Huntsville, TX
Print / Experiential
Oral histories are an audio recording of an interview that may concern personal experience, important events, everyday life, etc. Huntsville, TX covers the minute-by-minute story about executing a prisoner in Huntsville, TX, led by Warden Jim Willet. This book is designed to share and explore this conversation while deviating from the traditional book structure in a meaningful way through the use of multiple page sizes. This topic is one that is widely debated, not just in Texas. It is also a topic that fellow Texans should know more about and is what this project achieves. Huntsville, TX highlights 40 inmates who were executed in the year 2000. This year was chosen because it was the year that most prisoners were executed in Texas history. Each inmate's information about their crime, along with their last words is also included next to their general info. All of this information is provided to give the Texan reader a small starting amount of information about the execution process, so they can truly back up whatever they believe about the process topic.
Huntsville, TX also comes in a book format that begins with a preface covering why so many inmates were executed in the year 2000 and how many other Texans favor the death penalty. The book then is led by Warden Jim Willett who walks you through the last 20 minutes of an inmates life along with his crew. They state all the facts along with some of their own personal observations. Throughout the book, where a pull quote is located, you can also find inmates information. The book ends with an excerpt from a man who worked with the Warden but is speaking out for the first time since being unable to do this job anymore.
“It’s kind of hard to explain what you actually feel, you know? When you talk to a man and you kind of get to know that person. And then you walk him out of a cell and take him into the chamber and you tie him down. And then a few minutes later, he’s gone.”
“We’ve carried out a lot of executions here lately. And with all the debate about the Death Penalty I thought this might be a good time to let you hear exactly how we do these things. Sometimes I wonder whether people really understand what goes on down here, and the effect it has on us.”
