“What up kid, I know shit is rough doin’ your bid.” – Nasty Nas

I always thought that if I went to prison, I’d try to get some reading done.

I haven’t gotten caught yet, so its hard to test my theory. But luckily (luckily?) FAT has its own Convicted Fellow, Mike Baca. Mike just started his three month bid at Rikers (the whole story + how to help can be found —> here <—), so I put together a package of books that I hope can help him through his incarceration. Mike’s “Summer of Bummer” (no homo) reading list goes as follows:

Watchmen – Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. One of the illest comics of all time, Moore kills it with the storyline. Great scenes of New York getting utterly destroyed in the near-apocalypse.

Batman: Year One – Frank Miller. Also on the comics tip, Miller is the author of the recently-re-popularized Sin City series, but I think he shines best here illuminating the nascent years in the story of my favorite superhero. Beautiful murky colors throughout.

Comics are good to escape, but I wanted to provide something scholarly as well, a real investigation to wrap the mind around in a different way. I considered books about corruption in government and racist cops, but I figured Mike will probably get enough of that first hand. Eventually I went with

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York – Robert Caro. Weighing in at a whopping 1,336 pages, this Pulitzer Prize winner could last Mike all 3 months, after which point he can lend it to me. But hey, what better subject for a graffiti writer is there than the man who truly left his mark all-the-fuck-over New York?

More history:

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation – Jeff Chang. A great read, really covers all the social movements, and goes into depth with specific albums and artists, but not too clinical. Sent him my own copy.

and naturally

Penthouse. This issue is from 2002, after they made the jump to hardcore (and peeing) back in ’98.

OK Mike, hope you enjoy these page-turners. I’ll expect a full report once you’re back on the streets.

Want to send stuff to Mike? Do it thusly:

Michael Baca (B&C: 1410720441)
1600 Hazen St.
East Elmhurst, NY, 11370

(here is a big list of shit you can’t send to inmates.)