"That Bird Has My Wings" Selected for Oprah's Book Club

On CBS Mornings earlier today, it was announced that Jarvis Jay Masters’ “That Bird Has My Wings: The Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row” has been selected for Oprah’s Book Club. Originally published by HarperOne in 2009, it’s available now wherever books are sold. Immersive editorial content will be available for readers on OprahDaily.com, the online hub of Oprah’s Book Club, as well as on the Oprah’s Book Club social platforms.

“A little more than ten years ago, I was given a memoir by Jarvis Jay Masters, a man serving a death row sentence in San Quentin,” said Oprah Winfrey.  “His story, of a young boy victimized by addiction, poverty, violence, the foster care system, and later the justice system, profoundly touched me then, and still does today, which is why I’m naming ‘That Bird Has My Wings’ as my latest Oprah’s Book Club selection.”

“I turned 60 this year, having entered San Quentin at the age of 19. I wrote ‘That Bird Has My Wings’ while in solitary confinement, isolated and alone,” said Jarvis. “My greatest hope at that time was that a few young people would read my story and learn from my mistakes. Thanks to Ms. Winfrey and her book club, my story will be introduced to a national audience. It is my greatest hope that their lives will be the better for it, and I am forever grateful for the honor and the opportunity that Oprah has afforded me.”

UPDATE: The news was also covered by the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times, and many CBS affiliate stations across the country. PEN USA’s Prison and Justice Writing Program commended the selection of Jarvis’ work here.