SLOW COMING DARK Interviews on Death Row

Hardback. 1st UK Edn. The author, a writer and photographer, was assigned by 'Newsweek' to cover the execution of John Spenkelink in Florida in 1979. Magee was disturbed by the degree of isolation from the outside world experienced by the death row prisoners and realised that the public knew of them only through lawyers, prison officials, social scientists and so on. To compile this book he visited 10 states and interviewed as many as he could of the hundreds of men and women living in death row. This is a selection of 12 of the those interviews. The author found that almost all the people on death row were poor and unable to afford proper legal counsel. Many claimed they were innocent while others readily admitted their guilt. They all displayed a frank willingness to talk about themselves, their families, their pasts and their uncertain futures. Featuring : Doug McCray, Rebecca Machetti, Jimmy Lee Gray, Phil Brasfield, Mike Moore, Charles Young Jr., Johnny "Imani" Harris, Elvin Myles, Keith Berry, J.D. Gleaton, David Washington and one 'Anonymous'. Illus. + Appendices which includes a Bibliog. 181pp. 8vo. h/back. F. in Nr. F. dw.