Investigative journalist Keri Blakinger ’14 will host an in-depth look at capital punishment April 23 with a screening of the Oscar-nominated short documentary “I Am Ready, Warden,” which she co-produced. The film follows a Texas death row prisoner in the days leading up to his execution, as he seeks redemption from his victim’s son. Following the screening, Blakinger will be joined by other experts for a panel exploring the legal, ethical and human dimensions of capital punishment.
“’I Am Ready, Warden’: Death Penalty in America” will take place at 5 p.m. in the Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall room 132. The event is free and the public is welcome.
Blakinger, on campus as a spring Zubrow Distinguished Visiting Journalist in the College of Arts and Sciences, will be joined on the panel by Jessica Eaglin, professor of law, a leading expert on algorithms in criminal sentencing, and Benjamin Yost, adjunct professor of philosophy (A&S), author of “Against Capital Punishment.” The moderator will be Peter John Loewen, the Harold Tanner Dean of Arts and Sciences and professor of government.
“After years of covering capital punishment in Texas, I’m excited to bring this film and my reporting to the Cornell community. I’m looking forward to exploring this important topic with the panel and audience," said Blakinger.
Blakinger has twice been a Pulitzer Prize finalist – first as part of a Houston Chronicle team covering Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and then for her 2024 feature story “The Dungeons & Dragons players of Texas Death Row” for the Marshall Project, a piece that also ran in the New York Times.
As an investigative reporter for ProPublica, Blakinger covers criminal justice with a focus on prisons and the death penalty. She previously worked for the Los Angeles Times, covering the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. She is the author of “Corrections in Ink,” a memoir of her life before, during and after prison.
The Distinguished Visiting Journalist program is funded through an endowment from Jan Rock Zubrow ’77 and Barry Zubrow, as well as additional philanthropic support from Carol MacCorkle ’64, Jay Branegan ’72, Rose Gutfeld Edwards ’78 and the Dr. Guinevere Griest ’44 Fund for Public Engagement in A&S.
Linda B. Glaser is news and media relations manager for the College of Arts & Sciences.
