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Damien Echolswas born in 1974 and grew up in Mississippi, Tennessee, Maryland, Oregon, Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. At age eighteen he was wrongfully convicted of murder, along with Jason Baldwin and Jessie Miskelley, Jr. Echols received a death sentence and spent almost eighteen years on Death Row, until he, Baldwin, and Misskelley were released in 2011. The West Memphis Three have been the subject of"Paradise Lost," a three-part documentary series produced by HBO, and"West of Memphis," a documentary produced by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh. Echols is the author of a self-published memoir, "Almost Home." He and his wife, Lorri Davis, live in New York City."
A "New York Times "Bestseller
A "Los Angeles Times "Bestseller
A "USA Today "Bestseller
A "Wall Street Journal "Bestseller
A "Kirkus Reviews " Best of 2012 nonfiction selection Damien Echols
spent eighteen years on death row for murders he did not commit.
Somehow, in the depths of his unspeakable nightmare, he found the
courage and strength not only to survive, but to grow, to create,
to forgive, and to understand."Life After Death" is a brilliant,
haunting, painful, and uplifting narrative of a hopeless childhood,
a wrongful conviction, a brutal incarceration, and the beginning of
a new life. John Grisham Wrongfully imprisoned by willfully
ignorant cops, prosecutors and judge, Damien Echols draws on all
his wits and his unique view of humanity to survive eighteen years
on death row. My admiration for him, and the strength of his
spirit, increases with every page. Sir Peter Jackson, Academy
Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter I am in awe of
Damien's ability to write so beautifully, with such ease, humor and
honesty this is inspired storytelling, a wonderful book! Fran
Walsh, Academy Award-winning screenwriter, composer and producer
The life of Damien Echols is a journey similar to that of the metal
that becomes a samurai s sword. Heated and pounded until it becomes
hardened, it can hold its edge for centuries. It is incredible that
Damien endured and survived one of the most tragic miscarriages of
American justice, and emerged such a centered, articulate and
extraordinary man and writer. "Life After Death" proves that he
paid dearly for his wisdom. Henry Rollins Exceptional memoir by the
most famous of the West Memphis Three. [B]are facts alone would
make for an interesting story. However, Echols is at heart a poet
and mystic, and he has written not just a quickie one-off book to
capitalize on a lurid news story, but rather a work of art that
occasionally bears a resemblance to the work of Jean Genet. A
voracious reader all his life, Echols vividly tells his story, from
his impoverished childhood in a series of shacks and mobile homes
to his emergence after half a lifetime behind bars as a psychically
scarred man rediscovering freedom in New York City. The author also
effectively displays his intelligence and sensitivity, qualities
the Arkansas criminal justice system had no interest in recognizing
during Echols ordeal. Essential reading. "Kirkus Reviews "(starred)
This is a stunning piece of work. Such hope while faced with
injustice. Damien teaches us how to live. Eddie Vedder [Echols ]
case garnered worldwide attention, but [his] memoir is about as far
away from a publicity-seeking I-was-wronged story as possible. The
author opts for a meatier, and certainly more haunting, account of
his life behind bars, coupled with flashbacks to his
childhood....Echols is a talented writer, and when the book dips
into his own spiritual and philosophical beliefs...it achieves the
kind of emotional resonance that many similar books lack....A
tragic and often disturbing story."" Booklist" "Damien Echols
suffered a shocking miscarriage of justice. A nightmare few could
endure.An innocent man on death row for more than eighteen years,
abused by the very system we all fund.His story will appall,
fascinate, and render you feeble with tears and laughter.A
brilliant memoir to battle with literary giants of the calibre of
Jean Genet, Gregory David Roberts, and Dostoevsky." Johnny Depp
[T]his is an eloquent, even bitterly lyrical, portrayal of how an
innocent man can slip through the cracks of the legal system and
struggle to survive. Compelling and deeply moving, in the tradition
of Helen Prejean s "Dead Man Walking" and Norman Mailer s "The
Executioner s Song," this memoir will appeal to a wide audience.
"Library Journal "(starred) In this searing, finely wrought memoir,
Echols recalls his poverty-stricken childhood, the trial of the
West Memphis 3, and the harsh realities of life on death row The
most affecting sections are Echols s philosophical musings on all
he has lost, his thoughts often influenced by Zen Buddhism. In one
journal entry that survived the guards purge, Echols contemplates
what he misses the most while in prison. The answer is a
heart-wrenching and simple commentary on American prison life: In
the end it s not the fruit I miss most... I miss being treated like
a human being. "Publisher s Weekly "(starred) [A] tale of romance,
resilience, and the power of the written word.
