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Life After Death

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Yesterday and today may sound like a Bob Ruff commercial, but I have no issue with that, nor should you. Not to sound bossy, but... 

If you aren't aware of the West Memphis Three, look no further than look no further back than the heels of the Satanic Panic in the bible belt of West Memphis, Arkansas. 

Damien Echols and two of his friends were teenagers in 1993, when three young boys were found bound and drowned. A confession was coerced out of one of Damien's friends - a kid with a mental capacity a la Brendan Dassey. Damien, 18, was sentenced to death row and his two friends, not yet "adults" received life sentences. All three were released in 2011. The identity of the real killer(s) remains unknown, though there is speculation. I recommend Bob Ruff's Truth and Justice podcast season on the case, along with the documentary The Forgotten West Memphis Three, available on Apple TV. 

Book I Haven't Read Yet: Life After Death: Eighteen Years on Death Row by Damien Echols

Why I Haven't Read It: I'll be honest - I've consumed a TON of True Crime content over the last five years or so. Like so many, the podcast Serial got me hook, line and sinker. (S-Town was another early favorite.) That said, I haven't read many True Crime books. Nothing stands out other than Bitter Blood, and only because that case was local to me, in the suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky. 

Well - and, of course, Adnan's Story.

I have a lot of catching up to do. Damien's book seems as good a place to start as any.

Should You Read It? As I mentioned yesterday, YES to reading about wrongful convictions. Getting to know Damien's journey through the work of Bob Ruff, as well as Gillian Pensavale of True Crime Obsessed podcast fame, I have found that that connections of getting to know the wrongfully convicted, as well as their families, creates a deeper care and a call to activism. 

We need that push right now. We need it more than ever. 

Personal Reading Update:

Finished: 

- The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (Amazingly crafted story. If you're a word nerd like me, you'll adore this book.) 

- Good Girl Fail by Roni Loren (I was so excited to read an ARC, or Advanced Reader Copy, of Roni's latest book. She's a blog-friend from 15 years ago, and her books are generally tantalizing. This one did NOT disappoint. NSFW!)

Currently Reading:

A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey (Another blog friend from allthoseyears ago. Note: this is my very first audio book, and I'm LOVING the voice of the narrator.)

PS... to all my lovely, published blog friends - I'm NOT jealous. (Maybe a little.) But, you inspire me. I hope I'm right behind you! 

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