edited by Marie Mulvey-Roberts contributions by Hank Skinner, Terry Kupers, Michael Wayne Hunter, Martin A Draughton, Jarvis Masters, Roger W Murray, Dominique Malon, Sam Hawkins, Don Hawkins, Stacy Abramson, David Isay, Ruth Evans, Erika Trueman, Mark Robertson, Benjamin Zephaniah, James Heard, Karl Louis Guillen, Kevin Brian Dowling, Leroy D Cropper, Shoz Dijiji, George Ryan, Keith B Taylor, Ramon Rogers, Mark Allen Robertson, Tracy A Hansen, Marion Wilson, Joan Warren, William Clark, U. A. Fanthorpe, James Armando Card Sr, John Huggins, Michael B Ross, Rogelio Reyes Cannady, Edwin Smith, Ray Allen, Steven King Ainsworth, Allen Houghland, Robin Lee Row, Helen Prejean, William Van Poyck, Richard Rossi, Celeste Dixon, Stephen B Bright and Marie Deans foreword by Jan Arriens
University of Illinois Press, 2007 Cloth: 978-0-252-02793-2 | Paper: 978-0-252-07099-0 Library of Congress Classification HV8699.U5W75 2007 Dewey Decimal Classification 364.660973
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Going well beyond graphic descriptions of death row's madness and suicide-inducing realities, Writing for Their Lives offers powerful, compassionate, and harrowing accounts of prisoners rediscovering the value of life from within the brutality and boredom of the row. Editor Marie Mulvey-Roberts brings together the writings of prisoners (many of whom are also prize-winning authors) and the words of those who work in the field of capital punishment, whose roles have included defense attorney, prison psychiatrist, chaplain and warden, spiritual advisor, abolitionist and executioner, as well as a Nobel Prize nominee and a murder victim family member. The material is presented through articles, journal extracts, letters, short stories, and poems.
Exposing little-known facts about the five modes of execution practiced in the United States today, Writing for Their Lives documents the progress of life on death row from a capital trial to execution and beyond, through the testimony of the prisoners themselves as well as those who watch, listen, and write to them. What emerges are stories of the survival of the human spirit under even the most unimaginable circumstances, and the ways in which some prisoners find penitence and peace in the most unlikely surroundings. In spite of the uniformity of their prison life and its nearly inevitable conclusion, prisoners able to read and write letters are shown to retain and develop their individuality and humanity as their letters become poems and stories.
Writing for Their Lives serves ultimately as an affirmation of the value of life and provides bountiful evidence that when a state executes a prisoner, it takes a life that still had something to give.
This edition features an introduction by the editor as well as a foreword by Jan Arriens. Dr. Mulvey-Roberts will be donating her profits from the sale of this volume to the legal charity Amicus, which assists in capital defense in the United States."
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Marie Mulvey-Roberts is a Reader in Literary Studies in the School of English and Drama at the University of the West of England, Bristol. She has taught in a number of prisons in the United Kingdom. Jan Arriens is the founder of LifeLines, an international organization of correspondents who exchange letters with death row prisoners.
