The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer (Atty. Monique, LS and K.D.) Start: Monday, June 4, 2012

[Monique]

Happy Independence Day to you too, Kuya Doni! :)

Day 9: Part Two - Exclusive Rights

Wow, a double suicide attempt! And so synced that the two fools are supposed to die together! What a manipulative a**hole Gary is, and what a stupid girl Nicole is. Imagine, when Brenda asked Gary what would have happened to Nicole's kids, he simply said, "Oh someone would have taken care of them" or something to that effect. Friggin a**hole.

With such sensational goings-on, it is merely to be expected that the media vultures would sooner or later descend. And descend, they did! Susskind, Schiller, all the media people who want a bite out of the story of Gary and Nicole. I got utterly bored with all the negotiations and manipulations that went around, to be frank. Boaz decides he was suddenly anti-death penalty, and even entertains the idea of connubial visits between Nicole and Gary. Duh? And then Vern replaces Boaz, just like that. So many personalities taking a dip at the drama.

What seemed tremendously funny to me - or ironical, if there is such a word? - is that Gary went and tried to commit suicide, because he was supposed to die through execution anyway, but they revive him and then bring him back to Death Row. Geebs (Gibbs) had a good laugh at that, too. I mean, why would the state spend good money on Gary's recovery, only to send him back to Death Row, where the chances of him getting executed were quite high? Funny, and yet a stupid idea, too.

REACTIONS:

True, it's such a boring part!

LS: Don't worry about it. It can be a bit boring at parts, but then again, this is non-fic, so I guess we can expect that. :)

[K.D.]

Monique, you seemed to have missed or maybe I am over-thinking it that the reason why Gary took the drug that appeared as suicide was to make sure that Nicole would die first. It was a false suicide. He knew all along that he would not die. Ganoon sya ka possessive when it comes to Nicole, dapat maunang mamatay si Nicole. OMG.

Atty, I am so tamad. I knew I learned in our political science class the meaning of writ of mandamus and certiorari pero while reading this morning, I could not find my dictionary and so I got lost whenever I encountered these terms. Ayan, I should have bought a Kindle na talaga. :)

LS, okay lang. One man's garbage is another man's gold. Kanya-kanya lang taste talaga. :)

Day 10 - Book 2 - Part 3 - THE HUNGER STRIKE - Wednesday, 13-Jun-2012

Another quite uneventful part. I think the reason is that I am only interested to know what would happen to Gary and Nicole. However, Mailer is introducing so many characters that I am not interested with. Gary is on hunger strike. The United States Supreme Court (it went up to that na!) postponed the execution. Then money, big money, is now coming in because of all the stories the media are getting access too. Then there is Schiller, the movie guy, now meeting with Tamara (Nicole's friend) and they are now in collaboration.

Gary and Nicole are pictured in the press as Romeo and Juliet. Naisip ko bigla si Katniss at si Peeta when they were about to eat the poison sa THG.

Money, money, money. Vern is in the middle of it. Vern and Brenda are now having the time of their lives. Naisip ko, yong irony. Dati kahit battery ng car, walang pera si Gary. Ngayon naman, bumabaha. Even yong dalawang teenage girls who write him love letters gusto nyang bigyan ng $500 each.

ANTI-CLIMACTIC itong part na ito. Mailer has to make his denouement great. Otherwise, this book that was 4 stars by the midpoint will only have 3 stars from me.

But I am not giving up!!! 4 more days to go!!!

[Monique]

Day 10: Part Three - Hunger Strike

I remember reading about the article of a journalist named Farrell entitled "Merchandising Gary Gilmore's Dance with Death" or something to that effect (I forgot to bookmark it on my copy and it's going to take me forever to go back, so I'm sorry for the inaccuracy). I only mention the title now because when I read it, I thought it described this part of Gary's life perfectly. Gary going on hunger strike because he couldn't get on the phone with Nicole, and then the media vultures flying low around him. For a con man like Gary, the hunger strike could have been very well part of the whole act - the one that he's finally sold out to Schiller.

It's very nice again to learn something about the US criminal law: they have what they call the "Next Friend" petition, where someone can file suit on behalf of the real party in interest, like Gary in this case. A lawyer named Amsterdam had filed a Next Friend petition before the US Supreme Court in order to stay Gary's execution, and fortunately gets a stay.

