August 4, 2015

Ch 29—Page 271 A

Pops stood there, the perfect stranger to me, like he always was, and said, “That’s good, Piri.” Then he vaguely looked around and said to nobody in particular, “Jesus, I didn’t like for them to take my fingerprints. Did they have to?”

“It’s nothing, Pops,” my sister said. “They do it every time somebody comes to visit for the first time.”

“Yeah,” I said, “first time,” and I looked at Pops and my eyes told him that I knew he wasn’t coming again. It’s like you never came, Pops.

We all sat down and talked, but after a while I noticed something strange. A pall had settled over the conversation. “Whats the matter?” I asked James.

“Well, er,” said James, “aw, you tell him, Sis.”

“Well, er,” said Sis, “it’s about—you tell him, James. You found out about it.”

“Dammit, somebody tell me.”

“Trina got married.”

How many times had Poppa visited Piri?

What did they tell Piri?

How do you think Piri will react?

Ch 29—Page 271 B

Pops stood there, the perfect stranger to me. Then he vaguely looked around and said to nobody in particular, “I didn’t like for them to take my fingerprints. Did they have to?”

“It’s nothing, Pops,” my sister said. “They do it every time somebody comes to visit for the first time.”

“Yeah,” I said, “first time,” and I looked at Pops. My eyes told him that I knew he wasn’t coming again. It’s like you never came, Pops.

We all sat down and talked, but after a while I noticed something strange. A pall had settled over the conversation. “Whats the matter?” I asked James.

“Well, er,” said James, “aw, you tell him, Sis.”

“Well, er,” said Sis, “it’s about—you tell him, James. You found out about it.”

“Dammit, somebody tell me.”

“Trina got married.”

How many times had Poppa visited Piri?

What did they tell Piri?

Ch 29—Page 271 C

Pops stood there. Then he vaguely looked around and said to nobody in particular, “I didn’t like for them to take my fingerprints. Did they have to?”

“It’s nothing, Pops,” my sister said. “They do it every time somebody comes to visit for the first time.”

“Yeah,” I said, “first time,” and I looked at Pops. My eyes told him that I knew he wasn’t coming again.

We all sat down and talked, but after a while I noticed something strange. A pall had settled over the conversation. “Whats the matter?” I asked James.

“Well, er,” said James, “aw, you tell him, Sis.”

“Dammit, somebody tell me.”

“Trina got married.”

How many times had Poppa visited Piri?

What did they tell Piri?

August 3, 2015

Ch 27—Pages 260 A

Little and I walked side by side, down the ramp and into the large paint room we worked in. My guts tensed and sucked air. Casey, a big, kind, friendly guard, was on duty. He was one of the few rare human beings left in my kind of world. He looked up at us and at the casually strolling cons who wanted a good look-see at this rumble, and, sensing that something was up, eased his big hard brown wooden stick into a more favorable position. But he didn’t say anything. I looked at Little, who was standing close to me for a chance to reach me fast when we started throwing punches. I pushed him away and he almost tore my jaw off with a left cross. I hadn’t figured him to be a southpaw. I hit the floor hard and all I knew was to get up. I scrambled and grabbed him and punched and held, and he punched and held, and damned if I didn’t feel like at last here in front of me was somebody I could take out my mad steam on; and I guess he felt the same. Little actually was my friend, one of the clique—and now we were trying to mash each other. I tore into his guts with rights, lefts and elbows; he pounded away at my face. Suddenly, it was over by silent mutual consent. We just looked at each other, lips tight and bloodied. Then Casey came over quietly and said, “You guys got it out of your systems?” Our heads shook up and down in unison. “Okay, if you guys had picked up sticks or pipes, or used anything else other than your fists, I would have wrapped this billy stick around both your heads. As it is, I’ve seen nothing and you’ve done nothing. I don’t want no more of this.”

Where were Piri and Little going?

Who is Casey?

What did Piri and Little do?

What did Casey do?

