Living Justice: Love, Freedom, and the Making of The Exonerated - Softcover

"[A] tale of courage and compassion that changed the face of criminal justice in America." -- Mike Farrell, actor, president of Death Penalty Focus "Erik and Jessica's journey shows the power of the passionate, inquiring mind." -- Lynn Redgrave "A compelling look at the intersection of art and real-life drama." -- Marlo Thomas "Don't read this unless you're prepared to be saddened, encouraged, and changed." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred)

A love story. An artistic journey. A matter of life and death... In 2000, Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen embarked on a tour across America -- one that would give them a glimpse of the darker side of the justice system and, at the same time, reveal to them just how resilient the human spirit can be. They were a pair of young actors from New York who wanted to learn more about our country's exonerated -- men and women who had been sentenced to die for crimes they didn't commit, who spent anywhere from two to twenty-two years on death row, and who were freed amidst overwhelming evidence of their innocence. The result of their journey was The Exonerated, New York Times number one play of 2002, which was embraced by such acting luminaries as Ossie Davis, Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Glover, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, and Robin Williams. Living Justice is Jessica and Erik's fascinating, behind-the-scenes account of the creation of their play. A tale of artistic expression and political awakening, innocence lost and wisdom won, this is above all a story about two people who fall in love while pursuing their passion and learn -- through the stories of the exonerated -- what freedom truly means.