▁Mem oir s ▁is ▁also , ▁in ▁part , ▁a ▁t ribute ▁to ▁his ▁relationship ▁with ▁fellow ▁an arch ist ▁Emma ▁Gold man , ▁to ▁whom ▁he ▁refers ▁repeatedly ▁throughout ▁the ▁book ▁as ▁" the ▁Girl ". ▁She ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁person ▁to ▁maintain ▁correspond ence ▁with ▁Ber k man ▁in ▁prison , ▁and ▁def ends ▁him ▁from ▁criticism ▁on ▁the ▁outside , ▁helping ▁him ▁upon ▁his ▁release . ▁The ▁book ▁tracks ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁Ber k man ' s ▁ideas ▁on ▁political ▁violence , ▁and ▁his ▁r umin ations ▁often ▁read ▁like ▁a ▁dialog ▁with ▁Gold man , ▁whom ▁he ▁knows ▁int imately . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁notable ▁features ▁of ▁the ▁Pr ison ▁Mem oir s ▁is ▁its ▁treatment ▁of ▁hom osex ual ity ▁in ▁prison . ▁Carol ▁Douglas , ▁writing ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁in ▁off ▁our ▁back s , ▁says ▁that ▁Ber k man ▁" des cribed ▁how ▁his ▁initial ▁horror ▁at ▁hom osex ual ity ▁in ▁the ▁prison ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁conf ined ▁gave ▁way ▁to ▁love ▁for ▁another ▁man ". ▁In ▁his ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁study , ▁Free ▁Com r ades : ▁An arch ism ▁and ▁Hom osex ual ity ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁ 1 8 9 5 – 1 9 1 7 , ▁Ter ence ▁K iss ack ▁describes ▁Pr ison ▁Mem oir s ▁as ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁political ▁texts ▁dealing ▁with ▁hom osex ual ity ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁written ▁by ▁an ▁American ▁before ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0