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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2006 "To Live Outside the Law, You Must Be Honest" -- Words, Walls, and the Rhetorical Practices of the Angolite Scott oH ward Whiddon Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Whiddon, Scott oH ward, ""To Live Outside the Law, You Must Be Honest" -- Words, Walls, and the Rhetorical Practices of the Angolite" (2006). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 220. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/220 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. “TO LIVE OUTSIDE THE LAW, YOU MUST BE HONEST” -- WORDS, WALLS, AND THE RHETORICAL PRACTICES OF THE ANGOLITE A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of English by Scott Howard Whiddon B.A., Winthrop University, 1996 M.F.A/M.A., McNeese State University, 1999 December 2006 © Copyright 2006 Scott Howard Whiddon All rights reserved. ii To the staff of The Angolite – past, present, and future. iii “You don’t fool with Angola or LSU if you’ve got good sense.” – Gov. Earl K. Long, quoted in the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, January 9, 1966 by a close political associate of Long’s six years after his death. (Carleton 167) iv Acknowledgements Many people have contributed to the completion of this dissertation as well as to my life and happiness over the past five years as a graduate student at Louisiana State University – many more than I have space to thank here. First, the current staff members of The Angolite were gracious enough to allow me into their workspace and to teach me about the practices and difficulties of prison inmate journalism. The 2003 staff, especially current editor Kerry Myers, put up with my endless questions and helped me gain a sense of life at Louisiana State Penitentiary. The time that I spent with them was essential to my project, and I hope that this dissertation and my future research concerning the literature of confinement will help further their cause and draw well-deserved attention to the larger body of prison journalism. I would also like to thank the inmate-tutors that I met and worked with during my time at LSP; their energy and commitment to education behind bars is admirable. There were other central figures that helped me understand both The Angolite and the larger world of prison culture. Dr. John Robson of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary played an important role in my access to Louisiana State Penitentiary. Burk Foster, recently retired from University of Louisiana-Lafayette and an expert on corrections policy and Angola history, was kind enough to grant me two extended interviews and provided me with a wealth of primary materials for future research projects. The Special Collections staff at Hill Memorial Library was also incredibly helpful in providing both documents and workspace that were needed for this project. v Each member of my dissertation committee was crucial in not only helping me develop this project but also in preparing me for a career in higher education. My director Dr. Katrina Powell guided me through coursework, general exams, a lengthy job search, and the dissertation process; she is both rigorous and encouraging, and I could not have completed this project without her guidance and patience. As a mentor, she is nothing short of inspiring. Dr. Irvin Peckham was one of the key figures in my decision to enter the field of rhetoric and composition and taught me a great deal about both the general field and life as a teacher and researcher. Dr. John Lowe contributed both his expertise on African-American writing and culture and his thorough knowledge gained from a lifetime of success in the academy; his advice, especially during my job hunt, was essential. Dr. Susan Weinstein was enormously helpful, especially during the final months of writing, and was always willing to help me talk through difficult ideas and concepts. Drs. Mary Sue Garay and James Catano also supported this project in its earliest stages, and the friendship of Drs. Brannon Costello and Robert Hamm helped keep me focused. Special thanks goes to Dr. Stephanie Houston Grey of the Department of Communication Studies, who served as the dean’s representative at my dissertation defense. I am proud to have worked with all of these amazing teachers and writers. I would also like to thank Dr. Anne Stockdell-Giesler at the University of Tampa Department of English for accepting a short version of Chapter Two for her forthcoming collection on the history of outsider rhetoric. During my years as a graduate student, I have been blessed with friends – again, too many to mention here – who have helped me think critically about my work and cheered me on when I needed it most. Damon Nettles was always willing to talk and, equally important, to fix my