I mention this fact because we don't have an exact same petition here. Always, a suit should be brought by the real party in interest, or if someone should file it on his behalf, he should be equipped with the necessary power of attorney. :)

I don't think Gary really, truly wants to die. I remember reading something about his mother Bessie as not among the original people who were supposed to receive money from Vern, but when she managed to find Amsterdam and, through Mikal, was able to get a stay on Gary's execution, she was suddenly entitled to get some money - and hand-delivered by Vern and Ida, too.

Someone should talk some sense into Nicole. That girl is absolutely wrecked.

REACTIONS:

I didn't fully realize until you pointed it out, but yes, Gary's suicide was a farce, calculated to ensure that he will live through it. More hate points for Gary there.

MANDAMUS - a writ to compel the performance of a duty. For example, if a judge is required to order the enforcement of a certain act, but he refuses to do it for some reason, then the party concerned can file a petition for mandamus to compel the judge to enforce that act which he is under duty to do.

CERTIORARI - A writ that nullifies and/or voids the act of a lower court or other tribunal upon finding that it was rendered with what is called "grave abuse of discretion." For example, if a decision of the court of appeals was found to have been wrongly issued, or that it was made with "grave abuse of discretion", then the Supreme Court can issue a writ of certiorari to nullify it.

I won't go into a lecture about these lgal jargon Kuya - this is just to give you an idea of what these writs are.

Last four days! I wonder where the dramatic part is? :)

[K.D.]

Monique, oh yes, I remember reading about the Next Friend option and I thought I would like to capture than in my thoughts here but I missed it. Thanks for bringing it up.

Day 11 - Book 2 - Part 4 - THE HOLIDAY SEASON - Thursday, 14-Jun-2012

Thanks also for explaining the Writs of Mandamus and Certiorari. So, yong Writ of Mandamus happens now in today's part of the book when the judge re-issues the verdict of guilty. This is after the judge convenes the jury and explains to them that they did not do their job (of being the jury) in the initial conviction. Because of Gary's popularity and the continues imposition of the Stay, the jury members are now having doubts of whether they did their job right.

Also, Gary has now an estate! Rich na sya! So, even the families of the two victims are now going after his money. Gibbs in this part is becoming greedy. He spends the money he is given mindlessly; he checks in an expensive hotel, stones himself, gets booze and drugs, etc. Kakatawa lang yong nagluluto ng food nya.

I read about this 2-part written interview to Gilmore by the movie outfit. The first part is very revealing but he complained that they are hard to answer. Last night, I read the next part and he refused to answer questions related to Nicole.

Then for the 3rd (?) time, the execution is again on.

The false teeth of Gary. In the earlier part of the book, Nicole says that guys or girls (probably) who wear false teeth put their tongue in your mouth but they don't want their partners to do the same to them. Then there is a part in the middle na Gary is throwing himself around and he rejects all the false teeth that is being done for him. Then in this part of the book, when Gary ends his hunger strike (23 days?), a man observes that his false teeth become obvious and seems to be misplaced in his mouth as he struggles to speak properly.

Then when Gibbs had an accident, his false teeth was broken. Kakatuwa lang. All about false teeth. Napag-dugtung-dugtung ko na.

Nicole is back in the nut house! But she still writes to Gary. Gary commits another suicide. So, I am not sure if he really wants to die ba talaga or hindi? There is a sort of an analysis in the newspaper analysing the answers Gary said in an interview saying that Gary lied: he did not want to die. Then after this was the second suicide.

Sorry, I am rambling in my thoughts. My daughter had an accident during her PE class yesterday morning. Fractured small bone at the back of the knee. So, when my wife and I picked her up yesterday, she was on a wheelchair. We brought her to St. Luke's QC and I stayed outside the ER from 7:30-11pm. I was able to finish this part of the book plus halfway of today's Part 5. hak hak. Sabi ko nga kay Dra. Ranee (when she went out from the operating room at around 10:30pm), naku, naga-advance na ako, baka masita ako ni Monique hak hak.

