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The Epictetus Club by Jeff Traylor
Preface to The Epictetus Club:
This novel is inspired by real events and real people. It is set in the old Ohio Penitentiary, and the
descriptions of the institution are factual. Some events described as having taken place at the Ohio
Penitentiary actually took place at Marion Correctional Institution. The inmate characters are fictional
composites, and the names of staff have been changed. Epictetus (Epic-TEE-tus) was a real person.
My primary purpose when I began this book was to provide a refresher for the men who have completed
a course in cognitive skills that I teach in a community-based correctional facility. By the time the men
finish the course, they have studied many of these ideas, and this book is a practical and informative
way for them to review the lessons as they prepare to return to society.
As the writing progressed, a second use for the book evolved - to provide these concepts and ideas to
probationers or inmates at other correctional facilities who do not have access to these kinds of groups.
Unfortunately, this is the vast majority of offenders. To you I say, “Welcome to the Epictetus Club, pull up
a chair and enjoy the group – whether you are reading the book by choice or at the ‘suggestion’ of a
judge or probation officer. In either case, I hope you find the lessons and discussions enjoyable and
beneficial.”
A third purpose is to provide some ideas for the general reader who is interested in personal growth and
change. While the stone walls of the penitentiary are real for the characters in the book, they also serve
as a potent analogy for the rest of us as we struggle with our own limits and concerns.
Finally, the book provides a glimpse into a maximum-security prison – a place the vast majority of us,
fortunately, has not seen. Whether the reader is just a curious citizen or a student considering a career
in corrections, I hope to shed some light on these mysterious places and in the process dispel the notion
that offenders are not interested in changing their lives for the better. While some offenders will indeed
return to a criminal lifestyle, I know from countless personal experiences that many others will become
productive and responsible members of society.
Jeff Traylor
This novel is inspired by real events and real people. It is set in the old Ohio Penitentiary, and the
descriptions of the institution are factual. Some events described as having taken place at the Ohio
Penitentiary actually took place at Marion Correctional Institution. The inmate characters are fictional
composites, and the names of staff have been changed. Epictetus (Epic-TEE-tus) was a real person.
My primary purpose when I began this book was to provide a refresher for the men who have completed
a course in cognitive skills that I teach in a community-based correctional facility. By the time the men
finish the course, they have studied many of these ideas, and this book is a practical and informative
way for them to review the lessons as they prepare to return to society.
As the writing progressed, a second use for the book evolved - to provide these concepts and ideas to
probationers or inmates at other correctional facilities who do not have access to these kinds of groups.
Unfortunately, this is the vast majority of offenders. To you I say, “Welcome to the Epictetus Club, pull up
a chair and enjoy the group – whether you are reading the book by choice or at the ‘suggestion’ of a
judge or probation officer. In either case, I hope you find the lessons and discussions enjoyable and
beneficial.”
A third purpose is to provide some ideas for the general reader who is interested in personal growth and
change. While the stone walls of the penitentiary are real for the characters in the book, they also serve
as a potent analogy for the rest of us as we struggle with our own limits and concerns.
Finally, the book provides a glimpse into a maximum-security prison – a place the vast majority of us,
fortunately, has not seen. Whether the reader is just a curious citizen or a student considering a career
in corrections, I hope to shed some light on these mysterious places and in the process dispel the notion
that offenders are not interested in changing their lives for the better. While some offenders will indeed
return to a criminal lifestyle, I know from countless personal experiences that many others will become
productive and responsible members of society.
Jeff Traylor
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ISBN-10: 0-941467-09-0 ISBN-13: 978-0-941467-09-4 "The Epictetus Club" PO Box 741239 New Orleans, LA 70114 |
| In cooperation with Papillon Press, Drinian Press announces the reprinting of Jeff Traylor's life-changing novel. |
| To order directly from Jeff Traylor, UK buyers use the Amazon link above, go to "used and new," and order from Papillon Press! |
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