Introductions are in order…

Hey there, My name is Daniel. Of course I’m known more formally as Daniel J. Royston. I’m 42 years old, got arrested in 1997 and I’m currently tallying off days in the Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation and Corrections behind the walls of the Marion Correctional Institution. I’m scheduled to see the other side of these fences sometime between next year and January 11th, 2029. Which happens to be a Thursday if anyone wants to pick me up in a bright orange flying self-driving hybrid Prius. (I mean cars better be flying by 2029…..I’m just saying)

If i was asked to describe my self with just one word I would say I’m an Artist.

But if you were generous enough to give me, I don’t know say….six words…I would say I’m a, “Bold introvert who hides on stage”.

Let me explain…Men in general don’t sit around sharing our inner most feelings with our closest dudes. And that statement is ten times as true in prisons across the country. You just don’t often see guys like me, with “Hatred” tattooed on my neck, sipping vanilla chai tea and being all vulnerable emotionally. No, on most days you’ll find me sitting by myself, my head in a book or my pen on a page content in the solace of my alone-ness But on those other days I’m a spoken word artist, a slam poet, a performance poet even and I stand on stages putting on display my emotions. Exposing with alacrity the innermost me. Juxtaposing the beauty of the world next to the ugly of me. (or vice versa…) So yeah….I’m an artist, a musician, a storyteller and a man comfortable with showing you my flaws which will happen often in my future posts I’m sure.

In the hopes of helping you get to know more about the person I am and the kind of posts yoiu can expect to read as we go forward I think I know what we need….RAPID FIRE ROUND!!!

1. Want to read about how I reconnected with my estranged daughter after fourteen years and why I walked away from the prison gang I once belonged to? Look for me @ TheMarshallProject.com in the “Life Inside” section.

2. My daughter and I speak to each other through poetry on YouTube.
Search: Dan Royston, A Simple Hug
Then Search: Brooke Wangenheim, a simple hug response

3. To hear more about my struggles with identity once convicted of a felony listen to the Podcast “Invisibilia” and the episode titled “The personality myth” released July 2016. I happen to be the “Dan” the episode refers to.

4. I’m a co-founder and co-curator of TEDXMarionCorrectional. The first TEDx event in an adult prison where the incarcerated men spoke on the same stage as the other speakers. You can see the TEDtalks from these events on YouTube (search: TEDxMarionCorrectional)

Thanks for taking the time to read my voice I look forward to seeing you back here again.

Questions or comments? I can be contacted via jPay (A358054 Daniel J. Royston)
or via snail mail

Daniel J. Royston
#358054
PO Box 57
Marion, Oh
43301-0057

Rock on and Drive safe

Daniel J. Royston
DOC #358054