Executioner's Song, The - Norman Mailer [350]
"Sincerely, Gary Gilmore."
Miss LaRochelle wrote the same letter to Walter Cronkite, football stars O.J. Simpson and Roger Staubach and others.
These guards can sneak down the catwalk outside my cell and watch me without me knowing it. They can see me but I can't see them. Probably a few of them are hoping to catch me jackin off so they can stand there and watch.
6
Dec. 31
Friday
Love
Last nite i flew in my dream
like a white bird through the window
came through the night and the cool wind with a few
bright stars in the darkness
And got lost. And Woke up.
Got to go for now
Love you every minet
Nicole
Dec. 3
Fri.?
Oh Darlin i am in a place i dislike beyond words. My situation calls for me to convince a lot of intelligent important people of my desire to live and my capabilities to exist as a competent mother and human being.
im givin it all i got rite now. Sometimes i almost have to convince myself of some things before i can attempt to convince anyone else.
Strange Lady, Me.
Loves You
New Years Eve
Oh Baby Nicole Myself, my wife
. . . a card from a lady in Holland that was very beautiful-she said: "Trust Everybody. Love All the People."
God I'd like to be that strong.
In My last letter I told you that they are gonna shoot me Jan. 17 . . those 4.30 caliber slugs will release me.
And I will come to you-little white Bird.
I have 17 days.
I think of you all the time.
I think only of you.
Baby, I always knew you were a white bird, you're the little white bird that perched on my shoulder before we were both born again into this life and we made certain vows to each other then.
Jan. 1, 1977
Mornin My Love
Hey, How bout that, Gary, it's the new year! Happy New Year Love. Here is a little poem i wrote.
For lost is my mind
Silent by dawn
Loves away stolen
And hurting is Long
So ask me no questions
Sing me no songs
Follow me nowhere
im already gone
if ever i find a quiet moment i think there is a soft tune i would hear in my mind to go with it
Darlin. They just flipped my light, i Love you God how i Love You Gary.
Dream of me . . . i will be dreaming you into my dreams.
7
Father Meersman always felt that he'd come to offer his services to Gary Gilmore very, very honestly, not even having a consideration whether the condemned man was Catholic or not. It was just that Gilmore had said he wished to die with dignity and that impressed Father Meersman. He had gone over to visit him one night in early November and said he understood such a desire and would be willing to help him with it, if that accorded with Gilmore's own desire. Father Meersman had assisted at other executions, and knew something of the routine of it and the pitfalls, and as a result of this conversation, as Meersman saw it, they became good friends.
Gilmore didn't do too much sleeping at night and enjoyed a visit. The Chaplain would come in the evening after all visitors were gone and the prison had quieted down. Meersman was free to see the inmates at any time, but the place had to be run along the prison standards, and at Maximum Security, for instance, when it was time to eat, you wouldn't want to visit. The prison had to be occupied with one thing at a time. That was the way it ran. Since you certainly never wanted to interfere with the custody system, Meersman would drop in on Gary late.
They would talk about little things. One night, for example, Father Meersman, as was customary for him, was standing on one side of the bars out in the main corridor and Gilmore, on the other side, was leaning against the bars, when Father Meersman took out his Meerschaum pipe. Gary asked him what it was, and Father Meersman went into it and explained how as you smoked such a pipe, it gradually mellowed. Then, another night he brought a bunch of foreign coins along and Gary was very curious to look at them. He liked to learn things. He was very interested