Words That Sustain Me
“When we decided to create a book club we thought we would be able to share some fantastic books and allow the world to get to know a part of me they might not know existed. I had no idea that our Words That Sustain Me book club would become a mainstay of my life.
Through these books we share parts of ourselves in these stories that move us, and at times, turn us inside out. Since we created Words That Sustain Me, the focus has sharpened and we are intentionally sharing the best books that have a deeper meaning.
When I was sentenced to death the prosecutors said that I should be executed because I was unable to contribute to society. Every time I manage to make the world a better place through a kind word or compassionate thought, I contribute to society as a whole. When I do that, I make the world a better place around me, and in the process, disprove the lie used to send me to death row. ”
In January 2023, we launched the Words That Sustain Me book club to highlight the power of reading. Charles is a voracious reader, and we have loved sharing his insights with the world. Charles often shares his favorite quotes and has recently started completing artwork for each of the books we read together.
While we have read several works related to incarceration, we have also highlight several of Charles’ childhood favorites, as well as more recent favorites. In his 25+ years of solitary confinement, Charles has spoken powerfully about the importance of escapist novels.
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“As Gregory Boyle says in the preface of his book, “Tattoos on the Heart”, the stories of him sharing his life with homies are the bricks this book is built on.
And these books are the bricks that our book club is built upon. We’re just trying to slater some mortar on it to hold it together. Our mortar is how these incredible books effect us, move us, and touch our lives.”