Ch 27—Pages 260 B

Little and I walked side by side, down the ramp and into the large paint room we worked in. My guts tensed and sucked air. Casey, a big, kind, friendly guard, was on duty. He was one of the few human beings left in my world. He looked up at us and at the cons who wanted a good look at this rumble. He didn’t say anything. I looked at Little, who was standing close to me for a chance to reach me fast when we started throwing punches. I pushed him away and he almost tore my jaw off with a left cross. I hit the floor hard and all I knew was to get up. I scrambled and grabbed him and punched, and he punched. Little actually was my friend, one of the clique—and now we were trying to mash each other. I tore into his guts with rights, lefts and elbows; he pounded away at my face. Suddenly, it was over. We just looked at each other, lips bloodied. Then Casey came over and said, “You guys got it out of your systems?” Our heads shook up and down in unison. “Okay, if you guys had picked up sticks or pipes, or used anything else other than your fists, I would have wrapped this stick around both your heads. As it is, I’ve seen nothing and you’ve done nothing. I don’t want no more of this.”

Where were Piri and Little going?

Who is Casey?

What did Piri and Little do?

Ch 27—Pages 260 C

Little and I walked side by side, into the paint room we worked in. Casey, a friendly guard, was on duty. He was one of the few human beings left in my world. He looked up at us and at the cons who wanted a good look at this rumble. He didn’t say anything. I looked at Little, who was standing close to me for a chance to reach me fast when we started throwing punches. I pushed him away and he almost tore my jaw off with a left cross. I hit the floor hard. I scrambled and grabbed him and punched, and he punched. Little actually was my friend, one of the clique—and now we were trying to mash each other. I tore into his guts with rights, lefts and elbows; he pounded away at my face. Suddenly, it was over. We just looked at each other, lips bloodied. Then Casey came over and said, “You guys got it out of your systems?” Our heads shook up and down. “Okay, if you guys had picked up sticks, or used anything other than your fists, I would have wrapped this stick around both your heads. As it is, I’ve seen nothing and you’ve done nothing. I don’t want no more of this.”

Where were Piri and Little going?

Who is Casey?

What did Piri and Little do?

July 31, 2015

Chapter 27.5—A

I was jail-wise in picking my friends. There is a pecking order among prisoners. At the top are the con men, the smoothies. Just beneath them are the disbarred lawyers; their brains entitle them to respect. In the middle are the heist men. Thieves  and burglars rank just below them. And at the bottom are crooked cops, and junkies.

I wanted to learn all the hustles, all the arts of knowing people and their kicks. One older guy I got to know, Sam, was one of the best con men in the business. He told me how he worked, And always he ended up saying, “But you see, kid, I made a lot of money—but here I am.” My closest amigo was a big black Puerto Rican everyone called Young Turk, a gentle man who was doing five to fifteen for cutting a guy up in a fight.

Who is at the top of the order in prison?

Who is at the bottom of the order in prison?

Who did Piri get to know?

Who became Piri’s closest friend?

Why was he in jail?

Chapter 27.5—B

I was wise in picking my friends. There is an order among prisoners. At the top are the con men. Just beneath them are the lawyers; their brains entitle them to respect. In the middle are the heist men. Thieves and burglars rank just below them. And at the bottom are crooked cops and junkies.

I wanted to learn all the arts of knowing people and their kicks. One older guy I got to know, Sam, was one of the best con men in the business. He told me how he worked, And always he ended up saying, “But you see, kid, I made a lot of money—but here I am.” My closest amigo was a big black Puerto Rican everyone called Young Turk, a gentle man who was doing five to fifteen for cutting a guy up in a fight.

Who is at the top of the order in prison?

Who is at the bottom of the order in prison?

Who did Piri get to know?

Who became Piri’s closest friend?

Chapter 27.5—C

I was wise in picking my friends. There is an order among prisoners. At the top are the con men. Just beneath them are the lawyers. In the middle are the heist men. Thieves rank just below them. And at the bottom are crooked cops and junkies.

I wanted to learn all the arts of knowing people. One older guy I got to know, Sam, was one of the best con men in the business. He told me how he worked, And always he ended up saying, “But you see, kid, I made a lot of money—but here I am.” My closest amigo was a Puerto Rican everyone called Young Turk, a man who was doing five to fifteen for cutting a guy in a fight.

Who is at the top of the order in prison?

Who is at the bottom of the order in prison?

Who did Piri get to know?

July 30, 2015

Chapter 27—A

One of the worst feelings I can imagine is to be something or someplace and not be able to accept the fact. So it was with me—I was a con in jail, but nothing in the world could make me accept it. Not the gray clothes, not the green bars, not the bugle’s measure of time, not the blue uniformed hacks, not the insipid food, not the new lines in my face—nothing.

