Tag Archives: Conundrums

The Argument He Almost Left Out — THE CONUNDRUMS QUOTATIONS PROJECT — CQ-048

Posted on November 13, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

A note tucked inside E’s copy of Cicero recalls the argument he nearly dropped. CQ-048 explores what we notice when we return to a point we were ready to set aside. Continue reading →

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How They Denied Me — THE CONUNDRUMS QUOTATIONS PROJECT — CQ-047

Posted on November 11, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

A man approved for parole brings E a letter denying work release. CQ-047 considers what institutions owe the people who must make sense of their decisions. Continue reading →

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My Favorite Is Hamlet: Reading the Law’s Delay — THE CONUNDRUMS QUOTATIONS PROJECT — CQ-046

Posted on November 9, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

E paces his prison cell reciting Hamlet. CQ-046 asks what Shakespeare’s phrase “the law’s delay” can name that a court record cannot. Continue reading →

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A Couple of Dollars: The Reach of Solidarity — THE CONUNDRUMS QUOTATIONS PROJECT — CQ-045

Posted on November 6, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

E gives from his small prison wages while questioning the boundaries of an advocacy organization’s recognition. CQ-045 explores generosity, criticism, and solidarity across prison walls. Continue reading →

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Notes for My Novel: The Creative Life Within a Prison Day — THE CONUNDRUMS QUOTATIONS PROJECT — CQ-044

Posted on November 4, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Between legal questions and institutional routines, E returns to the novel he is writing. CQ-044 explores imagination, authorship, and the support an artistic life deserves. Continue reading →

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Under Which Guidelines? When Standards Change and the Question Remains — THE CONUNDRUMS QUOTATIONS PROJECT — CQ-043

Posted on November 2, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Graybeard asks which standards should govern his review. CQ-043 examines changing expectations, institutional explanation, and the human concern a legal answer can leave unresolved. Continue reading →

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His Heart’s in It: When Experience Becomes a Responsibility — THE CONUNDRUMS QUOTATIONS PROJECT — CQ-042

Posted on October 30, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Braxton wants his experience to help young people. CQ-042 explores the care, preparation, and accountability that turn commitment into responsible mentorship. Continue reading →

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Read These Too: When Knowledge Becomes Mutual Support — THE CONUNDRUMS QUOTATIONS PROJECT — CQ-041

Posted on October 28, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

An exchange in a prison law library reveals the expertise, intellectual care, and shared learning behind three ordinary words: “Read these too.” Continue reading →

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Still Learning: Curiosity in the Midst of Exhaustion — THE CONUNDRUMS QUOTATIONS PROJECT — CQ-040

Posted on October 26, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

A small pad of unfamiliar words reveals an intellectual life persisting through fatigue. CQ-040 considers curiosity, education, and the conditions of learning in prison. Continue reading →

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After the Denial, a Page: Writing as Witness and Persistence — THE CONUNDRUMS QUOTATIONS PROJECT — CQ-038

Posted on October 25, 2026 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

What keeps someone writing after another door closes? In “One Day in the Life of a Jailhouse Lawyer,” E opens the law journal and finds a decision in his own case. Another post-conviction motion has been denied. He has waited a year. He believes the issues have received little more than cursory attention. Continue reading →

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