A Conservative Gets To See Inside A Prison; PO Vist; Rejections

A little late in posting about Former Hoosier lawmaker reflects on prison, regrets plea deal. (This - and the rejections go back to 9/8, sorry.)

The background:

Waltz, a former Indiana State Senator and Johnson County council member, pled guilty to two felonies related to illegally funneling campaign contributions and making false statements.

Waltz chose a plea deal to avoid the risk of a jury trial on complicated campaign finance laws.

“The maximum sentence was like 52 months,” he said. “It was enough to get a person’s attention. I remember telling my lawyer, ‘I don’t think I did anything wrong,’ and he said, ‘That doesn’t matter.'”

No, it is the evidence that matters. What this guy was doing to rate an interview: 

He’s written a book about his experience called POW: Prisoner of Washington: A Conservative’s Journey Through Our Justice System.

Uh-huh, the victimized conservative, again. I suspect this guy was always trumpeting about law and order - for drug dealers, especially those who were non-white.

This sounds a bit like Fort Dix FCI, only we also had people who had dead bodies in their record and financial crimes:

Waltz served time at the Federal Correctional Institution, Ashland (FCI Ashland) in Kentucky. It’s a medium-security prison for men. He noted that the facility housed a variety of criminals, from those involved in white-collar crimes to others charged with drug trafficking, including fentanyl.

“Somebody had an issue with fraud involving tobacco plants,” he said. “They had insured their crop of tobacco and apparently there was an issue with that.”

This I have trouble with: 

Waltz claimed he became a shot-caller on his 80th day in prison. A shot-caller usually controls the smuggling of contraband like liquor or food. He also saisd that before he arrived at the prison, inmates were smuggling in women for sex.

Really? A shot-caller? From what I saw in Fort Dix, shot-callers were gang members. They had the power to enforce their commands. Shady people are shot-callers. And who was he a shot-caller for? Former government official imprisoned for taking bad campaign contributions?

An older collection of rejections:

Thank you for your submission to Press Pause Press and The Beautiful Pause Prize. Unfortunately, "Road Tripping" was not selected for the prize. 

We deeply appreciate the work that goes into creating a full-length manuscript, are grateful for the chance to consider your work, and wish you the best of luck finding it a home.

Sincerely,

The Press Pause Press Team

***

Thank you for letting us consider "Problem Solving" for publication in the Missouri Review. We enjoyed reading your work, and though it doesn't quite fit our needs at this time, we wish you excellent luck with it and hope we will have the chance to read more of your writing in the future.

We are now reading entries for the 2024 Jeffrey E. Smith Editors' Prize. Winners in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction receive $5000, promotion, and publication in the Spring 2025 issue of the Missouri Review. All entrants receive a 1-year digital subscription and a digital copy of the latest anthology from Missouri Review Books. The deadline is Oct 1. Learn more at our website: https://missourireview.com/contests/jeffrey-e-smith-editors-prize/

Sincerely,

The Editors

The Missouri Review 

***

And this was for "No Ordinary Word":

 Thank you again for sending us your work. Unfortunately, it’s not the kind of piece we’re after. I’m not sure what to say about it. It’s a decent piece. It just didn’t have that aspect of different or unexpected we look for in the pieces we choose to publish.

So, I am passing on this, but I wish you well in finding a home for it.

Rick Taubold

www.ricktaubold.com

Editor: Fabula Argentea magazine

Nice to have the criticism. Perhaps, I should have sent the earlier version where the writer gives up? 

Here is the week, so far.

Today, the exterminator came back over. I cleaned up the drawers while he patched the hole to the basement. Then I napped. I continued watching/listening to "Poker Face" on Peacock". Work ended early, which was a good thing considering I napped. 

Doing the laundry by hand, again.

Yesterday, I started cleaning the drawers. I stopped when I saw a snout peering out at me. I poured a lot of chlorine bleach into the drawer and underneath. I stopped cleaning., I texted the exterminator. Then I worked on my sci-fi story for the rest of the night while playing "Poker Face" in another tab.

And another rejection in the email (which seems to be endless):

Thank you for sending us "Problem Solving." We know you've worked hard on it and appreciate that you've sent it to The Rumpus for consideration. Please know it was fairly considered and given the attention it deserved. While this isn't a fit for us, we wish you the best of luck in finding a home for it elsewhere.

Sincerely,

Kelly Dignan

Senior Fiction Editor

The Rumpus

Yeah, pretty sure that was the more current version.

I did not make it to the laundry. Handwashing.

Monday, I almost forget. Oh, yeah, the PO showed up. He seems puzzled that everything is stead in my life. He has never asked what goals I had for my life. Goals have been absent from the group "therapy" sessions. I started watching "Poker Face" on Peacock. Quiet is what I meant for my life. He asked about any new relationships, and work, and my health. He did not seem willing to do my colonoscopy on Friday. Why do I want any new relationships? I do not have time or inclination to have any new women in my life. Guess that seems likely to surprise everyone. I have had enough crazy for the rest of my time on this planet.

Of course, if you read this blog, then you know what kind of life I am trying to live and the work I am trying to do.

sch 9/25