Making Sense of Marshall Ledbetter: The Dark Side of Political Protest, Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida (2014). ISBN: 0813060168
"Armed with an empty whiskey bottle and wearing a tie-dyed Jimi Hendrix T-shirt, Florida State University dropout Marshall Ledbetter broke into the Florida State Capitol early one morning in June 1991. He occupied the Sergeant of Arms suite, demanding an extra-large Gumby's pizza and 666 donuts for the cops waiting outside. He hoped to garner media attention for his protest of poverty, homelessness, and cuts to higher education. After an eight hour standoff, Ledbetter was betrayed by the very media he had counted on to tell his story; his demands were not broadcast on CNN as he had been promised but streamed into the office on closed-circuit TV. Although he left the building peacefully, the ensuing trial, his trips in and out of the state's mental health institutions over the following decade, and his eventual suicide in 2003 speak to how difficult it is to untangle addiction, isolation, brilliance, and deviance. Ledbetter's invasion of the Capitol remains the biggest security breach of the building's history, but Daniel Harrison's telling of the Ledbetter saga is about more than one misguided young man's breaking and entering into the state's most secure building. Making Sense of Marshall Ledbetter thoughtfully and honestly explores the ways society manages deviant people in real world situations and whether or not our law enforcement and justice systems are adequately equipped to handle mental illness." - From the Publisher
Prankster turned mental patient, honors student turned Capitol invader
“A compelling look at a significant but little-known incident in Florida history, one that turned out to be a precursor to the Occupy movement.”—Craig Pittman, author of The Scent of Scandal
“I could not put down this book. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in psychology, drug and alcohol addiction, the complicated chemistry of the human body, and—oddly—local politics.”—George Singleton, author of Between Wrecks
“Was this a courageous act of protest or a sad act of madness? Making Sense of Marshall Ledbetter contributes to sociological debates about social protest and mental health policy.”—Gary Alan Fine, coauthor of Whispers on the Color Line
“Going beyond the pat answers of mental illness, drug abuse, or youthful pranksterism, Harrison shows that these elements were far from the whole story.”—Chad Alan Goldberg, author of Citizens and Paupers
“A compelling look at a significant but little-known incident in Florida history, one that turned out to be a precursor to the Occupy movement.”—Craig Pittman, author of The Scent of Scandal
“I could not put down this book. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in psychology, drug and alcohol addiction, the complicated chemistry of the human body, and—oddly—local politics.”—George Singleton, author of Between Wrecks
“Was this a courageous act of protest or a sad act of madness? Making Sense of Marshall Ledbetter contributes to sociological debates about social protest and mental health policy.”—Gary Alan Fine, coauthor of Whispers on the Color Line
“Going beyond the pat answers of mental illness, drug abuse, or youthful pranksterism, Harrison shows that these elements were far from the whole story.”—Chad Alan Goldberg, author of Citizens and Paupers
Please visit the official website for the book at: http://makingsenseofmarshallledbetter.tumblr.com/
Amazon's Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/danielmharrison
Amazon's Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/danielmharrison