Tweets from Jail...maybe
Pulp Fiction screenwriter Roger Avary recently plead guilty to vehicular manslaughter & drunken driving for a car crash that injured his wife and killed a friend.
I started following his Twitter account after a mention by his friend & Beowolf co-writer Neil Gaiman.
For the last month Roger's Twitter feed was updated with one tweet per day, from jail. It was never mentioned how he was getting the tweets out there.
It was a fascinating read. Neil Gaiman tweeted about it to his 1.3 million followers: My friend @AVARY is tweeting from the inside. It's riveting, horrible strange. Jail in 140 character lumps.
Unfortunately, shortly after that the story of Avary tweeting from jail hit the media.
His latest tweet was: "#34 is 'rolled up' to a higher security facility for exercising his first amendment rights. The truth he has discovered is too dangerous."
When the story got people looking into trying to figure out how he was tweeting, it was discovered that he was actually serving his sentence in a furlough program rather than in jail. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-avary28-2009nov28,0,3500921.story That's changed, and he really is in jail now.
So if he wasn't really in jail 24/7, were his tweets real, or fiction? I have no way of knowing.
Will he/can he keep tweeting? Only 72 people will know for sure, because his Twitter account is now set to protected. *sigh*
Real or not, his jailhouse tweets were a fascinating read. I'm going to copy & paste them here in case they get deleted from teh internets.
The building is an imposing example of the Brutalist architectural movement. The windows are designed so as to not let too much light in.
3:06 PM Oct 29th from web
The channels on the Rec Room television cannot be changed, and it's inexplicably always tuned to Fox.
2:19 PM Oct 30th from web
The loudspeaker in each cell blurts out commands ("Number 34 report to Control!") and is able to listen in on inmate conversations.
1:22 PM Oct 31st from Twitterrific
The breakfast oatmeal comes in large sacks with a picture of a horse on them and labeled "Not intended for human consumption."
10:52 AM Nov 2nd from web
Night falls, and the only real activity is an endless recounting of the terrible and pointless events that brought us all to this sad place.
6:38 PM Nov 2nd from web
Long scratched into the black locker are two conjunctive words, never more true: "TIME" and underneath it "FUCK". It has become a mantra.
10:54 AM Nov 3rd from web
Wash day! The "clean" sheets reek from the nut sweat of a thousand men. Pubes & hair must be peeled off before making your bunk.
10:24 AM Nov 4th from Twitterrific
#34's roomies, Oxy & Yeyo, now look forward to night time lockdown, which brings the retelling of classic film plots in bedtime story form.
6:46 PM Nov 4th from web
"Du musst Ambose oder Hammer sein" -Goethe
2:33 PM Nov 5th from web
"It's your birthday!" announces that #34 is to receive a random strip-down and cavity search to be performed by a leering, rotund officer.
11:59 AM Nov 6th from web
"They're putting Saltpeter in the food," one inmate tells #34, "to shrink our dicks and kill our sex drive...don't eat the soy meat." Okay.
5:08 PM Nov 7th from web
Out of sheer boredom, #34 volunteers to empty trash cans around the facility. It is an opportunity to visit the off-limits dumpster area.
3:33 PM Nov 9th from web
The Loudspeaker calls "Meds!" and the inmates fly, desperate for any kind of drug: Ambien, Xanax, Mobic, Valium, Benzodiazepene, etc.
11:30 AM Nov 10th from web
Papa Smurf is in for a white collar crime that I view almost as a duty against corporate tyranny. Hardly an infraction worth his punishment.
11:11 AM Nov 11th from web
#34's bowel movements have come to resemble both the color, smell and consistency of Dijon mustard. Grey Poupon, to be exact.
1:20 PM Nov 12th from web
Repoman, who is Emilio Estevez's doppelgänger, teaches #34 how to slimjim & hotwire a car. BTW, the only anti-repo car is a BMW X5 AWD.
10:51 AM Nov 13th from web
Yeyo was released at Midnight. He was kind when #34 was first so afraid -- and taught him the "Politics". 'Tis bittersweet to see him go.
11:13 AM Nov 14th from web
The inmates stage mock trials to solve humorous disputes like "did you fart or not?" complete with Judge, Jury, Lawyers, and Punishments.
5:33 PM Nov 14th from web
Visiting day brings a worn copy of "The Enchiridion", given to #34 by Admiral James B. Stockdale before he died. Palpable truths are within.
11:07 AM Nov 16th from web
The coffee can used for ashes accidentally catches fire and a plume of smoke bellows, causing Control to react as if a riot has erupted.
11:00 AM Nov 17th from web
Oxy pisses like a racehorse, causing Papa Smurf, a germaphobe in Germaphobe Hell, to shout out "It feels like it's splashing onto me!"
11:03 AM Nov 18th from web
Nightly, every few hours like clockwork, a guard's flashlight beam strikes #34's face, perhaps to ensure lack of proper rest and exhaustion.
11:02 AM Nov 20th from web
A ball of Heroin tar is found on an inmate. The guards react lightning-fast, locking down the facility and "rolling up" those responsible.
11:06 AM Nov 21st from web
Sickness spreads throughout the facility like brush fires, and #34 is helpless to avoid the outbreak and inevitable infection.
11:28 AM Nov 22nd from web
#34's new roomie, EZ, takes Yeyo's old bunk, locker, AND number. He regales awesome tales about his former life as an Oxnard gangbanger.
