Shaun Attwood
Drugs Live: The Ecstasy Trial
Channel 4 just called. I'm on standby to go live tonight on Part 2 of the TV program Drugs Live: The Ecstasy Trial. I find out for sure in 2 hours if I'm going on. Whether I'm on or not, I strongly recommend people watch Part 2 tonight at 10pm (UK time). They have a cross section of volunteers taking Ecstasy and getting monitored afterwards, including a female priest, a politician, and a massive former SAS soldier. Here's the link to watch it worldwide on the internet when it comes available at 10pm UK time: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/drugs-live-the-ecstasy-trial/episode-guide/series-1
Shaun Attwood
Shaun Attwood
Guest at my Sister's Blog
My sister posted an excerpt from my latest letter to Jack to her blog: http://www.ourlifewithleukaemia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/guest-blog-shauns-letter-to-jack.html
It's about visiting my neice, Yasmin, in the children's cancer ward at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Shaun Attwood
It's about visiting my neice, Yasmin, in the children's cancer ward at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Shaun Attwood
Burlington Danes Academy
Shaun Attwood
Bradfield College Visit
Shaun Attwood
Greetings from the Abyss by Jack (Part 6)
Jack is serving life without parole, and has
terminal cancer. Throughout my incarceration, Jack was a positive influence. He
encouraged me to keep writing, to enter short-story competitions, and we
proofread each other’s chapters. Jack is seeking pen pals, so anyone interested please eamil me at attwood.shaun@hotmail.co.uk for his details.
Hello, my friend. How are you today? Well, I hope.
I’ve been under the weather the last few days, but feel much better this
evening. I received your two letters today, or should I say, one letter and the
closing of your book. I am extremely proud of you, and your accomplishments. I
believe you’ve only brushed the surface of what I predict will be an enormous
award-packed literary career. Soon your lecture circuit will include
presentations on how to be a highly regarded and successful writer, along with
those presentations that you give now. The impact you have on those around you
is everlasting, just look at how you impacted all of us here in purgatory. But
remember, once you further gain fame and fortune, always be true to yourself. I
know it’s a tired old cliché, but no one else will have your best interest in
heart more so than you.
I’m glad that the howl of the wolves doesn’t
trigger a large enough desire in you to rejoin the pack. After all of these
years, I too still hear that siren’s song, but can proudly say that I’ve been
able to stay the course. Even now with my medical problems making the threat of
disciplinary actions untenable, I am still not swayed. I guess there really
isn’t a viable reason for me not to falter, other than my own personal belief
system, which, it just so happens, is the only thing that DOC can’t take away
from me, and it is the only thing that I refuse to relinquish.
Quick update on my medical situation. I had a bad
reaction to the chemo during my last session and had to be hospitalised for a
short period of time. Right after that I developed the shingles, which was not
fun at all. I went back to the oncologist on Aug 6th, luckily for me
the oncology clinic just installed a CT scanner in July, so the clinic went
ahead and put their new CT scanner through its paces, and drew all the
necessary blood for the cancer work also. I’ll be going back sometime in the
near future for the outcome of these tests. I am hopeful for remission, but
understand the issues at hand, that it is only a temporary respite. This type
of cancer can’t be cured, but can be knocked down for a while. It’s mine, I own
it, so I might as well be comfortable with it. I’m at a relatively good place
now mentally. The stoic in me accepts what has occurred and what will occur. My
biggest concern is the loss of what little control I have over my life. I know
that eventually I will go down the same path as Two Tonys. I just hope to
maintain control until then. Anyway, wish me luck and keep me in mind for the
upcoming announcement.
I do miss writing, whether it be awkward attempts
at creating from whole cloth or writing to those few people I stay in touch
with. I haven’t done nearly enough of either in the past few years. I want to
reconnect with my friends and family while I still can. Besides, it’s my fault
if they don’t want to write since I haven’t been exactly burning up the postal
system with my missives. I’m even willing to take on new responsibilities, such
as new pen pals, so if you know of anyone wanting to write a well-used
(read:worn out) hack please pass along my name and number.
You asked about sending me books. My tastes are
rather plebeian. I’m not trying to expand my mind as much as I once did.