I couldn’t get used to it, no matter how hard I tried. It kept pounding on me. It came to me every morning and every evening and sat heavily, like death on living tissue. I hated the evenings because a whole night in prison lay before me, and I hated the mornings because I felt like Dracula returning to his coffin.

Where was Piri?

How did he feel?

What kind of conflict is in this passage?

Identify a simile in this passage.

Chapter 27—B

One of the worst feelings I can imagine is to be something or someplace and not be able to accept the fact. I was a con in jail, but nothing could make me accept it. Not the gray clothes, not the green bars, not the blue uniformed hacks, not the food—nothing.

I couldn’t get used to it, no matter how hard I tried. It came to me every morning and every evening and sat heavily, like death. I hated the evenings because a whole night in prison lay before me, and I hated the mornings because I felt like Dracula returning to his coffin.

Where was Piri?

What kind of conflict is in this passage?

Identify a simile in this passage.

Chapter 27—C

One of the worst feelings is to be someplace and not accept the fact. I was a con in jail, but nothing could make me accept it. Not the gray clothes, not the green bars, not the blue uniformed hacks, not the food—nothing.

I couldn’t get used to it. It came to me every morning and every evening and sat heavily, like death. I hated the evenings because a whole night in prison lay before me, and I hated the mornings because I felt like Dracula returning to his coffin

Where was Piri?

What kind of conflict is in this passage?

Identify a simile in this passage.

July 29, 2015

Chapter 25—A, HW

When I got to the Tombs, the first thing I heard was: “What did you get, Piri?”

“What happened, kid?”

“How’d you make out?”

Everybody wants to know your bit, big or small, maybe to measure his hope by it.

“I got fifteen bolos,” I yelled. I said it in despair but with pride in my ability to do so.

“Tough,” or “Not so bad,” came some replies.

The upstairs cooed, “Ah tol’ you so.”

“Go screw yourselves,” I shouted.

I lit up a cigarette, dragged deeply, and lay back. At least the waiting was over. I knew where I stood.

What did everyone ask Piri?

What were some peoples’ replies?

How did the people upstairs respond?

What kind of conflict is in this passage?

Chapter 25—B, HW

When I got to the Tombs, the first thing I heard was: “What did you get, Piri?”

Everybody wants to know your bit, big or small, maybe to measure his hope by it.

“I got fifteen,” I yelled. I said it in despair but with pride.

“Tough,” or “Not so bad,” came some replies.

The upstairs cooed, “Ah tol’ you so.”

“Go screw yourselves,” I shouted.

I lit up a cigarette and lay back. At least the waiting was over. I knew where I stood.

What did everyone ask Piri?

How did the people upstairs respond?

What kind of conflict is in this passage?

Chapter 25—C, HW

When I got to the Tombs, the first thing I heard was: “What did you get, Piri?”

Everybody wants to know your bit.

“I got fifteen,” I yelled. I said it in despair but with pride.

“Tough,” or “Not so bad,” came some replies.

The upstairs cooed, “Ah tol’ you so.”

I lit up a cigarette and lay back. At least the waiting was over. I knew where I stood.

What did everyone ask Piri?

What kind of conflict is in this passage?

July 28, 2015

Ch 25, P. 245—A Homework

“I hereby sentence you…to hard labor…at Sing Sing…for not less than five, no more than fifteen years for attempted armed robbery in the first degree.”

Up came my head; there was no need to be humble, the judge didn’t dig my humility. I felt two hands grab me by each arm, and I was hustled away (I guess to keep me from doing anything angry or foolish). As I was being led away, the D.A. whispered something to the judge, who called me back and put five to ten more years on my back, for felonious assault, “the sentences to run…”

I held my breath. If he said “consecutively,” I’d have to finish up one sentence before starting the other; but if he said “concurrently,” the two sentences would run together.

“…concurrently,” the judge concluded.

I was still in trouble, but at least I could do two days for one.

What kind of conflict is in this passage?

What was Piri sentenced to?

How long was he sentenced for?

What would it mean if the judge said “concurrently”?

Ch 25, P. 245—B Homework

“I hereby sentence you…to hard labor…at Sing Sing…for not less than five, no more than fifteen years for attempted armed robbery in the first degree.”

