James Link
Under a cloudless midday Missouri sky, a familiar figure slowly makes his way around the outdoor walking track at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, a hub in the Ozarks. For James Link, age 64, this is part of his daily routine along with calling his longtime partner Robin in the afternoon. Scooting along methodically and slowly, James arrives at his usual noon spot, an asphalt pad by a picnic table under the shade of sugar maple tree, one of sixteen lining the edges of the brick walled enclosed yard. He puts on his JVC headphones to start his extensive playlist of Motown, R&B, Rock, and Hip Hop. This is his sound escape; each song brings back memories from decades past, of people, places, and moments. Before his incarceration. Before his stroke. Track #1- “Inner City Blues” by Marvin Gaye James Thomas Link’s, called Link by some, soundtrack ‘pushed play’ on March 10th, 1957 in Washington D.C. HIs mother Mary’s family, descending fr...