Oh. I forgot the premise is good books one would recommend. Never mind.
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Sir Thomas Malory’s identity is as hotly disputed as Shakespeare’s; the difference is, three of the four major claimants were actually named Thomas Malory, and two of these were knights who’d done some prison time, one for embezzling money from a parson, the other for being (per Wikipedia) “a thief, bandit, kidnapper, and rapist, hardly in keeping with the high chivalric standards in the book.” Anyway, one of these people wrote Le Morte d’Arthur.
Dennis Eichhorn, best known for his autobiographical stories in Real Stuff comics, did a 90-day stint for drug possession. The OP excludes this specific situation, but if the guy’s stories are to be believed, he should probably have been in there a bit longer…
I read somewhere (Book of Lists?) that Victor Hugo served time, but Wikipedia doesn’t mention it. If so it was probably political, though.
Crips founder and mass killer Tookie Williams wrote a few good books denouncing his criminal past. His redemption didn’t save his sorry ass, and he died of lrthal injection.
I have a copy of Nathan Leopold’s “Life Plus 99 Years”, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. I’ve heard that it’s fairly well written and interesting.
I understand there’s a convicted felon named Martha Stewart who has written a few books.
Jean Harris, who servced time for murdering diet doctor Herman Tarnower, wrote a book about her trial and prison experiences.
In that case, I nominate every book by every president of the United States who may be regarded by some as a war criminal;or, any other kind of criminal. From Washington through Obama.
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“because that’s where the money was.”
– hank sutton, when asked by cops why he robbed banks for a living.
“where the money was” by hank sutton
Willie Sutton, not Hank Sutton.
^
christ, what was i thinking??
You apparently had him confused with e.e. cummings.
Chow.com just had an article about whether it’s OK to like The Frugal Gourmet, even though the author, who died in 2004, almost certainly molested many teenage boys. Obviously none of his books are about crimes/prison, and he was never convicted due to statute of limitations issues, but probably a criminal nonetheless.
Zombie criminal authors! Run awaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
He was already mentioned upthread, but Jeffrey Archer was the first person to spring to mind. He did time for perjury and perverting the course of justice after he’d earlier sued a newspaper and won for (correctly) saying he patronized a prostitute. Turns out he did a whole lot to make sure the witnesses would say what he wanted them to say in the libel trial. I like his writing a lot, though; his First Among Equals is a first-rate British political thriller.
Not a criminal, but a very unpleasant person wrote a sweet little book: Asa Earl Carter - Wikipedia
Tim Allen did time for cocaine, then wrote some funny books.
Robert Stroud, ‘Birdman of Alcatraz’ wrote a couple of books on ornithology.
Machiavelli did jail time and mainly wrote sarcastic shit to appease whoever was in power. He was considerably less ruthless than The Prince would suggest because in contrast to his other work, it almost seems like his Modest Proposal. Something so extremely awful and logical that it draws attention to the need for morality
A name that is not well known in the english language (mostly because he has been very thinly transalated) but a great magic-realism/tramp steamer author was jailed for creatively disposing of Esso’s(Exxon’s) PR budget in throwing great bohemiam parties.
What about the works of Chuck Colson (obstructed justice)?