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Ty Treadwell and Michelle Vernon
 Written by Ty Treadwell and Michelle Vernon, Last Suppers, Famous Final Meals from Death Row is more than just a book about the last meals of executed criminals, it's also a prison primer and a death penalty information guide with loads of interesting and little-known trivia. As sharp and straight forward as a handmade shiv, this book plunges through the hype surrounding the death penalty and gets right to the heart of the matter. While the last meal menus are the main course of the book, they're garnished with fun prison facts and a heaping side dish of information about the history of the death penalty and of the last meal tradition itself. The fact that the information is presented with a devilish and irreverent sense of humor makes the material easier to swallow, and even the most gluttonous reader will leave the table full after flipping the last page of the book. So, tie on a bib, grab your knife and fork and dive into this feast of felonious frivolity – just save room for dessert!
Recently, Loompanics editor Gia Cosindas caught up with Ty and Michelle and asked them a few questions.
LU – Most people think of the death penalty as a dark subject. Why did you write this book?
Michelle – Back in 1996 a friend and fellow true crime reader called me after a few local executions to discuss the condemned's last meal choices. It stimulated lengthy conversations each time, ranging from discussions about the crimes, to food choices, to feelings about capital punishment in general. It was dark, yet interesting and I believed others might find it interesting as well. I have heard from many readers of Last Suppers that the book has indeed stimulated many interesting and quite animated conversations. Ty was the perfect partner for the project. Aside from being unbelievably funny, he is a great writer. Plus, when I first met Ty he actually had a noose hanging from his rearview mirror! 'Nuff said!
Ty – Michelle twisted my arm! Seriously though, we both felt this was a book the public both wanted and needed. After all, if people didn't care about the last meals of criminals, why would they always print them in newspaper articles after the executions?
LU – Not only that, but we're disappointed if that information is missing from an article we might be reading about the execution. We're even disappointed if the condemned only has coffee. What kind of research is involved in writing this kind of book?
Michelle – We spent a couple of years researching executions and last meals. We found most information through news accounts of the crimes and executions, but also contacted prison officials for additional information. By the time Last Suppers was published a few states had begun to provide execution information on their own websites. Unfortunately we were not able to benefit from those when we began our research.
LU – Including last meal information? What other kind of information is on these websites?
Michelle – A few websites provide a history of the death penalty in the state, including lists of those executed and the state's current execution protocol. Sadly, only one or two provide the fascinating last meal information.
Ty – Several states, such as Texas, are now listing last meals on their web sites, but this is a fairly recent development. At the time we were doing our research, Michelle and I had to spend countless hours scouring the Internet and digging through old newspaper articles at the library. The research itself took so long that at one point we felt like we were serving our own life sentence.
LU – Were there some interesting experiences that stand out in relation to the research and writing of Last Suppers?
Michelle – While researching and writing the book, Ty and I would get together every weekend and compile whatever we had collected during the week. By the end of the day and after pouring through many last meals, we felt compelled to go out to dinner, often ordering portions of recently discovered last meals, like crab legs from a California execution or pecan pie from an Arkansas final dessert.
LU – Sounds deliciously tedious.
Ty – We also touched base with some really unique people during the research process, mainly at some of the DOC Websites which each state now has on the internet. Most of these folks treated our interest in the subject matter with what I can only call amused curiosity. Another fun part of the research process was cooking and eating some to the recipes that are featured in the book. Michelle really makes a mean yucca salad.
LU – What are some of the most fascinating, colorful or unusual facts or items contained in the book?
Michelle – It was amazing to me to learn that Thomas Grasso used his last words to express indignation about the incompetence of the prison kitchen staff when they had inadvertently made a small error in preparing one portion of a very large and extravagant last meal. “I did not get my Spaghetti-O's. I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this!”
Ty – Other than the meals themselves, I think people will be interested in our “Fun Prison Facts” which are sprinkled throughout the book. If you've never been in a prison, you'll enjoy learning about daily life in the big house from a safe distance. For instance, who knew that in Texas, prisoners are only allowed to possess one pair of socks at a time?
LU – Yeah, I remember reading that and wondering why the heck that rule was instituted. Did you ever ask why?
Michelle – We never asked but I suspect it was to prevent them from being used as some kind of wooly weapon.
Ty – Yeah, those Texas inmates are pretty ruthless and no prison guard wants to open a cell and get an unexpected sock in the jaw.
LU – What do you think is the strongest part of the book?
Michelle – The most unique feature of Last Suppers is the humorous approach. While we present many facts about the criminals, their crimes and about executions in general, we also included some of the more unusual facts about the topics.
Ty – I think one of the best sections of the book is the FAQ section, where we co-mingled our own frequently asked questions with those of people who had questioned us while we were writing the book. It really does give a great overview of the whole last meal tradition along with tons of trivial tidbits about some of the individual meals. In fact, readers may want to peruse that section first as an “appetizer” before they dive into the “main course” of the rest of the book.
LU – When did you start writing?
