My background is crowded with robberies, burglaries, and thefts too numerous to recall. All manner of crimes against property. Arrests, trials, acquittals, convictions, escapes. Penitentiaries! I see in the background four of them. County jails, workhouses, city prisons, Mounted Police barracks, dungeons, solitary confinement, bread and water, hanging up, brutal floggings, and the murderous straitjacket. I see hop joints, wine dumps, thieves' resorts, and beggars' hangouts. Crime followed ...

A major influence on William S. Burroughs and other Beat writers, this lost classic was written by Jack Black, a drifter and small-time criminal. Born in 1872, Black hit the road at the age of 16 and spent most of his life as a vagabond. In this plain-spoken but colorful 1926 memoir, he recaptures a hobo underworld of the early twentieth century, a time when it was possible to pass anonymously from town to town. Black's firsthand accounts of hopping trains, burglaries, prison, and drug add...

This beautiful collection explores the creative spark behind some of animation’s most well-known and beloved characters, as well as never-before-seen personal illustrative and sculptural pieces from world-renowned character designer Nico MarletThe work of Annie Award–winning character designer Nico Marlet spans more than three decades and multiple studios and has left a trail of the most iconic animated characters in the DreamWorks, Disney, Amblimation, and Pixar l...

Beginning within the hallowed halls of a convent school as a young boy, Jack Black recounts his gradual journey towards a life of crime and his adventures within the lawless underworld as a professional thief, hobo, and member of the notorious "yegg" safecracking brotherhood in the American and Canadian West between the 1880s and 1920s.After its initial appearance as a popular series of articles in the San Francisco Call newspaper, You Can't Win was reissued as a ...

Early Life: Jack Black (not to be confused with the actor) was born in a poor family and experienced a troubled childhood. He faced numerous hardships and became increasingly disillusioned with society.Life as a Vagabond: The narrative follows Black's journey through various cities in the United States and Canada as he survives on the fringes of society. He shares stories about living on the streets, hopping trains, and engaging with other drifters.Criminal Underworld: As he navigates thro...

You Can’t Win, the beloved memoir of real lowdown Americana by criminal hobo Jack Black, was first published in 1926, then reprinted in 1988 by Adam Parfrey’s Amok Press, featuring an introduction by William S. Burroughs.After its Amok Press edition went out of print, You Can’t Win found popularity once again with the AK Press edition.Feral House’s new version will take this classic American narrative a lot further, including two remarkable nonfiction arti...

An amazing autobiography of a criminal from a forgotten time in american history. Jack Black was a burgler, safe-cracker, highwayman and petty thief.

In "You Can't Win," Jack Black delivers a raw and unvarnished autobiographical account of his life as a petty criminal and wanderer in the early 20th century. Embracing a confessional and conversational narrative style, Black vividly chronicles his experiences in the underbelly of society, encompassing themes of poverty, addiction, and the transient nature of existence. The book is set against a backdrop of a rapidly changing America, offering a unique lens into the realities of drifting t...

You Can't Win is an autobiography by burglar and hobo Jack Black, written in the early to mid-1920s and first published in 1926. It describes Black's life on the road, in prison and his various criminal capers in the American and Canadian west from the late 1880s to early 20th century. The book was a major influence upon William S. Burroughs and other Beat writers. It was made into a film in 2015.

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This is the fifth in our important Prosperity series. Now, together for the first time, are ten more of the most important books ever written on the subject of Wealth and Success. We’ve gathered another 1,000+ pages of the best advice and instruction that you’ll ever receive on how to become successful, for one incredibly reasonable price. The writers in this volume are all legendary and for good reason. It’s time to stop hoping for success and do something about getting it. This book will...