I saw Jodi Picoult!

Thank you to one of my sister's co-worker's hiking to Boders this morning for a "signing ticket" we were able to see Jodi - and get our books signed in record time! It was standing room only. She as amazing in person as I hoped - quite funny, obviously articulate and the audience was rapt. She is on a tour promoting her new book...



The book deals with religion, death row, the death penalty - all very interesting to me personally. I started studying the death penalty in college which parlayed into a serial killer "hobby" of sorts. Yes, I have a shirt with Charles Manson on it, I would never wear in public, but still. A library full of books about Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy - etc, etc...I even have tape cassettes of Bundy on Focus on the Family with James Dobson talking about how pornography shaped his murderous ways.

Jodi joked about the "division of church and State" being a fallacy. Working in corrections, I couldn't agree more. I try not to talk religion to people but I believe in God and it slips out occasionally when offenders reference Alcoholic Anonymous or are struggling with a death in their family. One of my clients was choked up over the death of his mother this week, we talked about his beliefs about afterlife - he and I have worked together for 10 years, so I knew his mom. Religion and the need for faith offers many people comfort, so it's a natural connection. On my drive home I was thinking the death penalty, in my mind, is absolutely tied to Christianity - BUT, does it support for or against? I mean, the bible references Eye for an Eye but also though shalt not kill - the ultimate contradiction. Food for thought. What do you think? Nevermind, that's a heavy question. I learned in college that crime actually heightens in the area of the institution immediately after an execution - wow, people getting excited? People are hardly thinking about getting the needle when they are amidst a crime of passion - which murder often is. I hope this topic doesn't offend anyone - I have strong feelings about the subject on both sides of the fence but when all is said and done, I think I am ultimately opposed to capital punishment. It may be inhumane, but it's certainly freaking expensive. I believe it is cheaper to keep criminals alive in prison than to run the gamet of appeals. OMG, I had better not get started on prisons:)

Anyways, Jodi Picoult rocked. Clearly things she said resonated with me, and got my mind racing. She signed my book and the most intelligent thing I could think of to say to my literary idol was "you're awesome". Thank gosh I was merely a smudge in the crowd - so I am pretty sure she won't reflect about the idiot who called her awesome. Right? I am actually in that picture too but gosh, where did those gray roots some from? I think they sprang forth during the question and answer session. And I was in the middle of my stupid comment, nice face. Ah, the anonymity of the internet - whew:)

Thank you sister for lasso-ing your co-worker into getting us tickets and for enoying a great meal filled with high speed banter beforehand. Nothing like an impromptu girl's night with Jodi Picoult as the cherry on top.