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5.5.15: Death Penalty Support On The Decline, Graphic History Of The Civil War, & Grammar Shame

m01229 via flickr Creative Commons
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flic.kr/p/dTC9q5

Last week, the New Hampshire supreme court unanimously upheld the death sentence for Michael Addison, who was convicted in the slaying of a Manchester police officer. On today’s show we’ll look at the bipartisan politics of the death penalty, and why fewer Americans – both Democrat and Republican – support it.

Plus, nearly 60,000 books have covered the Civil War that ended 150 years ago this month. We’ll speak to an illustrator about his new graphic novel that goes for a human-scale history from the ground up.

Listen to the full show:

Opposition to the Death Penalty is Increasing Across Party Lines

While the death penalty has long been a polarizing issue, an increasing number of Americans – both Democrat and Republican – are against the death penalty. Gregory Ferenstein wrote about the increasingly bi-partisan nature of opposition to the death penalty for Pacific Standard: "Both Parties Are Over the Death Penalty"

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Opposition to the Death Penalty is Increasing Across Party Lines

StoryCorps: Mary Johnson & Oshea Israel

As a teenager, Oshea Israel was involved with gangs and drugs – and one night at a party he got into a fight with a boy and killed him. Having finished his prison sentence for murder, Oshea is now in his thirties. He spoke to StoryCorps alongside Mary Johnson, the mother of the boy that he killed years ago.

You can listen to this story again at PRX.org

The Invisible Art of Comics

Scott McCloudis the author of Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. First published in 1993, it is one of the seminal volumes for comic book writers and a fascinating guide for anyone interested in the creative process.

Scott's latest graphic novel is called: The Sculptor.

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The Invisible Art of Comics

A Graphic History of the Civil War

Author and illustrator Jonathan Fetter-Vormjoined forces with historian Ari Kelman to tell the story of a war that transformed the nation. Jonathan joined us to talk about his new book: Battle Lines: A Graphic History of The Civil War.

Related: Graphic Novel Illustrates the Birth of the Bomb

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A Graphic History of the Civil War

Credit Courtesy of Jonathan Fetter-Vorm / fetter-vorm.com/battlelines/
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fetter-vorm.com/battlelines/
Credit Courtesy of Jonathan Fetter-Vorm / fetter-vorm.com/battlelines/
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fetter-vorm.com/battlelines/
A Writer Makes the Case Against Grammar Shaming

Andrew Heisel is a writer who knows his grammar, but is not ashamed to admit he still makes mistakes. He wanted to find out why, and wrote for TheWashington Post about why out brains make us write not so good. "Stop Shaming People on the Internet for Grammar Mistakes. Its Not There Fault"

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A Writer Makes the Case Against Grammar Shaming

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