Life After Death: The Shocking True Story of a Innocent Man on Death Row

can’t wait for the day when we can go to Japan and visit the temple. It’s a way of life that hasn’t changed much in hundreds of years, and life in the temple is practically a world unto itself.
    Roshi had no idea who Johnny Depp was when he heard about the
48 Hours
episode. That’s how I wish I could live—cut off from modern society and focused entirely on self-development. In a way I do live that way, except that my days are a dark and distorted version of monastic life.
    In other news, the execution that was scheduled for tonight was not carried out. The attorney general is furious, and the guards are less than pleased. No one knows what to expect next.
    A PRIL 9
    This is to the raven-haired lady I spoke to today from the Innocence Project: Thank you. Thank you for speaking to me like a human being. A lot of times they’ll bring tours through here and they come to my cell and just stare at me as if I’m some sort of exhibit in a museum. I’ve had teenage girls from a community college criminal justice class stand and watch me in the shower, and they didn’t even speak. They just stood around as if they had every right in the world to do so. You, raven-haired lady, were only the second person to ever speak to me. I was very happy to hear that you have been reading these letters. I have been slacking on the updates lately, but now I want to do a better job. In some ways I feel like I’ve been throwing messages in a bottle into the ocean, wondering if anyone is finding them. Now I know that someone is.
    Not much is changing here. I’ve been moving deeper into my studies, my meditating, and my energy work. The days continue to fly past at an incredibly high rate of speed. The only thing of interest to anyone is that I think Marilyn Manson is quickly becoming my new best friend. Lorri loves him to pieces, too. He’s going to be speaking out for us on VH1 at an awards show that will air in July. He’s also painting my portrait, which I am incredibly excited about. Manson got involved to help with my case, although he has stayed behind the scenes—he thought his presence might be as hurtful as helpful in the public perception.
    The air is filled with that odd, powerful energy that you only feel when the seasons are changing. It stirs up old memories of when I was young and free, and it nearly drives me mad. It was during this time of year that I experienced my very last days of freedom nearly seventeen years ago. The energy in the air makes those memories feel as if they only happened a few days ago. It hurts me somewhere deep in the core of my bones, but it’s an exquisitely beautiful kind of pain.
    A PRIL
    They stopped the execution that was scheduled to take place last night. They had already taken the man to the death house, where the executions are carried out, when the Arkansas Supreme Court issued the order to stop. Now there will have to be a hearing before anyone else is put to death. That probably bought an extra year for those scheduled to be executed soon. Maybe. You can never be certain.
    More than anything, I’d like to go to a park today. I want to sit in a swing, drink chocolate milk, and not think about anything in the world except the pleasure of that moment. I want to know what a normal life feels like because I can’t remember anymore. I want to drag my feet on the ground as I swing back and forth. I want to feel the fresh, spring chi on my skin. I’m very tempted to get out my Halloween decorations today because looking at them always gives me a little burst of excitement. I can’t, though, because I have a rule: No Halloween decorations before June 21. That’s the summer solstice, so after that we’re officially in the second half of the year.
    Another rule I abide by is no peppermint until November 1. I only eat peppermint between November 1 and January 6, because that keeps it special. If you don’t do things like that in here, then there’s nothing to look forward to.
    A PRIL 18
    Many people have asked me why I cut my hair. The answer is because I didn’t have a choice. One day the prison decided it was a “security risk” if my hair were to touch my ears or my collar. If I refused to let them cut my hair, I would be thrown in the hole for thirty days, my visits would be taken for one year, and I would not be allowed to use the phone for one month. Same deal with facial hair. Sideburns that extend beyond mid-ear are “detrimental to the order and discipline of the