This man spent more than 40 years in prison. Now he’s winning acclaim as an artist
Artist Gary Harrell's piece "Mad Monkey" is shown at his home Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in south Sacramento, California. - Xavier Mascareñas/The Sacramento Bee/TNS

Gary Harrell has known bad days and this was not one of them. Harrell had gone home after an early-morning shift at his part-time security job to make coffee for his wife and take a nap. He woke to hear her tell him he’d left the hot water on. Now, as he explained, he’d need to get his microwave fixed. “If it’s not one thing, it’s 10 of another,” Harrell said. “That’s the thing about life on the street. But my worst day out here is better than my best day in there.” Harrell, 68, was released from San Quentin State Prison in 2020 after serving more than 40 years in different facilities. He had ...