“A Meal to Die For” is a short story by Professor Robert Johnson examining capital punishment through the eyes of a man approaching his execution. The story is part of The Crying Wall and Other Prison Stories, a larger collection of short stories by a variety of authors. In ​“A Meal to Die For,” Johnson weaves the death row prisoner’s last meal with the gradual process of lethal injection, resulting in a painful death.

Robert Johnson is a Professor of Justice, Law and Society at American University in Washington, D.C. He has published several social science books, including Death Work: A Study of the Modern Execution Process, which received the Outstanding Book Award of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. He has also produced a growing body of creative writing. (The Crying Wall and Other Prison Stories, Infinity Publishing Company in association with WilloTrees Press, 2005). See Books and Executions.

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