computer at all hours. Lisa Costello and Jessica Ketchum, two of my graduate student colleagues in the rhetoric and composition program, were helpful as critical, insightful readers. vi A special thanks also goes to Ben Lanier-Nabors, Joe Letter, Charles (“the great Chuck B”) Bane, Sean Flory, Scott Gage, Charles Lyons, Jr., Shelisa Theus, and my fellow South Carolinians Courtney George and Andy Hoefer. As a side note, all of these people are the most fun in the world. Most importantly, there are those who deserve far more than a short thanks in a dissertation. Gary, Pam, Wade, and Amy Green – my in-laws – have cheered me on through both this project and my job search. My parents, Ennis and Susanne Whiddon, have been extremely supportive throughout this entire process and encouraged me to press on when I wanted to quit and walk away. And finally, my best friend and wife Carrie Green has lived with this project as long as I have. Her kindness and patience is exemplary, and she shows me by example every day what real writers do. vii Table Of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………………....iv ABSTRACT……………………………………...……………………………….…….……..…ix CHAPTER ONE: WHERE IT ALL BEGINS – AN INTRODUCTION…………………………1 CHAPTER TWO: “TO LIVE OUTSIDE THE LAW, YOU MUST BE HONEST” -- WORDS, WALLS, AND THE RHETORICAL PRACTICES OF THE ANGOLITE……………………………..…………………………….……….……20 FIRST COUNT: WHERE LA 66 DEAD ENDS…………………………………………...……60 CHAPTER THREE: “WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PRISON” -- SOME CRITICAL CROSSROADS BETWEEN LITERACY, THE PENAL PRESS, AND THE PRISON-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX………………………………70 SECOND COUNT: “TO PREPARE A FACE TO MEET THE FACES THAT YOU MEET” -- REPRESENTATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND FEAR………...……………….137 CHAPTER FOUR: “DON”T SERVE TIME. MAKE TIME SERVE YOU” -- ANGOLITE REPRESENTATIONS OF COMMUNITY AND LITERACY….….....149 THIRD COUNT: SONGS, FUNERALS, PRAYERS………………………………………….207 CHAPTER FIVE: “FIGHTING TO BE A MAN” – ANGOLITE REPRESENTATIONS OF SEX BEHIND BARS………………………………………………………………214 FOURTH COUNT: HOW I GOT KICKED OUT OF PRISON…………………………...…..265 EPILOGUE: LIGHTS OUT – SOME FINAL REMARKS……………………………………274 WORKS CITED…………………………………………………………………..……………283 VITA……………………………………………………………………………………………298 viii Abstract “To Live Outside the Law, You Must Be Honest”: Words, Walls, and the Rhetorical Practices of The Angolite examines the 50 year history of The Angolite, a news magazine published and edited by inmates at Louisiana State Penitentiary. While The Angolite and the efforts of former editor Wilbert Rideau have been discussed in the public media, especially here in Louisiana, my dissertation is the first extended scholarly account of this prison publication. Specifically, I examine how inmate writers held in one of the most historically violent penitentiaries in the United States choose to represent themselves, their multiple literacies, and their own understanding of such issues as inmate educational opportunities and prison rape. Such literacy practices are framed by the fact that the majority of inmates at Angola read below fifth-grade level and that educational opportunities behind bars are few. Via rhetorical analysis and ethnographic accounts, I show how these writers attempt to engage in public sphere discussions of human rights, literacy, ethics, and the history of incarceration. As a whole, these writings create a counter-identity that challenges the dominant conception of prisoners in the United States. In short, Angolite staff members write to become something other than other. ix Chapter One: Where It All Begins – An Introduction In the Introduction to his biography of Huey Long, historian T. Harry Williams notes that the exact seed of a book, the catalyst that drives a writer to begin an extended project, can become somewhat vague over time. Perhaps the same can be said of a scholarly project. This dissertation – a rhetorical analysis of The Angolite – began almost three years ago. It commenced as an ethnographically informed project, drawing upon interviews, observations, and field notes with current staff members as well as other participants such as prison officials and a frequent outside contributor. Later, for various reasons that I discuss in my interchapters, my project emerged as a rhetorical analysis of the actual issues of The Angolite. The entire story of The Angolite is far from complete, and I am told that a history of the esteemed publication is currently being drafted by one of its most lauded (and recently released) contributors, Wilbert Rideau; like many others who champion both the work of this unique publication as well as long- needed reforms in prison policy at the local, state, and federal levels, I look forward to its eventual printing.
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