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15 to Life: How I Painted My Way to Freedom
From Publishers Weekly
"This tension-filled memoir by aprisoner turned activist and artist may seem familiar after JenniferGonnerman's NBA-nominated Life on the Outside, but unlike Gonnerman,Papa describes excessive imprisonment under harsh drug laws with thegrim certainty of firsthand experience. In 1984, he rashly agreed, for$500, to deliver a package containing four and a half ounces of cocainefor a gambling acquaintance. It turned out to be a sting, and Papa wasconvicted and sentenced to 15 years to life. Although at first suffusedwith melodramatic regret, the account becomes leaner when Papa arrivesat Sing Sing and describes the hazards and absurdities of thenotoriously crowded, grimy prison. He found spiritual release fromdespair and violence through educational programs on painting, writingand law. Papa's public stature rose after a painting of his wasexhibited at the Whitney Museum, and after numerous travails threatenedhis health and sanity, he was granted executive clemency after 12 yearsbehind bars. Papa has since been active with the group Mothers of theDisappeared and the movement to repeal the overly harsh Rockefeller drug laws; his paintings combine surrealist overtones with hard-edgedsubjects often derived from the prison-industrial complex, and theyreflect the material of his book memorably."
--Publishers Weekly
"This tension-filled memoir by aprisoner turned activist and artist may seem familiar after JenniferGonnerman's NBA-nominated Life on the Outside, but unlike Gonnerman,Papa describes excessive imprisonment under harsh drug laws with thegrim certainty of firsthand experience. In 1984, he rashly agreed, for$500, to deliver a package containing four and a half ounces of cocainefor a gambling acquaintance. It turned out to be a sting, and Papa wasconvicted and sentenced to 15 years to life. Although at first suffusedwith melodramatic regret, the account becomes leaner when Papa arrivesat Sing Sing and describes the hazards and absurdities of thenotoriously crowded, grimy prison. He found spiritual release fromdespair and violence through educational programs on painting, writingand law. Papa's public stature rose after a painting of his wasexhibited at the Whitney Museum, and after numerous travails threatenedhis health and sanity, he was granted executive clemency after 12 yearsbehind bars. Papa has since been active with the group Mothers of theDisappeared and the movement to repeal the overly harsh Rockefeller drug laws; his paintings combine surrealist overtones with hard-edgedsubjects often derived from the prison-industrial complex, and theyreflect the material of his book memorably."
--Publishers Weekly
208 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2004
3 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Papa
6 books17 followersAnthony Papa is an artist, writer, freedom fighter, noted advocate against the war on drugs and co-founder of the Mothers of the New York Disappeared. Mr. Papa’s stinging opinion pieces about the drug war have appeared in news sources across the country. On 12/31/16 he received a pardon from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and becomes the first person in NYS history to receive both clemency (from Gov. George Pataki 1997) and a pardon (2016). He is a frequent public speaker and college lecturer on his art and criminal justice issues. Currently he is Manager of Media and Artist Relations for the Drug Policy Alliance.
Mr. Papa is the author of This Side of Freedom: Life After Clemency, his second memoir about his 18 years of freedom after imprisonment and 15 to Life: How I Painted My Way to Freedom (2004), a memoir about his experience of being sentenced to state prison for a first-time, nonviolent drug offense under New York’s draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws. He has been interviewed by a wide range of national print and broadcast media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, National Public Radio, “Democracy Now,” Court TV, “Extra,” C-Span, WPIX, RNN among others. His art has been exhibited widely from the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York to many cultural centers and he has appeared on nationally syndicated talk shows such as HollyScoop, CNNs Your Money , MSNBC Live withTamron Hall.“Charles Grodin,” “Geraldo Rivera,” and “Catherine Crier Live.”
Mr. Papa is the author of This Side of Freedom: Life After Clemency, his second memoir about his 18 years of freedom after imprisonment and 15 to Life: How I Painted My Way to Freedom (2004), a memoir about his experience of being sentenced to state prison for a first-time, nonviolent drug offense under New York’s draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws. He has been interviewed by a wide range of national print and broadcast media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, National Public Radio, “Democracy Now,” Court TV, “Extra,” C-Span, WPIX, RNN among others. His art has been exhibited widely from the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York to many cultural centers and he has appeared on nationally syndicated talk shows such as HollyScoop, CNNs Your Money , MSNBC Live withTamron Hall.“Charles Grodin,” “Geraldo Rivera,” and “Catherine Crier Live.”
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 1, 2012
Anthony Papa, just one of the thousands of victims of the draconian drug laws that hit America in 1973, tells his tale of how he “painted his way to freedom.” It is similar to Life on the Outside, by Jennifer Gonnerman, but unique in its first hand account. This is not your usual story of a notarized drug dealer from the streets serving his bid and coming home to stir up more trouble. This is a story of a family man who gets caught in the web of the penal system, but fights his way back to personal triumph. Commended by the likes of Russell Simmons, Susan Sarandon, and Jack Black, 15 to Life will have you singing its praises after the first few chapters
March 22, 2008
Excellent biography of a man who got caught up in our criminal "injustice" system and how he discovered a new talent which eventually freed him. I had the pleasure of meeting him in Washington, D.C. as he works with the Drug Policy Alliance, which was one of my organization's allies. His story is inspiring. His book is interesting, sad, motivating, brilliant... read it!
February 16, 2008
True story of a an artist in prison. Commentary on our prison industry.
July 19, 2008
I met this guy at a bar last weekend and he gave me this book... We'll see how it goes!
December 28, 2019
I have a few problems with the tone of the book, not sure how much I believe in the innocent-nice-guy image (especially when he breaks rules to make three-way calls while seeking clemency, or the taking of the photograph of the prison at the very end - oh on I might have just broken my parole!) but regardless an important work in terms of Draconian drug laws that aren't really meant to keep us safer but rather support the rich getting richer.
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April 25, 201215 to life now available now in eBOOK formats KINDLE http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007V5XOZA and NOOK http://tinyurl.com/d3qvymq
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews