Perp punished for being published
July 9, 2008Don’t know what’s sadder, the fact a convicted felonious writer’s manuscript has been confiscated, or that he’s got a publisher that doesn’t pay an advance. The News & Observer’s Titan Barksdale reports:
Prison shuts the book on novelist: Inmate author’s sales violate policy
Victor Martin has been writing since he was a child, but he didn’t realize it could be a career until he became a convict.
A few years ago, Martin became a published author, writing four novels while lying in his bunk in a state prison in Elizabeth City. His books, which feature a high-rolling criminal named Unique, have a following among readers of what is known as “urban fiction,” a popular literary genre characterized by explicit tales of inner-city crime life. Martin’s books are available on Amazon.com.
But Martin says prison officials are shutting him down, saying his novels violate a policy that bars inmates from conducting business behind bars.
–msg