I felt two hands grab me by each arm, and I was hustled away (I guess to keep me from doing anything angry or foolish). I was being led and the judge put five to ten more years on my back, for assault, “the sentences to run…”

I held my breath. If he said “consecutively,” I’d have to finish up one sentence before starting the other; but if he said “concurrently,” the two sentences would run together.

“…concurrently,” the judge concluded.

I was still in trouble, but at least I could do two days for one.

What kind of conflict is in this passage?

What was Piri sentenced to?

How long was he sentenced for?

Ch 25, P. 245—C Homework

“I sentence you…to hard labor…for five to fifteen years for robbery.”

I felt two hands grab me by each arm, and I was hustled away (I guess to keep me from doing anything foolish). I was being led and the judge put five to ten more years on my back, for assault, “the sentences to run…”

I held my breath. If he said “consecutively,” I’d have to finish up one sentence before starting the other; but if he said “concurrently,” the two sentences would run together.

“…concurrently,” the judge concluded.

I was still in trouble, but at least I could do two days for one.

What kind of conflict is in this passage?

What was Piri sentenced to?

July 27, 2015

Homework—A

“Hey, Piri,” Danny yelled, “they’re putting you on Murderers’ Row.”

My blood went cold. The cop hadn’t died, but suppose he did?…I said a quick prayer for his recovery.

Inside the cell, I spread a blanket for a mattress. But the bed was so hard, my bullet hole felt like it was getting crushed. I threw the other blanket on top, but it was the same. I decided to sleep sitting up. Major looked at me and went away. A few minutes later he returned with four or five blankets and dropped them on the bunk.

“Thanks,” I said, a little surprised.

“Why not, kid,” Major said, “you’ve got enough troubles now.”

On Murderers’ Row, I met Ramon, long, skinny Ramon. He had six fingers on one hand that helped witnesses identify him, he told me. He also said that Jimmy had fired the fatal shot. We played cards and cursed the tier above us who often yelled down, “Don’t worry, fifteen or twenty ain’t so bad,” or “The chair is quick and greasy.”

I was three or four months in the Tombs, waiting for trial, going to court, waiting for adjournments, trying to deal for a lower plea, and what not. I schemed and lay awake at night thinking of the thousands of years they could pile on me. I heard Louie was in the Tombs, too. They had traced our car back to him. He had turned chota on me.

What would happen if the cop died?

Who did Piri meet on murderers row?

What was unique about Ramon?

How long did Piri have to wait in the Tombs?

Homework—B

“Hey, Piri,” Danny yelled, “they’re putting you on Murderers’ Row.”

My blood went cold. The cop hadn’t died, but suppose he did?…I said a quick prayer for his recovery.

Inside the cell, I spread a blanket for a mattress. The bed was so hard. I threw the other blanket on top, but it was the same. I decided to sleep sitting up. Major looked at me and went away. A few minutes later he returned with four or five blankets and dropped them on the bunk.

“Thanks,” I said, a little surprised.

“Why not, kid,” Major said, “you’ve got enough troubles now.”

On Murderers’ Row, I met Ramon. He had six fingers on one hand that helped witnesses identify him. He also said that Jimmy had fired the fatal shot. We played cards and cursed the tier above us who often yelled down, “The chair is quick and greasy.”

I was three or four months in the Tombs, waiting for trial, going to court, and what not. I lay awake at night thinking of the thousands of years they could pile on me. I heard Louie was in the Tombs, too. They had traced our car back to him.

1. Who did Piri meet on murderers row?

2. What was unique about Ramon?

Homework—C

“Hey, Piri,” Danny yelled, “they’re putting you on Murderers’ Row.”

My blood went cold. The cop hadn’t died, but suppose he did?…I said a quick prayer for his recovery.

Inside the cell, I spread a blanket for a mattress. The bed was so hard. I threw the other blanket on top, but it was the same. I decided to sleep sitting up. Major looked at me and went away. A few minutes later he returned with four or five blankets and dropped them on the bunk.

“Thanks,” I said, a little surprised.

“Why not, kid,” Major said, “you’ve got enough troubles now.”

I met Ramon. He had six fingers on one hand that helped witnesses identify him. We played cards and cursed the tier above us who yelled down, “The chair is quick.”

I was waiting for trial, going to court, and what not. I lay awake at night thinking of the thousands of years they could pile on me. I heard Louie was in the Tombs, too. They had traced our car back to him.

1. Who did Piri meet on murderers row?