11:17 AM Nov 24th from web
Even if these tweets were fiction, I'd love to see the 140 character per day story continue to play out.
I started following his Twitter account after a mention by his friend & Beowolf co-writer Neil Gaiman.
For the last month Roger's Twitter feed was updated with one tweet per day, from jail. It was never mentioned how he was getting the tweets out there.
It was a fascinating read. Neil Gaiman tweeted about it to his 1.3 million followers: My friend @AVARY is tweeting from the inside. It's riveting, horrible strange. Jail in 140 character lumps.
Unfortunately, shortly after that the story of Avary tweeting from jail hit the media.
His latest tweet was: "#34 is 'rolled up' to a higher security facility for exercising his first amendment rights. The truth he has discovered is too dangerous."
When the story got people looking into trying to figure out how he was tweeting, it was discovered that he was actually serving his sentence in a furlough program rather than in jail. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-avary28-2009nov28,0,3500921.story That's changed, and he really is in jail now.
So if he wasn't really in jail 24/7, were his tweets real, or fiction? I have no way of knowing.
Will he/can he keep tweeting? Only 72 people will know for sure, because his Twitter account is now set to protected. *sigh*
Real or not, his jailhouse tweets were a fascinating read. I'm going to copy & paste them here in case they get deleted from teh internets.
The building is an imposing example of the Brutalist architectural movement. The windows are designed so as to not let too much light in.
3:06 PM Oct 29th from web
The channels on the Rec Room television cannot be changed, and it's inexplicably always tuned to Fox.
2:19 PM Oct 30th from web
The loudspeaker in each cell blurts out commands ("Number 34 report to Control!") and is able to listen in on inmate conversations.
1:22 PM Oct 31st from Twitterrific
The breakfast oatmeal comes in large sacks with a picture of a horse on them and labeled "Not intended for human consumption."
10:52 AM Nov 2nd from web
Night falls, and the only real activity is an endless recounting of the terrible and pointless events that brought us all to this sad place.
6:38 PM Nov 2nd from web
Long scratched into the black locker are two conjunctive words, never more true: "TIME" and underneath it "FUCK". It has become a mantra.
10:54 AM Nov 3rd from web
Wash day! The "clean" sheets reek from the nut sweat of a thousand men. Pubes & hair must be peeled off before making your bunk.
10:24 AM Nov 4th from Twitterrific
#34's roomies, Oxy & Yeyo, now look forward to night time lockdown, which brings the retelling of classic film plots in bedtime story form.
6:46 PM Nov 4th from web
"Du musst Ambose oder Hammer sein" -Goethe
2:33 PM Nov 5th from web
"It's your birthday!" announces that #34 is to receive a random strip-down and cavity search to be performed by a leering, rotund officer.
11:59 AM Nov 6th from web
"They're putting Saltpeter in the food," one inmate tells #34, "to shrink our dicks and kill our sex drive...don't eat the soy meat." Okay.
5:08 PM Nov 7th from web
Out of sheer boredom, #34 volunteers to empty trash cans around the facility. It is an opportunity to visit the off-limits dumpster area.
3:33 PM Nov 9th from web
The Loudspeaker calls "Meds!" and the inmates fly, desperate for any kind of drug: Ambien, Xanax, Mobic, Valium, Benzodiazepene, etc.
11:30 AM Nov 10th from web
Papa Smurf is in for a white collar crime that I view almost as a duty against corporate tyranny. Hardly an infraction worth his punishment.
11:11 AM Nov 11th from web
#34's bowel movements have come to resemble both the color, smell and consistency of Dijon mustard. Grey Poupon, to be exact.
1:20 PM Nov 12th from web
Repoman, who is Emilio Estevez's doppelgänger, teaches #34 how to slimjim & hotwire a car. BTW, the only anti-repo car is a BMW X5 AWD.
10:51 AM Nov 13th from web
Yeyo was released at Midnight. He was kind when #34 was first so afraid -- and taught him the "Politics". 'Tis bittersweet to see him go.
11:13 AM Nov 14th from web
The inmates stage mock trials to solve humorous disputes like "did you fart or not?" complete with Judge, Jury, Lawyers, and Punishments.
5:33 PM Nov 14th from web
Visiting day brings a worn copy of "The Enchiridion", given to #34 by Admiral James B. Stockdale before he died. Palpable truths are within.
11:07 AM Nov 16th from web
The coffee can used for ashes accidentally catches fire and a plume of smoke bellows, causing Control to react as if a riot has erupted.
11:00 AM Nov 17th from web
Oxy pisses like a racehorse, causing Papa Smurf, a germaphobe in Germaphobe Hell, to shout out "It feels like it's splashing onto me!"
11:03 AM Nov 18th from web
Nightly, every few hours like clockwork, a guard's flashlight beam strikes #34's face, perhaps to ensure lack of proper rest and exhaustion.
11:02 AM Nov 20th from web
A ball of Heroin tar is found on an inmate. The guards react lightning-fast, locking down the facility and "rolling up" those responsible.
11:06 AM Nov 21st from web
Sickness spreads throughout the facility like brush fires, and #34 is helpless to avoid the outbreak and inevitable infection.
11:28 AM Nov 22nd from web
#34's new roomie, EZ, takes Yeyo's old bunk, locker, AND number. He regales awesome tales about his former life as an Oxnard gangbanger.
11:17 AM Nov 24th from web
Even if these tweets were fiction, I'd love to see the 140 character per day story continue to play out.