Living Justice: Love, Freedom, and the Making of The Exonerated Summary and Reviews

Living Justice: Love, Freedom, and the Making of The Exonerated
by Jessica Blank, Erik Jensen

Living Justice: Love, Freedom, and the Making of The Exonerated
List Price: $25.00
Our Price: $0.91
You Save: $24.09 (96%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.05 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: Erik Jensen, Jessica Blank
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-02-22
ISBN: 0743483456
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Atria

Book Reviews of Living Justice: Love, Freedom, and the Making of The Exonerated

Book Review: To Live Or Die, That Is The Question!
Summary: 3 Stars

This memoir (loosely-termed as such) is an account of an adventure in 2000 when these two young actors left Manhattan in a rented car to travel across the United States on a quest. They drove from Chicago to Florida and stopped at places in between, from Oregon to L. A. to interview some of those exonerated of murder charges.

Jessica had been in a movie for Court TV called 'The Exonerated' about prisoners falsely accused and who spent time on death row in prisons. It is the result of her friend, Erik Jensen from Minnessota,who agreed to make the trip and they nose dived into the darker side of our justice (or injustice) system and were told stories of gross conditions which were repulsive and overwhelming to the victims, before they could win their freedom after such a long interval between being accussed and released.

"The desire for revenge is powerful" on all levels. I've been against the death penalty for many years now because of the innocent "criminals" who are due to die for some crime someone else perpetrated. They discovered that 74% of Americans support capital punishment. If it doesn't happen here in East Tennessee, some decide to take matters in their own hands.

This book entails the creation of the play they wrote using actual cases they uncovered. It is 'a fascinating chronicle of political consciousness.' Instead of dwelling on statistics and legalese, they put a human face on stage so every person in the audience could can and understand what was at stake. This is the story of real people who had lost so much; they used the interviews they did with those abused by the inequities of the system to make a social comment in the form of a play. It took them three years to work through and it changed them forever. They called it a "crazy journey" but in the end discovered a common bonding. Involved in off-Broadway theater, they were drawn together by a chance meeting in a bar.

It is foolish to think that the system (any government service) functions in reality the way it does on paper. It is the propoganda and self praise on forms which win the awards, not what happens in real life. They discovered what I've known now for a long time (from personal experience) that mayors, lawyers, judges and the police are all human and make mistakes, act carelessly, and think of 'self' first and foremost.

It's not enough to pray that the leaders will do what's right and fair to all; we have to take action and speak up, ask questions and seek the truth. Relationships now prove to be more trouble than usual, but don't let this prevent you from staying emotionally present. Even if you are somewhat uncomfortable with holding your ground today, remember that this is truly one of your strengths. The source of your uneasiness may be guilt that is stirred up, whether or not it applies to the current situation. Speak the truth gently and be open to the possibility of positive transformation.

Mainly the leaders in whatever capacity should act ethically. Freedom isn't something which occurs simply because our leaders promise it; they will promise the sky if you foolishly believe them. Politicians never keep promises, but some younger ones will listen. Reach out to them.

Arts & Photography Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in the exonerated
Rights From Wrongs: A Secular Theory of the Origin of Rights ImageRights From Wrongs: A Secular Theory of the Origin of Rights
by Alan Dershowitz
Basic Books; Published: 2004-11-02; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops: $24.00
The Abuse Excuse: And Other Cop-outs, Sob Stories, and Evasions of Responsibility ImageThe Abuse Excuse: And Other Cop-outs, Sob Stories, and Evasions of Responsibility
by Alan M. Dershowitz
Back Bay Books; Published: 2000-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.00
Price in other shops: $19.99
Just Revenge : A Novel ImageJust Revenge : A Novel
by Alan M. Dershowitz
Grand Central Publishing; Published: 1999-09-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.99
Price in other shops: $38.00
Reasonable Doubts: The Criminal Justice System and the O.J. Simpson Case ImageReasonable Doubts: The Criminal Justice System and the O.J. Simpson Case
by Alan M. Dershowitz
Touchstone; Published: 1997-02-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.25
Price in other shops: $18.95
Reversal of Fortune: Inside the Von Bulow Case ImageReversal of Fortune: Inside the Von Bulow Case
by Dershowitz
Pocket; Published: 1990-11-01; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $4.99
Trial of the Century, You be the Juror: See the OJ Simpson Trial Through the Eyes of a Juror--Interactive Trial Guide ImageTrial of the Century, You be the Juror: See the OJ Simpson Trial Through the Eyes of a Juror--Interactive Trial Guide
by Robert J. Walton, F. Lagard Smith
Marcon Publishers; Published: 1994-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.00
Price in other shops: $19.95
OJ Simpson is Innocent: Almost a Perfect Crime ImageOJ Simpson is Innocent: Almost a Perfect Crime
by Adolf W. Hauf
Adolf W. Hauf; Published: 2001-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.95
O.J. Is Guilty But Not of Murder ImageO.J. Is Guilty But Not of Murder
by William C. Dear
Dear Overseas Production; Published: 2000-11-14; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $17.75
Price in other shops: $26.95
Not Guilty: Twelve Black Men Speak Out on Law, Justice, and Life ImageNot Guilty: Twelve Black Men Speak Out on Law, Justice, and Life
by Jabari Asim
Amistad; Published: 2002-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.43
Price in other shops: $13.95
In Spite Of Innocence: Erroneous Convictions in Capital Cases ImageIn Spite Of Innocence: Erroneous Convictions in Capital Cases
by Michael L. Radelet, Hugo Adam Bedau, Constance E. Putnam
Northeastern; Published: 1992-10-20; Library Binding; Book
Best price: $27.99
Price in other shops: $50.00
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
The Clean House and Other Plays ImageThe Clean House and Other Plays
by Sarah Ruhl
Theatre Communications Group; Published: 2006-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.49
Price in other shops: $17.95
American Photography and the American Dream (Cultural Studies of the United States) ImageAmerican Photography and the American Dream (Cultural Studies of the United States)
by James Guimond
The University of North Carolina Press; Published: 1991-05-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $28.48
Price in other shops: $42.50
Wisconsin Death Trip (Wisconsin) ImageWisconsin Death Trip (Wisconsin)
by Michael Lesy
University of New Mexico Press; Published: 2000-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $21.92
Price in other shops: $34.95
Kindertransport (Nick Hern Books) ImageKindertransport (Nick Hern Books)
by Diane Samuels
Nick Hern Books; Published: 2000-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.95
Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides ImagePatriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides
by Christian G. Appy
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2004-09-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.51
Price in other shops: $17.00
Chasing Justice: My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death Row for a Crime I Didn't Commit ImageChasing Justice: My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death Row for a Crime I Didn't Commit
by Kerry Max Cook
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 2008-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops: $14.95
Almost Home ImageAlmost Home
by Jessica Blank
Hyperion Book CH; Published: 2007-10-23; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $1.85
Price in other shops: $15.99
The Laramie Project ImageThe Laramie Project
by Moises Kaufman
Vintage; Published: 2001-09-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.52
Price in other shops: $12.95
The Exonerated ImageThe Exonerated
MONTEREY HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2006-03-07; DVD
Best price: $5.95
Price in other shops: $24.95
The Exonerated ImageThe Exonerated
by Jessica Blank
Dramatist's Play Service; Published: 2004-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.15
Price in other shops: $7.50