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INSIDE OUT

Name: INSIDE OUT
Author: Harry and Jim Franklin Camisa
ISBN: 0-9726473-0-9

FIFTY YEARS BEHIND THE WALLS OF NEW JERSEY'S TRENTON STATE PRISON

by Harry and Jim Franklin Camisa ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2003

A rewarding testament to a life's work, and a treasure trove for true-crime buffs. (35 b&w photos throughout, 1 b&w...

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An engaging history of Trenton State Prison by a man who spent his career there.

Harry Camisa spent 50 years inside one of New Jersey's toughest maximum-security facilities. Beginning as a corrections officer in 1950, he retired in 1979, then returned to the prison as a civilian employee, remaining on staff until 2002. During that time, he witnessed 13 executions, befriended numerous murderers, rapists and thieves, and watched the changes in society as a whole–and specifically its philosophy about corrections–reverberate within the walls of the prison. He relates his observations and experiences in compelling detail, offering a close look at the structure of the prison itself and its evolution over time, as well as first-hand impressions of several notorious inmates: Rubin "Hurricane" Carter; Dutch Schultz's assassin, Charlie "the Bug" Workman; serial killer Rich Biegenwald; Jesse Timmendequas, whose rape and murder resulted in the passage of "Megan's Law"; and accountant/killer John List, a fugitive for 17 years who was finally captured after being featured on America's Most Wanted. In each case, Camisa presents his perspective based on his own interactions with the prisoners, as well as extensive descriptions of their crimes, captures, trials and, in certain cases, escape attempts. Though co-authored by Camisa and Franklin, the voice throughout is entirely Camisa's, and the research on the included cases blends naturally with his personal reflections. Aside from his remarkably humane, non-judgmental acceptance of some of society's worst, he offers his deepest introspection when describing the electrocutions he witnessed–the powerful feelings evoked by watching a man die, and his continued ambivalence about capital punishment.

A rewarding testament to a life's work, and a treasure trove for true-crime buffs. (35 b&w photos throughout, 1 b&w illustration)

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2003

ISBN: 0-9726473-0-9

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2011

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.