[Monique]

Day 11: Part Four - The Holiday Season

This time, it IS for real: Gary's attempt to commit suicide was made because of the continued stays on his execution. Again, isn't this the weirdest, funniest thing? A convict insists that he has to be executed, and when the execution is stayed, he attempts to commit suicide. And then he is brought to the hospital, of course, and then when he recovers, he is brought back to Maximum Security and to Death Row. Ironic, in the truest sense of the word.

The questions put forth to Gary by Schiller are quite informative despite his refusal to answer a few. When he was asked why he killed Jensen and Bushnell, he merely replied: “Because I didn't want to kill Nicole.” How twisted can he get?

Gibbs is, truly, the lowest of all creatures. But can anyone expect better from someone like him? What a snitch.

I wonder what Gary meant by what he wrote on the notebook that was given to Nicole: “I mean I wouldn't mind reading a book about Christ the man, Christ the jew, Christ the messiah, but not Christ the Christian.”

REACTIONS:

Gary commits another suicide. So, I am not sure if he really wants to die ba talaga or hindi?

Ang gulo talaga ng isip ni Gary. He is so complicated. I don't know if it's the result of his having a high IQ, but sometimes he tends to act too oddly. One thing is clear though: he is SANE.

Haha! Di naman po kita sisitahin, OK lang mag-advance basta daily tayo mag-share ng notes dito. ;) Hi to Dr. Ranee! :) And how's Jillian? I hope she's better. Naku, I experienced torn ligaments on my left foot when I was in college, I was in a cast for 6 weeks and gained SO much weight, kasi lagi akong nakaupo o nakahiga. Haha! Godspeed to Jillian and hoping for a speedy recovery. :)

[K.D.]

"but not Christ the Christian.” --> Christians, being believers of Christ. I think what he means is that Christ obviously believes in himself so he does not want to read about that anymore. Also, it does not exist since Christ did not write anything. The Bible was written not by him but those who believed in him. Well, this is just may interpretation.

I was just kidding when I commented about that with Ranee. Sobra lang kasing tagal yong waiting time doon sa ER and when I finished Part 4 (the scheduled chapter that day), I checked what other books I had inside my bag and saw the Mina V. Esguerra book but I read it already. So, I did not have any other option but to start reading Part 5 hak hak.

Jillian is recuperating at home. The x-ray result that was released yesterday indicated that she did not have any fracture doon sa area na inex-ray. Kaso, we cannot understand why the pain. She still cannot use her right leg so she has to use a crutch. My wife will bring her to the ortho today. Thanks for asking.

Day 12 - Book 2 - Part 5 - PRESSURES - Friday, 15-Jun-2012

The execution seems to be on again. However, Mikal (the youngest brother of Gary) is trying to get a Stay. Gary has told his mother not to do anything anymore. Mikal is writing a story for Rolling Stones and his conversation with Gary is the best scene in the part of the book. Where were you when I needed you? Gary asked. Mikal who was driven by a Rolls Royce, courtesy of Schiller (the Hollywood mogul who is throwing money to get as many information as possible about Gary).

"Are you familiar with Nietzche?" asks Gary to Mikal. I remember Googling about Nietzche when I was reading Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being but I cannot connect the situation to what Gary wants to point out to Mikal.

I also wonder, where is Frank, Jr? (the oldest brother of Gary and Mikal) in all these. I know Gaylen is dead. But where is Frank, Jr. Di ba buhay pa sya?

Brenda is sick. Karma? The skin in her uterus are falling off and then it settles on the surface and it becomes a cyst. Oh God. Reminds me of my sister who had to give off her ovaries. Parang ang painful.

I love the poem of Nicole in the start of Chapter 27.

No matter where I walk
ill walk alone
Till again im by your side

My God, kahit sintu-sinto, mahusay pa ring gumawa ng poem.

The part ends where Gary sends the list of the people he'd like to witness his death:(1) Nicole; (2) Vern; (3)Stanger (who is this guy?); (4) Moody; (5) Schiller. No Brenda and Mikal. Even if he cried reading Mikal's letter.

This is now becoming good again. Now that the execution is imminent, the book emotional impact is back! IT'S BACK!!!

Hurray! Two days to go and we're done! :)

[Monique]

Day 12: Part Five - Pressures

To be honest, this second half of the book wasn't exactly about Gary, but more about the media people who all want a part of the story. And these last chapters bored me silly. :(

But anyway. Schiller and his minions are trying to squeeze everything out of Gary in the interviews they are conducting, but get frustrated because no matter how they manipulate Gary into opening up, it's all futile. Gary doesn't appear to be deliberately skirting the questions; he just thought that there were things that were much too personal to be divulged.

