Stone Hotel: Poems From Prison
by Raegan Butcher

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Book Reviews of Stone Hotel: Poems From Prison

Book Review: Inmate in the Stone Hotel
Summary: 5 Stars

Butcher uses his words to tell the stories of his life, starting with the armed robbery he was convicted for in 1996. He takes his audience through his arrest, the suicide watch he's placed on, the mental ward he's confined to, his conviction, and his transfer to prison. The last line of "Prisonbound" reads, "i had 2,555 days to go." In addition to details of those 2,555 days, the book's next 86 pages are filled with Butcher's hopes, dreams, fears, and desires.

I particularly appreciate Butcher's straight-up honesty. He manages to write about his love for his young daughter and of romance lost without seeming sappy or fake. No matter what he writes about, he doesn't sugarcoat or pretend.

My favorite pieces are his brief and pointed descriptions of inmates he encounters. These poems are as short as eleven words, but they speak volumes. Butcher makes each word count.

This book illuminates a skill and talent that goes beyond sharing the details of life in prison, although (according to my friends behind bars) Butcher does that well. The greatest beauty here is that Butcher puts words together in ways that shock and delight. Consider the final words of the final poem in Stone Hotel: "i've walked thru hell/ wearing gasoline shoes." That's a whole world of meaning in only ten syllables.

Summary of Stone Hotel: Poems From Prison

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