Windham's Rembrandt

The True Story of the First Prison Art Teacher in Texas

Non-Fiction - Memoir
196 Pages
Reviewed on 01/13/2014
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    Book Review

Reviewed by April Gilly for Readers' Favorite

Windham's Rembrandt - The True Story of the First Prison Art Teacher in Texas by James L. Humphries and Jonathan R. Humphries is a first person account of how James started teaching in the Windham school district that teaches inmates in the Texas Department of Corrections. James tells of the inmates that he taught, the situations he faced, and how he felt with everything that was happening. James relates the stories that some of the inmates told him and what happened to them. He describes what he learned about himself and human nature in general. James talks about the beast and how it can destroy a life if one isn't careful to guard against the beast, and gives some insight into how to tell if the beast is trying to take over or has won the fight. James briefly touches on how to keep one's own beast at bay and he tells of how he dealt with his beast.

Windham's Rembrandt is hard to put down and is a very insightful look into human nature and the prison system of the time. James and Jonathan show that inmates aren't all just ruthless killers that deserve to rot in prison, but are men with stories and problems of their own. They show that some men can be rehabilitated while others no longer have the will to live - they've let the beast win.