Dead Man Walking is a work of non-fiction by Sister Helen Prejean, a Roman Catholic nun and one of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Medaille. She has become a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. Her crusade began in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1981, through a correspondence she maintained with a convicted murderer, Patrick Sonnier, who was sentenced to death by electrocution. She visited Sonnier in prison and agreed to be his spiritual adviser in the months leading up to his death. The experience gave Prejean greater insight into the process involved in executions and she began speaking out against capital punishment. At the same time, she also founded Survive, an organization devoted to providing counselling to the families of victims of violence. Sister Helen Prejean Sister Helen Prejean CSJ (b. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Congregation of the Sisters of St. ... Elmo Patrick Sonnier (February 21, 1951 - April 5, 1984) was a convicted murderer and rapist who was executed by electrocution at Angola Penitentiary in Louisiana on April 5, 1984. ...

Adaptations

Film

Main article: Dead Man Walking (film)

In 1995 a film based on the book was made, starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. This article is about the film. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Susan Sarandon (born October 4, 1946) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an Academy Award-winning American film actor & director. ...

Opera

Main article: Dead Man Walking (opera)

It was also made into an opera with the same name, composed by Jake Heggie from a libretto by Terrence McNally which premiered at the San Francisco Opera in October 2000. The international premiere of the opera was in January 2006, at the Calgary Opera in Calgary, Canada. Dead Man Walking is the title of an opera by Jake Heggie, with a libretto (based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean) by Terrence McNally; it was premiered by San Francisco Opera on October 7, 2000, with Susan Graham as Sister Helen, John Packard as Joseph De Rocher, and... Dead Man Walking is the title of an opera by Jake Heggie, with a libretto (based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean) by Terrence McNally; it was premiered by San Francisco Opera on October 7, 2000, with Susan Graham as Sister Helen, John Packard as Joseph De Rocher, and... Jake Heggie is a American composer and pianist. ... Terrence McNally is an American playwright. ... San Francisco Opera (SFO) is the second largest opera company in North America. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... This article, image, template or category should belong in one or more categories. ... Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta, Canada. ...

Stage version of the book/film

Main article: Dead Man Walking (play)

In 2002, Tim Robbins wrote a stage version of Dead Man Walking. Instead of having it produced professionally, in 2004 he offered the play to schools and colleges throughout the United States, particularly Jesuit schools. ...

Reference

• Prejean, Helen (1993). Dead Man Walking. Random House. ISBN 0-679-75131-9 (paperback)

Sister Helen Prejean Sister Helen Prejean CSJ (b. ...

External links

• Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project
• Death Penalty Discourse Center
• Interview with Alan Moroney