A teenage Nick Shay is sent to prison after killing a man. In the prison, a street gang called the Alhambras are in charge. They write their name on any available surface. Nick’s sentence has been reduced from manslaughter to negligent homicide. Privately, Nick hopes that prison will allow him to “make sense” of his life. He finds prison to be a strange place, however. He resents the psychologist for trying to help him, and he dislikes the amenities—such as a mini golf course—that are installed to make the prisoners’ lives better.

In 1962, the “infamous sick” comedian Lenny Bruce performs a joke about the Cuban Missile Crisis. He jokes about the “guys from Harvard” who have the potential to decide the fate of the world (505). While the government is cowering in a bunker, he suggests, he and the crowd are out living their lives. The joke ends with the punchline “we’re all going to die” (506), repeated over and over again as the crowd roars with laughter.

In 1953, Nick discusses the shooting with the prison psychologist, Dr. Lindblad. He struggles to forgive himself for his actions. Then he receives an unexpected early release and is sent to a Jesuit facility in Minnesota.