“The Executioner’s Song” by Norman Mailer. I wouldn’t say it made me question my life decisions, but it stuck with me. I read it in 2011 and I can still vividly recall it. It’s narrative nonfiction, but I didn’t know it was nonfiction until I finished it, so that’s maybe why it made such an impression.
Anyway, I think of Gary Gilmore’s last words from time to time. He was the last man in the U.S. to be executed via firing squad. His last words were, “Let’s do this.” Something I learned years later is that the guy who coined Nike’s slogan was inspired by Gilmore’s last words. That part didn’t leave an impression on me, I just shared it because every time I mention the book someone shares that fact and I’m getting a little tired of it.
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“The Executioner’s Song” by Norman Mailer. I wouldn’t say it made me question my life decisions, but it stuck with me. I read it in 2011 and I can still vividly recall it. It’s narrative nonfiction, but I didn’t know it was nonfiction until I finished it, so that’s maybe why it made such an impression.
Anyway, I think of Gary Gilmore’s last words from time to time. He was the last man in the U.S. to be executed via firing squad. His last words were, “Let’s do this.” Something I learned years later is that the guy who coined Nike’s slogan was inspired by Gilmore’s last words. That part didn’t leave an impression on me, I just shared it because every time I mention the book someone shares that fact and I’m getting a little tired of it.