That Bird Has My Wings

That Bird Has My Wings is the astounding memoir of death row inmate Jarvis Jay Masters and a testament to the tenacity of the human spirit. In turns poignant, frightening, funny, and uplifting, Masters recounts his nightmarish childhood, life of crime and imprisonment, and eventual embrace of Buddhism. Masters has written this remarkable book as a cautionary tale for anyone who might be tempted to follow in his footsteps, and as a plea for understanding from a world that too often ignores the plight of the forgotten members of society. That Bird Has My Wings reminds us all that freedom and opportunity are not to be taken for granted and that no matter what their race, religion, or neighborhood, every child matters. An inmate at San Quentin since he was 19, Jarvis Jay Masters was moved to death row in 1990 for alleged participation in the killing of a prison guard. Masters was converted to Buddhism several years later and has inspired the interest of leaders in the American Buddhist community. He is the author of the book Finding Freedom, along with many newspaper and magazine articles. In 1992, Masters won a PEN Award for his poem, “Recipe for Prison Pruno.” Based on the lack of substantial evidence for Masters’s participation in the murder, in April 2008 the California Supreme Court ordered an evidentiary hearing. “… Masters’s truth has brought him reconciliation with the divine and with his best self. His memoir is a plea for reform, for a common humanity, and I share his hope that this moving story will redouble our efforts to make sure that every child matters. — Desmond Tutu