Anything dealing with English, Scottish or American history or historical
fiction is fine by me. Truthfully, anything would be fine by me, although I’m
not real keen on you spending money on me. I’m quite sure you can find more
worthwhile things to indulge in.
Well, my friend, it’s late and I’m tired. We didn’t
work last week or today, so you would think I would be well rested.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to work that way anymore. The weather here has
been typical for this time of year, 110 degrees, and high humidity. The monsoon
keeps just to the south of us, so we don’t get much relief. I think that part
of my problem stems from the weather. Hopefully, we’ll only have another month
or so fo this high heat, and I’ve got my fingers crossed that the humidity will
dissipate in the next couple of weeks. I am looking forward to a substantial
weather improvement.
Take care of yourself. I look forward to hearing
from you soon.
Best wishes,
Jack
Shaun Attwood
Ballerinas and Wig Pic
Shaun Attwood
Milk Commercial
Back in Guildford after nonstop talks and travel up north as far as Cumbria. Being filmed in London for a milk commercial tomorrow with 5 other members of my karate team. We've been paired against a team of ballet dancers in a competition called Tug of Straw. Not quite sure what I'm getting into, but the filming lasts for 5 hours and I've been told I'll be drinking a lot of milk and getting milk all over me. The latest email from the ballet dancers states that they are going to kick our arses and show us all up on camera. I can feel my competitive spirit coming alive.
Shaun Attwood
Shaun Attwood
Greetings from the Abyss by Jack (Part 5)
Jack
is serving life without parole. Throughout my incarceration, Jack was a
constant positive influence. He encouraged me to keep writing, to enter
short-story competitions, and we proofread each other’s work.
Hello
my friend, it’s been too long since I wrote. In my defense, I’ve been in and
out of the hospital for the last two years. I became extremely sick and
collapsed on the road outside of my housing unit. I had to be flown to the
hospital. It was touch and go for a few days. I was in ICU for a week and then
another week in recovery. I had 23 blood transfusions before I stabilized.
Turns out that I have advance stage cancer, small lymphocytic lymphoma, stage
IVb. Basically, that means I’m near the end, at least that’s what the
oncologist says. I think I’ll fool him and live a while longer.
Congratulations
on Hard Time. I enjoyed it, and am quite pleased it is doing so well. I look
forward to your next book, and the next and the next… I always knew that you
would do well. Your acknowledgement in Hard Time was very generous and
appreciated. I haven’t written anything for a while now. I collected a fair
amount of rejection letters before throwing in the towel. The logistics of
writing in here has become onerous. I have few, if any, real possibilities of
having my poor writing transcribed into anything legible. I realize this is
just another excuse, but it has become easy to accept, and I have done so.
Shaun,
thank you for everything you have done for me, and those of us who are still
incarcerated. You have gone above and beyond to bring a ray of hope and
normalcy to our lives. Take care of yourself and continued success in whatever
you undertake.
Best
wishes always,
Jack
Shaun Attwood
Hard Time Reviews Rise Over 100 on Amazon UK
Three new reviews in September pushed Hard Time to 102 reviews. With 92 five-star reviews, Hard Time is one of the highest star-ranked memoirs on Amazon. A big thank you to everyone who has posted a review.
Click here to read the reviews or to leave a review.
The most recent review made me laugh as the reviewer bumped into someone on holiday reading Hard Time:
Shaun Attwood
Click here to read the reviews or to leave a review.
The most recent review made me laugh as the reviewer bumped into someone on holiday reading Hard Time:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An amazing book that all should read, 11 Sep 2012
By
Damonb
This review is from: Hard Time: A Brit in America's Toughest Jail (Paperback)
As I was reading this book on my holidays recently the guy on the next
sunbed leaned over and flashed the cover of the same book. It became the
subject of our conversation over the next few days and we both agreed
that it was a gripping, amazing but shocking story. Once I started
reading I could not put the book down. The story is a real eye opener
into what goes on over there and the justice system in general. I will
be reading the prequel and sequel to the book at soon as they are
published..
Shaun Attwood
Darkness is Closing In (Guest blog by Paul John Denham)
I met Paul's mother, Molly, at a Koestler Trust exhibition of prisoners' art in 2009. I was admiring one of Paul's portraits when Molly told me about her son's sad story as conveyed in this guest blog. Englishman Paul is suffering life without parole for a crime he never committed. His transfer to the UK prison system was denied, and he is going blind.