Michelle – Last Suppers is my first book, although in one of my former “lives” I helped write a few research articles for professional journals in psychology. Currently, I've been working on a Second Helpings of Last Suppers.
LU – Do you have an anticipated finish date or are you just meandering along?
Michelle –I have been meandering, admittedly, but this question alone is a great motivator. Ty and I collected so much information over the years that it would be a shame not to share it.
Ty – My first publishing credits came in 1995 and it's been all up-hill since then. I've got a novel making the rounds of editors in New York and a few more ideas brewing even as we speak.
LU – Can you tell us anything about the novel or do you prefer that we find out when it comes out in print?
Ty – It's a mystery which takes place in Atlanta. Even though it's a detective thriller, it's chock-full of the same strange humor that seeped its way into Last Suppers.
LU – Have you written for magazines?
Ty – As a total departure from the execution material, I've written numerous travel articles for magazines such as US Airways Attaché, Travel Smart, Transitions Abroad, Marco Polo, Big World and The Mature Traveler.
Michelle – I have no other published articles besides those as a contributing author for psychology research journals, but have recently written one about last meals that I hope to have published soon.
LU – What experience and or education do you have relating to the subject of this book?
Ty – Well, I did work on a prison road crew for six consecutive weekends once and that's where I got my first taste of criminal cuisine. Otherwise, I just had to wade through mountains of raw data and then rely on my innate sense of humor, which is about as warped as a Marilyn Manson album sitting in a hot car in the middle of July.
LU – What's the story on this road crew business, eh? You know if you don't tell us you'll just end up reading a grossly exaggerated version of the tale in the tabloids.
Ty – Let's just say that it involved some impromptu stunt driving which resulted in two demolished vehicles and several thousand dollars worth of medical bills. It's amazing how much damage a person can cause simply by ignoring traffic regulations. Let this be a lesson to you, kids.
Michelle – I have an undergraduate degree and some graduate training in psychology, but all of my knowledge in the area of crime and executions has come from personal study. And well, I did have a boyfriend once that may very well end up on death row some day.
LU – Have you received any public recognition for this book?
Ty – We're still waiting on a call from the Pulitzer Prize committee. If they create a new category for humorous true crime books, I really think we can ace it. Seriously, though, there have been several favorable reviews of the book published on the Internet, for which we are humbly grateful.
Michelle – I have been invited to participate in a true crime reader's conference in Lake Tahoe Nevada, in the fall of 2004.
LU – Why should someone buy this book?
Ty – Last Suppers is the only book available that gives a detailed history of the last meal tradition itself, in addition to the menus of dozens of actual last meals. It is written in a style that anyone can enjoy, and while the information isn't exactly technical, it is somewhat obscure so even those working in the correctional system will probably learn a few things about their own profession. All in all, Last Suppers is good clean fun for anyone with a hearty appetite and a devilish sense of humor.
Michelle – Last Suppers offers an easy to read, interesting and sometimes amusing look at a segment of the population and an activity that is usually kept under wraps. It's a book that can be appreciated by those knowledgeable about executions, but would probably be enjoyed most by those unfamiliar with the specifics of the death penalty.
LU – Are there other books written on this or a similar subject?
Ty – There have been many books written about executed criminals, but none that we know of which concentrate solely on the last meal tradition. Our book is also unique in the field of true crime books because of its humorous approach to the subject matter.
Michelle – I am not aware of any books that specifically address the subject of last meals, although books about executions often include some information about them. There is a recent publication written by a former prison chaplain who participated in many executions and was able to share many details to which most have no access. Additionally, most books take a stand on the death penalty. We report about the practice, but do not express an opinion on the practice. We do not take a stand on the capital punishment issue. Writing the book leaning in one way or the other would have been difficult since Ty and I feel differently about the death penalty issue. Rather than focusing on the larger moral and ethical issues of the death penalty, we have extracted some of the lesser known, unusual and sometimes amusing facts surrounding criminals and their executions.
LU – Who likes this kind of book and why?
Ty – Anyone who enjoys true crime books and humor books. People who like reading cookbooks as much as they love making the recipes. Those with a twisted sense of humor. Anybody with an hour to kill in a doctor's office waiting room. Fans of the macabre who like to giggle. Why? Because Last Suppers is a quick, easy, enjoyable read that can be browsed over and over for continual laughs. It also makes a great coffee table book-put a copy out for your next party and observe the conversations it creates!
Michelle – It's not just a great coffee table book! Many of the radio DJ's who interviewed us called it a “great little bathroom reader”! Just stash it right next to that dog-eared copy of Sports Illustrated for a change of pace. True crime readers would also enjoy this book, as well as anyone with a dark sense of humor. True crime readers will be familiar with many of the criminals we include in the book, such as John Wayne Gacy, the killer of 33 young men in Illinois. That audience is often interested in the psychological aspects of the criminals and might be interested in comparing their very normal food choices with the heinous crimes committed. And, you never know, there may be a few folks planning their own last meal who would appreciate some ideas.
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