Again, something he said struck me seriously, and this was when he talked about how killing people cannot be considered prolonged torture:

“Well, you could alter somebody's life so that the quality it wouldn't be what it could have been. I mean, you could torture 'em, you could blind 'em, you could maim 'em, you could cripple 'em, you could fuck 'em up so badly that their life would be a misery for the rest of it. And for me, that's worse than killing somebody. Like, if you kill somebody, it's over for them. I- I believe in karma and reincarnation and stuff like that, and if you kill somebody, it could be that you just assume their karmic debts, thereby you might be relieving them of a debt. But I think to make somebody go on living in a lessened state of existence, I think that could be worse than killing 'em."

Kuya, I have two questions for you:

1. Do you think that with that statement, Gary is playing god, and in turn, by executing Gary, the State of Utah and everyone else who believes in the death penalty are also playing god?

2. What is your personal take on the death penalty? Why?

REACTIONS:

Thanks for your input po. I think that makes perfect sense.

I must agree that the highlight of this chapter was Gary and Mikal somehow coming to terms with each other. Yes, it was touching how Gary appreciated Mikal's efforts to get a stay on his execution.

Stanger is one f the two lawyers working with Schiller. He works with Moody in interviewing Gary.

Time to whip out the tissues? :)

[K.D.]

Right. The book is not supposed to be about Gary anyway, it's a chronicle of the events that led to his death. I haven't Googled this book yet because I want to minimize spoilers. I am expecting that there is a long entry on the real Gary Mark Gilmore there plus the history of death penalty in Utah, in the US and other parts of the world.

Part 5, overall, was no longer boring for me. The emotion (of knowing that Gary will die soon) is back. Especially, you are right to point it out, this brotherly love between Gary and Mikal. Oh, maybe because I am close to my kuyas especially our eldest, the lawyer in Kamias. He is the oldest and I am the youngest so he treats me still like a baby hak hak. All of them actually call me a different nickname, actually a petname, that he (the eldest brother) baptized me. Okay lang kasi masarap ang bunso, pedeng mangutang anytime hak hak.

Anyway, I just wanted to laugh (in my mind) a little before typing my comment for Part 6.

Day 13 - Book 2 - Part 6 - INTO THE LIGHT - Saturday, 16-Jun-2012

Because this part is the SADDEST part and it almost kept me awake the whole of last night. I could not stop reading. GARY IS DEAD. Two last-day, last-minute attempts to get a Stay did not work out. Then there was a phone call right before the execution. So, hanggang sa dulo, I thought there would be another Stay and it would prolong the story. Mailer is a real tease. That's the reason why I could not stop reading. Tuloy ba o hindi?

Then when it finally came, the descriptions in the book are very vivid. The 4 men with them and their reactions are gripping and unbelievable. The writing in this part is what I was expecting when I called for a reading buddies for this book. Very good writing. At least for this part. The shifts of the POV is clear and it is like listening to their thoughts. Imagine the effort that Mailer put in writing this book. The many people that he interviewed and the many periodicals, books and newsclips he reviewed.

I did not cry though. I remember crying (a bit) in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. More on amazed ako sa writing but sad rin for Gary. Gary died because of his belief that he would be reincarnated. He talked about leaving this planet prior to his execution. He believed on reincarnation. He would like to see Nicole again and take care of her. So, just like many great literature, this is actually a story of love. A true and real love that borders obsession and lunacy. Pero love yon eh, so who are we to judge it? judge them?

And there are many quotable quotes in this part but these ones are my favorite: WHY DO WE KILL PEOPLE WHO KILL PEOPLE TO SHOW THAT KILLING PEOPLE IS WRONG?" (from the previous part) and LOOK AT OURSELVES. WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED (from this part).

Those should answer your first question, Monique. But prior to this book and prior to Capote's In Cold Blood? I did not care. When they executed (lethal injection) Echagaray (my kapitbahay here in San Antonio SFDM)? Pakialam ko. Nang-rape daw ng anak eh. Siguro dapat nga mamatay sya. I told myself.

