prisons – political prisoner home page – political prisoner listing – Marilyn Buck

Marilyn Buck

Photo of Marilyn Buck

    political prisoner
    activist
    poet
    artist

Wild Poppies, a poetry jam across prison walls, on audio CD. Poems by Marilyn Buck and other poets, reading Marilyn's poems and their own. Contributors include Amiri Baraka, carolyn baxter/Nottiehead Bosco, Dennis Brutus, Aya De Leon, Fanny Howe, Uchechi Kalu, Elana Levy, Genny Lim, devorah major, Sara Menefee, Kiilu Nyasha, Maria Poblet, Presente!, Carlos Quiles, Samsara, Sonia Sanchez, Staajabu, Jean Stewart, Piri Thomas, Kwame Ture/Stokely Carmichael, Nellie Wong, Merle Woo, and Mitsuye Yamada.

Recent writings:
Confessions before the Orchestra – poem for the Attica to Abu Ghraib conference
"The U.S. Prison State" in Monthly Review, February 2004
"The Freedom to Breathe" in Tricycle, Spring 2004
"Incommunicado" – poem on the lockup of political prisoners immediately following 9-11

Marilyn's sculpture, Jericho '98 (pictured below), reflects her own spirit. Like the blast of Joshua's horn, her life has long been directed at blowing down the walls of oppression. She began her anti-racist activism as a teen in Texas, organized against the war in Vietnam, and joined SDS and S. F. Newsreel. She fought for self-determination for all people, and she aligned herself with the Black Liberation Movement. In 1973 she was convicted of purchasing two boxes of handgun ammunition and was given a ten year sentence. After serving four years in Federal prison in Alderson, West Virginia, she was granted a furlough and did not return. The following eight years she was underground.

In 1985 Marilyn was recaptured and tried for breaching another wall - she was convicted of conspiracy for the successful escape of Assata Shakur from her New Jersey prison. (Assata remains active from her exile in Cuba). Marilyn and her codefendents Dr. Mutulu Shakur and Sekou Odinga were also convicted of conspiracy to commit "armed bank robbery" in support of the New Afrikan Independence struggle. In 1988 she was given another ten years in the Resistance Conspiracy case, for "conspiracy to protest and alter government policies (the invasion of Grenada, intervention in Central America) through use of violence" against government and military property. She has been in prison for 18 years, with a total sentence of 80 years.

Ceramic sculpture, Jericho 98
Jericho '98
Ceramic sculpture. Click for a larger view (69k).

Marilyn continues her activism inside the Federal women's prison in Dublin, California, where she made the sculpture depicting people coming together, wailing on a saxophone to crack the walls and free all political prisoners and prisoners of war. Joining with other political prisoners internationally, she issued one of the early calls to organize for Mumia Abu-Jamal's life. She is deeply involved in cultural and educational activities for all prisoners, and translates for Spanish-speaking women inside. She has lifted her own voice through poetry for the whole time she has been incarcerated, and has participated in Poetry for the People workshops inside. In 2001 she won the PEN Prison Writing Program poetry prize and published a collection of poems, Rescue the Word.

Marilyn has recently completed her work for a bachelor's degree in psychology. "I am deeply interested in the psychology of repression and resistance, and the psychological results of both state and self censorship. I see psychology as a useful field to support other women prisoners as well as to maintain my own personal integrity and well-being. I intend to use my skills to help explain and transform prison conditions and existence. I see my poetry and writing as vehicles in accomplishing this."

Writings by Marilyn

Writings about Marilyn

Marilyn Buck 00482-285, Unit A, 5701 8th Street, Camp Parks, Dublin, CA 94568.

Outside contact: Friends of Marilyn Buck c/o Legal Services for Prisoners with Children,1540 Market #490, San Francisco, CA 94102. E-mail: fombuck@yahoo.com. (This outside support group includes members who also work with Out of Control, Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, Bay Area chapter of Jericho Amnesty Movement, PARC, and other prison activist organizations).

prisons – political prisoner home page – political prisoner listing – Marilyn Buck

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April 24, 2006