July 31, 2013
Dear Readers~
My brother, William, posthumously won second place for fiction in Pen America Center's 2013 Prison Writing Contest for his story "Death by Dominoes" It is here in its entirety for you to read...
Click on the link below for the entire post.
http://www.pen.org/fiction/death-dominoes
I am immensely proud of his accomplishments while on this earth plane and feel he is aware of this award.
Lisa
My brother, William Van Poyck, is no longer on death row for a murder he did not commit. While the state of Florida executed him on June 12, 2013, his Spirit was set free to soar to a higher place in Peace. Thanks to the many followers of Bill's blog. He was deeply humbled by and cherished each letter he received from people all over the world thanking him for his messages of Love and Hope. Farewell, my brother, until we meet on the other side.
Translate
Petition to get Bill off Death Row
Petition to get Bill off Death Row
ACheckered Past
A Checkered Past
The Third Pillar of Wisdom
The Third Pillar of Wisdom
Quietus
Quietus
About Me
- William Van Poyck
- For the past 26 years I've been confined on death row for a murder I did not commit. My mailing address is William Van Poyck #034071-Florida State Prison-7819 NW 228th St-Raiford FL 32026-1160. My 3 books, Quietus, The Third Pillar of Wisdom, and A Checkered Past are now e-books (as well as paperback) and can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. If you don't have an E-Reader like Kindle or Nook, you can download a portion of them directly to your computer and read them there.
8 comments:
Your brother was such an awesome guy. He would have deserved to be released from prison. I think that he was the last person on death row in the USA who should have been executed and it makes me so incredibly sad that they did this. But I think that all those who knew him and the people who read what he wrote, will never forget him.
I've read Death by Dominoes (on MB6), and everything of his that I've been able to locate, except Quietus, which I haven't had the time for yet. I think of what he might have been, what he could have contributed to the world if he'd had just one stroke of luck somewhere along the way. As it is, he's been an inspiration for me, in my own writing.
I sent you an email sometime back about the ownership of one of his books, and you very kindly answered. If you don't mind, I'd like to write to you again, about that inspiration.
Lisa,
Much love and peace to You, to Bill, and to your family.
Bills book "a checkered past" is certain to help many who see themselves in his words and story.
I was deeply touched and very sad to hear he had died. His writing is beautiful. I thank you for sharing his story.
May his voice help change the Prison system to help people who have not had a chance.
you are all in my thoughts.
Johanna
Thoughts are with you ♥ i watched your brothers documentary on id about "i almost got away with it" and to hear him talking about it all was just mind blowing! Very very respectable man i had a read at his book and i have to say the words in it are so perfectly written and like he says he wants to show anyone or any kids that pick up this book to realise and make a choice of what they want in life. That i find inspirational he seems such a smart man and i respect that and respect him and yourself you were there for him and i cant imagine what it must have been like i can only imagine it was very sad but very precious as he said in his last words " set me free" hes a free spirit now and he will be remembered for the rest of our lifes. I hope you have a comfort in knowing he was a great man an my thoughts are with you an your family and also bill r.i.p ♥
Nikkita
I stumbled across Bill's blog by accident whilst researching prison and how restriction affects us.
If we put aside Bill's guilt or innocence and read his words impartially, we find that despite his many years in prison and ultimate fate looming, he manages to retain a balanced narrative that, when I question myself I wonder if I could retain such clarity of thought and relative impartiality.
Bill takes us on a journey into a world closed to the vast majority of us, a world where, in many cases, like Dante's Inferno, all who enter abandon hope.
He reflects on reading other criminal cases and the death penalty, and here I quote his words;
"As I read the transcript - much screaming, yelling, praying, begging - and visualized the scene, it just became too much for me and I broke down, crying, then hurdled the book across my cell, cursing the person who did that horrible thing, and cursing a God who allowed it to happen. That incident is still indelibly burned into my mind. It's soul-searching cases like that which really challenge your opposition to the death penalty..."
Bill also looks at the morality of 'An eye for and eye' that could render the world blind, and questions the almost tribal nature of trying to appease the god of revenge...
In short, Bill provides access to prison life and the moral maze that it, and, what Citizenship means in the 21st Century.
Whilst the writings of prisoners will never atone for criminal activity (assuming committed), it does hold a mirror up to society and pose questions that we can all reflect upon and hopefully evolve to improve society, perhaps having the political will to recognise and give support before people turn to crime. We will never eradicate crime but we may make a better world to share with each other, after all its the only one we have.....
Wow !!!!! "death by dominoes' unbelievable. Bill is like a literary Picasso, paints this vivid, kinda strange picture of his world. Beautifully written and his choice of words make his story dance off the screen so you can get a mental snapshot of his world. This makes me so sad, that this amazingly talented gifted man is no longer on earth to share his decadent stories with us. What a waste, bittersweet filled with whatif's. Lisa you should be so proud of your wonderful brother, thanks for sharing his heavenly gift of words and know that it has profoundly affected me. Love and peace Niamh from Ireland
I have just seen '' I almost got away with this'' I was waiting to hear that hear that he was released. So after the show I decided to google the case. As I sit here hours after the show, I feel sadden that he was murdered. May he continue to rest in peace
Hi Lisa,
I am artist whose project focuses on the death penalty. I was wondering how I could contact you (email). I am terribly sorry for your loss.
Thank you.
Jennifer Lugris
www.jenniferlugris.com
Post a Comment