REVIEWS
"The madness of Death Row in the USA is described in graphic detail in this collection of testimonies, short stories, and poems. . . . Most do not question either their guilt or their fate, accepting their lot with resignation. Very few books have the power to change the world. This book is unlikely to be the exception. And for that we should all be very sorry indeed." Tribune
“Nobody who reads this book will put it down unaffected. . . . Mulvey-Roberts has drawn together an astonishing collection of writings and speeches which will shock, shake and warn. . . . A powerful tool to help contribute to the sentimentality against the punishment. She has displayed that the pen is mightier than the sword.”--Amicus Journal
"A refreshing emphasis on dignity and humanity in the face of terror and evil."--Rick Halperin, Amnesty International USA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword Jan Arriens XV
Acknowledgments xvii
Introduction: Death Sentences by Marie Mulvey-Roberts 1 1. ESSAYS AND SPEECHES ON THE DEATH PENALTY
I Will Not Stand for It Governor George Ryan 17
America Does Not Need Capital Punishment Michael B. Ross 25
My Turn William Van Poyck 27
The Ring Decision and What It Means Richard Rossi 29
Is There Such a Thing as Closure? Richard Rossi 31
Not in My Name Celeste Dixon 34
The Electric Chair and the Chain Gang: Choices and Challenges for America's Future Stephen B. Bright 39 2. ACCOUNTS OF LIFE ON DEATH ROW
Working Against the Death Penalty Marie Deans 59
Daily Events Richard Rossi 63
Running In: Cell Extraction Hank Skinner 65
Conditions on Death Row, Terrell Unit, Texas Dr. Terry Kupers 69
California's Death Row Michael Wayne Hunter 78
It's Time for Me to Die: An Inside Look at Death Row Michael B. Ross 91
Dave Michael Wayne Hunter 103
A Visit from Mom Martin A. Draughton 106
Skirting the Rules Richard Rossi 112
Scars Jarvis Masters 113
Transcending Martin A. Draughton 118 3. EXECUTION
Changing the Protocol Richard Rossi 123
Capital Accountability Roger W. Murray II 126
Surviving an Execution Date Dominique Malon with Sam Hawkins 131
The Dog and Pony Show Richard Rossi 137
The Long Walk Don Hawkins 140
Inside the Death Chamber Stacy Abramson and David Isay 145
The Struggle for a Spirituality: Nicholas Ingram's Life, Final Days, and Execution Sister Ruth Evans 154
Witnessing an Execution Erika Trueman 163 4. POEMS
Recipe for Prison Pruno Jarvis Masters 177
So Many Times Mark Robertson 179
To Be Seen, To Be Done Benjamin Zephaniah 180
Death Row Lament James Heard 181
You Are In Karl Louis Guillen 181
Capital Existence James Heard 182
My God Karl Louis Guillen 182
Living Death Kevin Brian Dowling 183
Oblique Sojourn Leroy D. Cropper 184
The Dungeon Karl Louis Guillen 184
Red Man Shoz Dijiji 185
Come Back to Me Keith B. Taylor 186
Journey to Nowhere Ramon Rogers 187
Beyond the Ceiling Karl Louis Guillen 188
This Horror Karl Louis Guillen 189
A "Not So Bad" Man Karl Louis Guillen 189
Falling In Karl Louis Guillen 190
When It's at Your Door Mark Allen Robertson 191
I Drew a Chessboard on My Bed James Heard 194
Find Out What You Seek Tracy A. Hansen 195
A Mental Mirage Marion Wilson 195
A Special Friend Tracy A. Hansen 196
For You Joan Warren 197
I Think I'll Call It Morning James Heard 198
Look into the Darkness William (Bill) Clark 199
Trying to Describe Martin A. Draughton 200
Before I Forget Karl Louis Guillen 200
My Poem Karl Louis Guillen 201
Death Row Poets U. A. Fanthorpe 201
Executioner James Armando Card Sr. 202
The Wuornos Protocol - The Final Solution John Huggins 203
Nicky Sister Ruth Evans 204
Knowing the Day Rogelio Reyes Cannady 205
Our Disgrace... Karl Louis Guillen 206
You Hide Where You Can't Tracy A. Hansen 207
Words That I Hear Edwin Smith 207
My Final Prayer Ray "Running Bear" Allen 209 5. SHORT STORIES
A Day in the Life Michael Wayne Hunter 213
Cat J Michael Wayne Hunter 216
Fake Identity William Van Poyck 222
Burnt Almonds Steven King Ainsworth 233 6. INTERVIEWING PRISONERS
Interview with Mumia Abu-Jamal Allen Houghland 239
Prisoner Interviewing Prisoner Martin A. Draughton 244 7. CORRESPONDENCE, JOURNALS, AND A PRISON REPORT
From Convent to Prison: A Correspondence Sister RUth Evans 255
When and Where Will It End? William (Bill) Clark 258
Open Letter from Idaho's Only Female Death Row Prisoner Robin Lee Row 260
Journal from Death Row Mississippi Tracy A. Hansen 269
Prison Madness in Mississippi Dr. Terry Kupers 281
An American Chronicle Rogelio Reyes Cannady 288
Being Rushed to Death Richard Rossi 294
Scrappers: Giving In to Life Sister Helen Prejean 298
Organizations and Prison Writing Web Sites 301
Further Reading 305
Filmography 308
Reading for Their Lives Projects 310