But now, my answer is no. Like one of the 4 who were in the room? We should look into our penal laws. (prison laws). Pero alam ko, kinder naman yata tayo. Although pangit ang facilities natin compared sa US (even in the 70s).

May insinuation na may gayness si Gary. May revealing page dito sa part na ito hak hak. Itong si Mailer, pilyo, may intriga pa, papatayin na nga. Si Mikal pati, hinalikan nya sa lips bago sila maghiwalay. Siguro ganoon talaga ang matagal na prisoner, nagkakaroon ng tendency hak hak.

ANSWERS.
1) Gary believes in reincanation. Thus dying is escaping the prison. Dying is the only option for him to be free. The State of Utah made a mistake. Marami namang batas na basta lang naisip at naging bandwagon effect na di pinagisipan. I have to Google this tomorrow after reading the book.

2) Anti. God gives us life. Only God can take it away. Mercy killing is different because there is mercy and mercy comes from God.

Yes, I know that Stanger is one of the lawyers pero yesterday di ko pa alam bakit sya pinili. Bakit dalawa ang lawyer.

Alam mo, dito sa part 6, nabago ang perception ko kay Schiller.

One last part. Tomorrow is the end of this book. Yay!!!

[Monique]

Day 13: Part Six - Into The Light

The last-ditch, eleventh-hour efforts to get a stay on Gary's execution was nothing but desperate. Imagine, a taxpayers' suit? But, if this had happened in the present time, the suit, I think, would have prospered. So many suits are now brought under that guise, making a mockery of the requirement of legal standing. In the Philippines, the most popular taxpayers' suit to ever prosper is the case of Oposa v. Factoran which was on the environment. :)

Gary's death was quiet, and I felt that it was only at that specific point when he truly, finally surrendered. Remember that, the eve of his execution, during the gathering with Gary and his close relations, he attempted to bribe Ron Stanger and Bob Moody to leave their clothes for him - Gary was planning an escape. It was only at this time that I understood him: he wanted to die only because he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison, but if he had the slightest opportunity to get out, he'd take it.

I had fun reading about the US legal system and/or hierarchy of courts, especially about the part when the Attorney General of Utah FLEW all the way to Denver to seek the reversal of Judge Ritter's TRO. I attended a seminar recently and the guest speaker was from the benefactor of the project, an American guy who mentioned that rarely does a case reach the US Supreme Court - they all have to pass through the Circuit Courts first. I will have to Google that when we're done with the book.

REACTIONS:

Oh I didn't cry either. Maybe because I already knew what would happen anyway, and because the straightforward, reportorial writing did not move me that much. But I will concede that it was sad reading it all the same.

I also like the second quote you mentioned, the one from Vern. That was very touching.

As for me, I was still a teenager when Echegaray was executed, and I was torn between being pro- or anti-death penalty. I always say, where is the justice if you will not execute a person who has killed someone or raped his own child? You know, an eye for an eye. It is so easy to be sympathetic towards the convict kasi kapag nasentensyahan na, lahat yan nagiging mukhang kaawa-awa. But think about their victims, too, and the families of their victims, much like Max Jensen's young wife and baby daughter, and Benny Bushnell's pregnant wife in Gary's case. Nananahimik lang naman sila, pero bakit ganun ang nangyari?

But I do agree that no one is justified from taking another's life. I am happy with our penal laws when Congress lifted the death penalty and instead, made life imprisonment/reclusion perpetua the maximum penalty in our country.

Oh, I didn't catch the homosexual tendencies that you spoke of. Hehe. Mahina ako sa ganyan, haha!

What was your initial perception of Schiller? And, I think Gary included Stanger in the list of witnesses because he trusts him completely, and perhaps because he had already been contemplating on making an escape, and he thought that either Stanger or Moody can help him. Di ba Gary approached both of them?

One last day, hurrah for us! :)

[K.D.]

Happy Fathers' Day to your dad and your hubby, Monique!

Done reading this morning. Went to this computer right after. Still no tears. Even if I listen to my classic tune that sometimes moves me to tears hak hak.

