I Fly - Tales From New Folsom. The title comes from one of Spoon Jackson's poems, he also features in the film.
"Words of Realness", a suite for chorus and orchestra by Swedish composer Stefan Säfsten based on Jackson's poems, premiered on October 5, 2008 in Kista, Stockholm.
Prison Writing Program.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He began serving a life without possibility of parole sentence in 1978. He has served time in more than a half-dozen California state prisons and is currently at California State Prison, Sacramento
California State Prison, Sacramento
California State Prison, Sacramento is a male-only state prison located in the city of Folsom, in Sacramento County, California. The facility is also referenced as Sacramento State Prison, CSP-Sacramento, CSP-SAC, and occasionally, New Folsom or New Folsom Prison which was its official name prior...
(New Folsom).
Spoon began writing poetry during his years at San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men in unincorporated San Quentin, Marin County, California, United States. Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in the state. California's only death row for male inmates, the largest...
. He enrolled in a four year poetry workshop run by Judith Tannenbaum
Judith Tannenbaum
Judith Tannenbaum is an American teaching artist and writer. Born in Chicago and raised in Los Angeles, she has worked in the field of community-based arts, sharing poetry in a wide variety of settings from primary school classrooms to maximum security prisons...
and discovered himself as a writer. Spoon played Pozzo in the 1988 production of Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
's play "Waiting for Godot" directed by Jan Jonson which brought him international attention. Since then, Spoon has written plays, poetry, novels, fairy tales, short stories, essays, and memoir. Along with friends from Sweden, Spoon started the "Peace Gang" in order to spread and share his poetry.
In 2003, Michel Wenzer produced a documentary in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
entitled "Three Poems by Spoon Jackson." The film included recordings of Spoon reciting his poems, taped from telephone calls. Michel Wenzer completed a full length documentary (2011) about prisoners in the Art in Corrections program at New Folsom Prison: At Night I Fly - Tales From New Folsom. The title comes from one of Spoon Jackson's poems, he also features in the film.
"Words of Realness", a suite for chorus and orchestra by Swedish composer Stefan Säfsten based on Jackson's poems, premiered on October 5, 2008 in Kista, Stockholm.
Honors and awards
Spoon Jackson has won four awards from PEN American CenterPEN American Center
PEN American Center , founded in 1922 and based in New York City, works to advance literature, to defend free expression, and to foster international literary fellowship. The Center has a membership of 3,300 writers, editors, and translators...
Prison Writing Program.
Publications
- By Heart: Poetry, Prison and Two Lives — a two-person memoir written by Judith TannenbaumJudith TannenbaumJudith Tannenbaum is an American teaching artist and writer. Born in Chicago and raised in Los Angeles, she has worked in the field of community-based arts, sharing poetry in a wide variety of settings from primary school classrooms to maximum security prisons...
and Spoon Jackson — was brought out by New Village PressNew Village PressNew Village Press is a not-for-profit book publisher based in Oakland, CA. It is a national publishing project of Architects/ Designers/ Planners for Social Responsibility ADPSR, an educational non-profit organization founded in 1982...
in April 2010. - Longer Ago: Poems by Spoon Jackson was also published in 2010.
External links
- Spoon Jackson's Website
- Spoon Jackson's New Blog
- http://www.newvillagepress.net/book/?GCOI=97660100959910 ("By Heart" on New Village Press site)