Toasts, images of a Victim Society
Seymour Fiddle

[New York] : Exodus House, 1972. RARE no copies online only one in a collection. Paperbound wraps tape spine ;  owner name bookplate inside cover a date penned at bottom ; 72 pages. TOASTS TOASTING underworld criminal drug addiction (heroin, narcotics ...) prison poetry slang lingo ... study and poetry. TOASTS : KING HEROIN, JIMBO THE JUNKIE, PIMP AND HIS BROAD, LONG SHOE SAM AND COCAINE SMITTY ... See contents listed after partial text from introduction:
Toasts were ballads, genorally composed by
and transmitted by others from prison to prison
to generation. Not all toasts, perhaps not a m
written by and for addicts, but the slender out
able to collect, expressly concerning drug user
iences, revealed the profound sense of alienati
narcotic addict from legitimate society.


These toasts were composed to entertain fc
Their language reflected the fact that most of
(recited) them were black. Only a small propoj
I have met might be classed as readers» able t<
toasts in their entirety. They were generally
much time in prison during their career on druj
men personally had transcribed toasts onto pap<
toasts were part of an oral folk tradition, pa:
life within the addict culture. Indeed I was .
the place of these toasts in the life of the a
to local hospitals. I would be asked by patie.
patients would sit around a tape recorder list
of a set of toasts, at least one of,them would
of his own. I had the feeling I was an anthro
folklore.

Their oral quality meant that these toast

to fallibility of recall. I have been able tc
versions of the same toasts; sometimes only ti

Introduction

4 '

Toasts were ballads, generally composed by anonymous prisoners,,
and transmitted by others from prison to prison, and generation
to generation. Mot all toasts, perhaps not a majority, v/erc
written by and for addicts, but the slender output I have been
able to collect, expressly concerning drug users and drug exper-
iences, revealed the profound sense of alienation of the male
narcotic addict from legitimate society.

These toasts were composed to entertain fellow prisoners.
Their language reflected the fact that most of those - who read
(recited) them we re black. Only a small proportion of the addicts
I have met might be classed as readers, able to recite several
toasts in their entirety. They were generally man who had served
much time in prison during their career on drugs. Although some
men personally had transcribed toasts onto paper, basically the
toasts were part of an oral folk tradition, part of the social
life within the addict culture. Indeed I was able to verify
the place of these toasts in the life of the addicts during visits
to local hospitals. I would be asked by patients who knew about
patients would sit around a tape recorder listening to a tape
of a set of toasts, at least one of. them would" come up with something
of his own. I had the feeling I was an anthropologist recording
folklore.  
Contents: fable of Contents

Page

Introduction

(1) Phenomenon Vs. Noumenon 1

(2) Hyperbolic Conduct and Speech &

(3) The Celebration of Sensuality and
Materialism 11

(4) The Male Addict's Helplessness 13

(5) The Pressure Cooker Life 14

(6) Dov/nward Mobility and Unfrcedom 15
Textual Analyses 13

Dariella Du Fontaine 20

A Victim of Circumstances 24

The Tropics 26

A Comment 27

Appendix 29

Toasts 29

King Heroin 29

Dariella Du Fontaine 31

Honky Tonk Bud . _ r 37

Lonr.shoe Sam and Cocaine Smitty|^>M^^ (Wei 43

The Tropics 47

J ir.iba The Junkie 49

The Fall 51

Untitled y 1 56

Coco Joe's 57

Good Doin* Wheeler 0 60

The Pimp and His Broad 65

Untitled # 2 Q DtfriV 4 66

Dear John 69

Footnotes And Addenda

69