Oh yeah. We knew all along that Gary would be executed. So, we got spoiled by the blurbs or by me (in your case). Wish we were not. I could have been a different experience. The book is long and well-researched and all but it is not literary. Its being true-to-life (non-fiction) I think constrained Mailer to write freely. Oh well, this is my first book by him so I have no idea if he can write a literary piece like Truman Capote.

There is a whole paragraph and some short ones regarding that gayness. It is an excerpt of a letter or response to an interview with Gary speaking or narrating. He used to watch a pretty boy in the pool and he admired his butt and he said that they kissed many times, etc. I cannot recall everything (too tired to open the book to look for it). Kaya kahit ka mahina, madadaanan mo yon hak hak. Unless nakakatulog ka na hak hak.

My original perception of Schiller? User. Businessman. Then on the last two parts (yesterday's and today's), it changed. Even in Mailer's acknowledgement in the end, very prominent si Schiller. Di ko alam kung nasambot ni Schiller ang investments nya rito sa Gilmore execution.

Day 14 - Book 2 - Part 7 - THE FADING OF THE HEART - Sunday, 17-Jun-2012

Nice recap. The 4 men (Schiller, Vern, Moody, Spangler) rode the helicopter and spread Gary's dust. Nicole leaves the nuthouse and brought to a beach house for interview with Schiller. Quite revealing. Then she settles in California and later in Idaho with her kids. Then when she starts having sex even with a hitchhiker, she feels that Gary starts to leave her. The most striking part is that Vern forgets about his knee operation since he has now more problems that when Gary is with him trying to work after he gets out from prison. Nakakaawa rin ang mga tao rito.

What else is there to say? Nakaraos din tayo. I think I will read more reviews here and Google the real events before typing my review. For the meantime, I will go out with my wife and daughter and celebrate Father's Day. Simba muna. O baka take-out na ang at dito sa bahay kumain hak hak.

FINIS

Question ko: So, alin ang song ng executioner? Yong Amazing Grace (eh request nya yon) o yong LA PALOMA BLANCA (yong tinutugtog sa radio noong dead man walking sya) o yong 2 songs na ni-request nila sa radio na di ko alam? O yong poem ni Mailer sa start at end ng book?

Thanks, Atty. Monique. There could never be a better book buddy for this type of book other than you. Ikaw na ang nag-explain ng Next Friend, Certiorari at Mandamus sa akin hak hak. Till our next buddy book. Ay, magco-comment ka pa pala at magco-comment pa ako hak hak.

[Monique]

Kung kailan tayo nag-last day, saka pa ako nag-miss. Haha! Sorry naman po. We had a busy day yesterday (Belated Happy Father's Day, Kuya, and thank you for the greetings! My hubby says thanks, and I will be sure to send a prayer to my dad in heaven ;) ) and I wasn't able to finish reading it. Anyways, here are my thoughts:

Day 14: Part Seven - The Fading of the Heart

Dominus vobiscum. Gary's last words. I was reminded of Christmas masses when I was a child, when the priest would sing Dominus vobiscum - translated as "The Lord be with you" - and then the people would sing the response, in return. For some reason, reading about them as a convict's last words gave me goosebumps.

So Gary dies as scheduled. The part where he was seated, a sack was put over his head, and the signal was given to the firing squad was sort of morose for him. I imagined it clearly in my head, and I felt really sad. So many lives wasted. But, I didn't cry.

These chapters were sort of a wrapping-up/winding-down of the story. Gary's ashes were scattered, and that was morose, too.

REACTIONS:

Ah yes, I think I glossed over that part about the boy in the pool. Tama ka Kuya, inaantok na ako nito. Haha! :D

Question ko: So, alin ang song ng executioner? Yong Amazing Grace (eh request nya yon) o yong LA PALOMA BLANCA (yong tinutugtog sa radio noong dead man walking sya) o yong 2 songs na ni-request nila sa radio na di ko alam? O yong poem ni Mailer sa start at end ng book?

I think they all qualify, pero ang nag-stick sa akin yung LA PALOMA BLANCA kasi napaka-eerie ng dating nung lyrics, tapos pinapatugtog pa siya on the eve of the execution.

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FINIS! Thanks, Kuya Doni, for a very enlightening buddy read. Explaining the Next Friend, Certiorari and Mandamus petitions was a pleasure. It means I can still recall what I studied in law school. Haha! Til the next one! :)