Memos From Purgatory

(3.5/5)

A very short but raw look at life in juvenile gangs of NYC in the 50's/60's, as well as the NYC prison system. Ellison is definitely no hero, and it's clear throughout the book that he had to ignore his ethics in order to get these scoops. But at the same time, he's fairly sympathetic to the delinquents, and the book is itself a visceral call for change. It also serves as a time capsule to the 50's/60's and gave me an insight as to how much has changed in NYC and how much has stayed the same.

One more thing - the edition I read includes a preface where Ellison admits that at the insistence of his editor, he fabricated a prominent element in the latter half of the book. The confession left me unsure as to whether Ellison fabricated anything else, but at the end of the day I believe that the book is real even if it's not true.