Ex-inmate's book joins state prison blacklist

Memoir about life in lockup and efforts to help others poses a threat, officials say.

- BY JAMES RAINEY

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation maintains a list of books banned from circulation among the state's 90,000 prisoners.

The forbidden books include “The Handmaid's Tale” by Margaret Atwood and books of paintings by Leonardo da Vinci and Frida Kahlo, all of which the prison agency says “lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.”

It may come as no surprise, then, that some authors and publishers question the literary acumen of those folks who operate the state's prisons.

The department recently added another entry to its list of hundreds of “Disapproved Publications”: the memoir of a former inmate who has devoted himself to helping others live meaningful lives after prison.

The banned book is “What Kind of Bird Can't Fly: A Memoir of Resilience and Resurrection,” by Dorsey Nunn and coauthor Lee Romney.

The state prison agency said that the book, published last year, was banned because it “presents a serious threat to facility security or the safety of incarcerated persons and staff.”