SPOON JACKSON

Born in 1958 in California, USA.
Sentenced to life imprisonment in 1977.
Spoon Jackson was born in 1958 in Barstow, a small town in the Mojave Desert, California. At the age of 19 he became involved in a domestic dispute that resulted in a murder. After an error-ridden trial in 1977 he was sentenced to life without possibility of parole.

In the autumn of 1985 Spoon began a four year poetry course at San Quentin state Prison in California. After a quiet start, prisoners, staff and poets from the outside began calling Spoon "poet ". In 1987, during preparation for what became a world renowned production of ’Waiting for Godot’ by Samuel Becket, the Swedish director Jan Jönsson, was told Spoon's story. Jan and Samuel Beckett were moved by Spoon’s poetry and after some persuasion Spoon was talked into acting in the play. As Pozzo, he gave a most successful ”roaring.”

This introduction to drama encouraged Spoon to begin writing his own plays. Since the 1980's, Spoon has not only been writing and editing his poetry and plays, he has also written novels, tales, short stories and an auto-biography. Recently Spoon Jackson was honored by an award in PEN-USA's prison writing contest. Spoon has served time at six of California's thirty-three prisons. Currently he is incarcerated at the Pleasant Valley State Prison California. Pardon not pending.