Stephanie Palumbo, "O, The Oprah Magazine"
Echols is a writer whose talent is commensurate with the task of
telling this story....The man who has emerged from death row at
last is not quite a hero, but he s something far more interesting:
an artist and, most definitely, well worth meeting. Laura Miller,
Salon.com
Gripping Echols has already lived a remarkable life, one forged in
tragedy and all manner of iniquity. That he is able to write so
movingly about the many trials he endured speaks volumes about his
intellect and character. " "Jesse Singal, "The Boston Globe""
A "New York Times "Bestseller
A "Los Angeles"" Times "Bestseller
A "USA"" Today "Bestseller
A "Wall Street Journal "Bestseller
A "Kirkus Reviews ""Best of 2012" nonfiction selection "Damien
Echols spent eighteen years on death row for murders he did not
commit. Somehow, in the depths of his unspeakable nightmare, he
found the courage and strength not only to survive, but to grow, to
create, to forgive, and to understand. "Life After Death" is a
brilliant, haunting, painful, and uplifting narrative of a hopeless
childhood, a wrongful conviction, a brutal incarceration, and the
beginning of a new life." --John Grisham "Wrongfully imprisoned by
willfully ignorant cops, prosecutors and judge, Damien Echols draws
on all his wits and his unique view of humanity to survive eighteen
years on death row. My admiration for him, and the strength of his
spirit, increases with every page." --Sir Peter Jackson, Academy
Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter "I am in awe of
Damien's ability to write so beautifully, with such ease, humor and
honesty--this is inspired storytelling, a wonderful book!" --Fran
Walsh, Academy Award-winning screenwriter, composer and producer
"The life of Damien Echols is a journey similar to that of the
metal that becomes a samurai's sword. Heated and pounded until it
becomes hardened, it can hold its edge for centuries. It is
incredible that Damien endured and survived one of the most tragic
miscarriages of American justice, and emerged such a centered,
articulate and extraordinary man and writer. "Life After Death"
proves that he paid dearly for his wisdom." --Henry Rollins
"Exceptional memoir by the most famous of the West Memphis Three.
[B]are facts alone would make for an interesting story. However,
Echols is at heart a poet and mystic, and he has written not just a
quickie one-off book to capitalize on a lurid news story, but
rather a work of art that occasionally bears a resemblance to the
work of Jean Genet. A voracious reader all his life, Echols vividly
tells his story, from his impoverished childhood in a series of
shacks and mobile homes to his emergence after half a lifetime
behind bars as a psychically scarred man rediscovering freedom in
New York City. The author also effectively displays his
intelligence and sensitivity, qualities the Arkansas criminal
justice system had no interest in recognizing during Echols'
ordeal. Essential reading." --"Kirkus Reviews "(starred) "This is a
stunning piece of work. Such hope while faced with injustice.
Damien teaches us how to live." --Eddie Vedder "[Echols'] case
garnered worldwide attention, but [his] memoir is about as far away
from a publicity-seeking I-was-wronged story as possible. The
author opts for a meatier, and certainly more haunting, account of
his life behind bars, coupled with flashbacks to his
childhood....Echols is a talented writer, and when the book dips
into his own spiritual and philosophical beliefs...it achieves the
kind of emotional resonance that many similar books lack....A
tragic and often disturbing story.""--Booklist" "Damien Echols
suffered a shocking miscarriage of justice. A nightmare few could
endure. An innocent man on death row for more than eighteen years,
abused by the very system we all fund. His story will appall,
fascinate, and render you feeble with tears and laughter. A
brilliant memoir to battle with literary giants of the calibre of
Jean Genet, Gregory David Roberts, and Dostoevsky." --Johnny Depp
"[T]his is an eloquent, even bitterly lyrical, portrayal of how an
innocent man can slip through the cracks of the legal system and
struggle to survive. Compelling and deeply moving, in the tradition
of Helen Prejean's "Dead Man Walking" and Norman Mailer's "The
Executioner's Song," this memoir will appeal to a wide audience."
--"Library Journal "(starred) "In this searing, finely wrought
memoir, Echols recalls his poverty-stricken childhood, the trial of
the West Memphis 3, and the harsh realities of life on death row
... The most affecting sections are Echols's philosophical musings
on all he has lost, his thoughts often influenced by Zen Buddhism.
In one journal entry that survived the guards' purge, Echols
contemplates what he misses the most while in prison. The answer is
a heart-wrenching and simple commentary on American prison life:
'In the end it's not the fruit I miss most... I miss being treated
like a human being.'" --"Publisher's Weekly "(starred) "[A] tale of
romance, resilience, and the power of the written word."
--Stephanie Palumbo, "O, The Oprah Magazine"
"Echols is a writer whose talent is commensurate with the task of
telling this story....The man who has emerged from death row at
last is not quite a hero, but he's something far more interesting:
an artist--and, most definitely, well worth meeting." --Laura
Miller, Salon.com
"Gripping...Echols has already lived a remarkable life, one forged
in tragedy and all manner of iniquity. That he is able to write so
movingly about the many trials he endured speaks volumes about his
intellect and character.""--"Jesse Singal, "The Boston Globe"
"[A] tale of romance, resilience, and the power of the written
word."--Stephanie Palumbo, "O, The Oprah Magazine"
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