That Bird Has My Wings

This is an autobiography of an "innocent" man on death row. I put the innocent in quotes because after reading this book, I don't know if he actually is or isn't. He leaves it up to you. After years in and out of foster care, a criminogenic family, a heroin addicted mother, Masters finally does enough wrong to land himself in San Quentin. He went in at 19, and won't come out, unless appeals go his way. He paints Southern California as one of the worst places to be if you are 1. black 2. poor 3. hungry. He was put on death row after taking part in a prison guards death...something he denies, but gives absolutely no information on. So..it's hard for the reader to give any sympathy due to the complete lack of insight on the very thing that got him on death row.

Masters was a sensitive child who becomes a time bomb after many years of struggle. He blames his poor decisions (including drug trafficking, robberies, gang fighting) on his lack of family structure. This is probably true for him, but there are literally millions of children in foster care that don't become armed robbers. I don't know, even after reading this heartbreaking autobiography, who he is. The book is honest enough, but clearly polished. Most of the book is about his childhood.

He's a very good writer. But this one falls short because if he's trying to convince the reader he's innocent, he needs to explain why. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in criminal justice or prisoner rights. Maybe my feelings on this book are ambivalent due to my educational background in the field. He might fool the lay reader, but it didn't fool me. I'll be very surprised if he ever goes free. I don't want him to die, but he likes to justify bad, hurtful, behavior anyway he can...and someone like that doesn't deserve to be free.