A Mind Unconstrained

Byron's advice in this episode: when life gives you lemons, relentlessly mock the lemon tree. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

The prison supplies games for its population to play, but backgammon, Life, and Stratego aren't everyone's cup of tea. When they consider these mass-market games boring, incarcerated game hobbyists make their own versions of niche titles. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

For today's episode, Byron reads a post from his former blog, in which he shares his thoughts on sun exposure and prejudicial views of pale people. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

Freedom of speech is a Constitutional right, but prisoners can't simply post their thoughts to social media, and those who try might pay a price. Today, Byron addresses the barriers and benefits to writing from behind bars. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

The season of change is upon us, and it's Byron's favorite. In this episode he lays out the reasons why. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

For the incarcerated, ideas about the latest technologies tend to be off the mark, ranging from sketchy to downright bonkers. While lots of other prisoners get skewed information on what's happening in the tech world, Byron applies effort to keep up with the latest developments. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

Most of us know the question "Where were you on 9/11?" It's been 25 years since terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center shocked the world, but Byron's answer is probably not like any you've heard before. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

Ever wonder what kinds of software those prison tablets run? The mystery is revealed as Byron takes us through all 33 apps on the device he's been issued by the state. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

Among the countless injustices an incarcerated person can suffer, losing access to sports equipment is very minor. Byron finds the humor in exactly that situation and comes to some surprising conclusions. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

How does an outspoken atheist become a contented Zen Buddhist? Byron did, and here he relates the winding path that brought him to this different spiritual perspective. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

After any major life shakeup, some adjustment will be necessary. Just because Byron lived for 16 years at the facility he just transferred back to doesn't mean he expects everything he finds there. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

Having spent eight years in one facility, Byron initiated a transfer back to the place where he was first wrongfully imprisoned. Was it a smart decision for him to make? Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

We all know the power of music. According to Byron, it affects people in prison doubly. This music-centered episode takes us down a rabbit hole and shows his unique perspective as he picks the perfect song "for this moment." Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

Responding to a listener's question, Byron tackles the thorny subject of race in prison, and considers how being white has benefitted him in that profoundly racist environment. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

For many of us, weekends and holidays mean leisure time—something we look forward to. But for people who are incarcerated, having time off work is a scourge. What makes the difference, and is there any truth to the stereotype of prisoners marking the days on their cell walls? Byron takes us into Bizarro World with this week's look into how prisoners observe the passage of time. Get full access to...

Is it difficult for someone who's doing time to see prison life dramatized on television? In this episode, Byron discusses what popular representations of prison bother him and why. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

Everybody who knows Byron, knows he doesn't like surprises. But has 25 years in prison changed that? His answer might surprise *you*! Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

In this extended episode beginning with lines from the Shobogenzo, a Zen Buddhist text, Byron shares his essay about our intimate, yet often ignored, relationship to time and prisoners' unique perception thereof. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

“Prisons are like little towns,” Byron says as he recalls the variety of prison jobs he's worked over the years, from kitchen laborer to TV production manager. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe

Byron considers the nature of cravings and, along the way, dispels the myth that no one ever craves health food. Get full access to A Mind Unconstrained at amindunconstrained.substack.com/subscribe