The Autobiography of an Execution

Author: David R. Dow
Published: 2011, Twelve
261 pages

Ah, the death penalty.  For me, you can't go wrong with a book about the death penalty, and you really can't go wrong with a book about the death penalty in Texas (I've read at least three).  I've always been really torn on the issue of capital punishment.  While my fellow Republicans are known for their "Eye for an eye!" attitude, I've always struggled to embrace that position.

I doubt anyone (besides judges, defenders, prosecutors, and death row inmates) thinks about the death penalty as much as I do, but no matter where you think you stand on the issue, Dow, a public defender in Texas who spends his life defending death row inmates, will force you to take a closer look at your position.  In this memoir Dow recounts some of the more powerful cases he's encountered, the most powerful being that of a man so obviously innocent that even the prison guards and the warden cry at his execution.

The innocents are a rarity, for sure, and Dow knows that most of his clients are guilty.  What makes this book interesting, though, is that Dow is 100% anti-death penalty, guilty or innocent.  Most people don't have the balls to say that the guilty don't deserve the death penalty, but Dow stands firm on his position even when he is discussing the gruesome details of a murder committed by one of his clients.  I'm not saying this is my position, or that it should be anyone's for that matter, but Dow's integrity is admirable and should not be overlooked.

Dow's writing style is gritty and raw.  He doesn't use quotation marks, which can get really confusing at times, but the book has a stream-of-consciousness style that made it easy to feel his frustration, his anger, his hope, and his doubt.  I could not put this book down.  I felt personal connections to him, his family, even his murderous clients.  Dow forces you to confront the really tough issues surrounding the death penalty and never sounds too preachy in the process.

Another really cool thing about this book is the publishing house.  Called "Twelve" because they publish only twelve books a year (one per month), they claim to "publish the singular book, by authors who have a unique perspective and compelling authority."  Dow certainly has both of those things, and I can't wait to see what else this publishing house has to offer.