I have named this painting ’Darkness is Closing in’, because I suffer from a genetic eye condition that leads to blindness, and this painting expresses sombre elements which have lead to my incarceration.
Shaun Attwood
I have named this painting ’Darkness is Closing in’, because I suffer from a genetic eye condition that leads to blindness, and this painting expresses sombre elements which have lead to my incarceration.
It
is a self-portrait in which I wear a splint, I have beard stubble, and a blind
man’s stick hangs from my right wrist. I stand in a pit whilst above me a
silencer welding hoodlum and a Klansman shower me with disrespect.
I
was arrested in 1997 and convicted in 1998 of two crimes that I did not commit.
Both of the crimes occurred at night. Yet my trial lawyer failed to introduce
into the trial that I am night blind. During one crime the victim described his
attacker as clean shaven, wearing black gloves, and a red hooded sweatshirt.
But my trial lawyer never introduced information that I had a fractured hand, I
had beard stubble, and I didn’t own a red hooded sweatshirt.
Furthermore,
before he died the victim made a statement that I was not his attacker. Yet,
the judge did not allow the jury to hear this. Neither did he allow evidence
about seven attacks on the victim’s home when it had been set on fire and
painted ’Klu Klux Klan House’ The
suspects to these were described as African Americans. I am white.
I
told my trial judge that I had eye problems and he ignored this and passed
sentence. Upon arrival in prison in 1998 I informed staff I suffered from
blindness. They gave me a pair of glasses and told me to go away. I continued
to complain and in 2012 I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa. This is a
condition that I was born with.
It
starts with night blindness in adolescence and leads to total blindness. Today
my vision is compared to looking through drinking straws. Although I do not see the blind areas as
blackness, they may as well be. Because
I am serving life without parole and no matter how hard I push on the walls
around me. I can’t stop the darkness closing in.
Paul
John Denham Salinas Valley
State Prison
Shaun Attwood
My Neice Has Cancer
My brave sister, Karen, has decided to go public about the news that has devastated my whole family in the past month. My neice Yasmin, her two year old, has cancer, leukemia. Please give Karen support by reading her blog: http://ourlifewithleukaemia.blogspot.co.uk/
Shaun Attwood
Shaun Attwood
Macclesfield College
Guildford High School For Girls
Just
started my talks for the new term at Guildford High School for Girls. Now hastily
getting ready for the train up north to Widnes. I’ve got three talks at
Macclesfield College tomorrow near Manchester. Then back down south on
Thursday, followed by a three-hour drive on Friday up to Hereford Cathedral
School. Hopefully, I’ll make it back in time on Friday for karate.
Shaun Attwood
 |
| With Lisa and Oona, two brilliant readers |
Shaun Attwood
Hard Time Reviews by Prisoners No. 7: Troy on Death Row
As
someone who has spent nearly three-quarters of his life incarcerated in maximum-security
facilities, I don’t normally bother with reading about other people’s
experiences with judicial systems
and prisons. After all I could simply ask my neighbours about theirs and get
days and days worth
of that stuff.
However,
Shaun Attwood’s book Hard Time came to me from a dear friend with a request for
my thoughts on it. Now that I’ve read it, I’m so glad I did and grateful to my
friend for giving me the chance to do so.
Mr.
Attwood has captured and conveys with his words the many aspects that compose
an experience within
the system with such exact accuracy and frank realism that it’s almost spooky.
I truly thought that
no one could ever convey through writing a picture of the culture of
jail/prison guards, nor the culture
of prisoners, and the many ways in which we not only interact one group to
another, but also amongst
ourselves within the groups.
Shaun
gives his readers who’ve never been caught up in the lifestyle and system a
chance to experience
them without having to lose their freedom, nor damage their souls to do so.
I wish
every kid, boy and girl alike could read this book before they get to the point
at which they’re making
the decision to take drugs and/or embrace a criminal life. I’m sure it would
convince many not to
make those mistakes.
P-2105
Union
Correctional Institution
7819
NW 228th
Street
Raiford
FL32026
Shaun
Attwood