Dr. Steinberg

Dr. Steinberg is a physician who develops a personal connection with William Stanley Milligan through their shared interest in painting. His visits to the prison’s graphic-arts unit, weekend painting sessions, and final payment for one of Milligan’s works make him a source of encouragement whose regard is expressed through concrete acts.

Visits to the Graphic-Arts Unit

Dr. Steinberg began dropping into the prison’s graphic-arts unit to ask Milligan for advice about his own painting. Milligan, known in these scenes as Tommy, showed him how to handle perspective and how to paint rocks so they appeared to be underwater. The exchange reversed the usual roles of instruction: the doctor came to Milligan as a learner, recognizing knowledge and skill that the prison setting might otherwise have obscured.

Painting Together

Dr. Steinberg came to the prison on weekends, on his own time, and arranged for Milligan to be brought out of his cell so they could paint together. He also remembered that Milligan disliked the prison food, bringing submarine sandwiches or bagels with cream cheese and lox. These repeated gestures made the relationship more than a conversation about technique: Steinberg created time and a practical setting for Milligan to work at an activity in which he felt at ease.

Farewell and Significance

When Milligan was leaving, Dr. Steinberg came to see him off and slipped him money as the final payment for one of his paintings. The gesture linked their personal rapport to the value of Milligan’s work: the painting was not merely a pastime but something for which Steinberg paid. Across these encounters, Dr. Steinberg’s role is defined by sustained attention, shared artistic practice, and tangible support within the limits of prison life.