Blog Assignment # 6:responding to a piece of Literary Journalism


                                             A Felons Last Days Of Freedom
http://www.narrative.ly/family-style/a-felons-last-days-of-freedom/
"Deemed a kingpin, the judge set his bail at $250,000 and offered him a sentence of 25-to-life, to which he responded, “Who’d I kill?”"


       This Literary Profile, told by Ben Cleeton follows the story of Louis Charleman, AKA "Green Eyes" as he prepares to for his impending seven year incarceration. Green eyes grew up in Puerto Rico Stealing cars and selling them at local chop shops to make quick cash, As a result, he has been in and out of prison his entire life. When he moved to Brooklyn in the late 80's, one of his occupations besides working as a mechanic,  was selling drugs to which he used the money to support his brother and mother. After twenty years living in the city, the law eventually caught up with him as he was believed to be connected in a major drug operation stretching from Puerto Rico to the states. Originally sentenced 25 years to life, he was able to work out a plea deal for seven years. and this profile is his preparation for his sentence.

   What's so intriguing about this story was the fact that most stories about jail time come after the sentence has been given. This is th first time I've been able to experience the "before" of it. To see what it does to family and ones own mental state. The line "At Cayuga Correctional Facility, the 47-year-old is known as “Viejo,” the old man." this line was significant to me because this goes to show how deeply embedded Green Eyes was in the correctional system. He is a prison veteran. Another line that struck a cord with me was "Ellissia Maisonet now refers to herself as Green Eyes’ “ex-stepdaughter,” ever since he cheated on her mom." this was powerful because it show how this upcoming incarceration lead Green Eyes to be unfaithful, and that decision caused the family to break down and drift apart.


   This was a piece that didnt need fancy storytelling or larger than life set pieces to work. This was a story about real life, where the experience did all the storytelling for us. The real life struggles of Green Eyes and his family that he is to leave behind made this truly compelling.