By Jason Breedlove
Breedlove Publishing, LLC, $11.99, 178 pages
Local author Jason Breedlove’s memoir, 1065131 is a gritty, angry, often brutally honest account of his three terms of prison in Iowa. The author sold every kind of illegal drug, he was addicted to cigarettes and alcohol and meth. Breedlove believes the only way to stop the illegal drug trade is for there to be many more police and longer sentences for those who get caught.
The most interesting aspect about this book is Breedlove’s description of prison life including the food, the nicknames prisoners use for one another and the amazing, cruel tricks they play. He admits to being the happiest person in prison, where he had structure, clear rules and could sit and talk to other inmates. Breedlove describes the way he has organized his life post prison to resemble the life he had while incarcerated.
This is a remarkable memoir about the tale of someone still trying to figure out their life after spending the majority of it in jail. It is not for the lighthearted as it can be dizzyingly honest, and cringe worthy at many different points. A short read at 178 pages, the book is mainly comprised of poems and looks at prison life from the view of someone struggling to maintain optimism after years in a world that contained little of it.
Reviewed by Liz Friedman
[amazon asin=0615404332&text=Buy On Amazon&template=carousel]