I'm Oprah Winfrey. Welcome to Super Soul Conversations, the podcast. I believe that one of the most valuable gifts you can give yourself is time.

Taking time to be more fully present. Your journey to become more inspired and connected to the deeper world around us starts right now.

Hi there. Today you're going to meet Jarvis J. Masters. His book, That Bird Has My Wings, The Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row, was released in 2009.

He will not be here with me today because he's still on Death Row for a crime he says he did not commit.

And I'll be speaking with him on the phone from San Quentin State Prison in California where he has lived for the past 41 years.

Now I first learned about his story back in 2014 when I interviewed Buddhist monk Pima Children and she suggested that I read this memoir.

His story of a young boy victimized by addiction and poverty and violence in the foster care system and later the justice system touched me so deeply and still does today.

It was back in 1981 when he was only 19 years old that Jarvis was convicted of armed robbery and sent to San Quentin.

For years later, prison guard, Howell Birchfield was stabbed to death while on Night Duty.

And though Jarvis was locked in his cell at the time of the murder, he was among those convicted of murder and he was sentenced to death.

Jarvis is scheduled to have a hearing in federal court at the end of October to overturn that conviction and death sentence.

He has long maintained his innocence and that claim has been supported by many others.

So this conversation is different from any other interview we've done with the Booklup author.

I wanted to of course sit down with him in person but it is against California State Law to bring cameras into a prison to interview a specific inmate.

So thankfully Jarvis was allowed to call me on the phone and that's how I'm able to bring you the story of this extraordinary man and the author behind our next book club selection that bird has my wings.

This is global tell link you have a prepaid call from Jarvis Masters and inmate at the California State Prison San Quentin San Quentin California.

This call and your telephone number will be monitored and recorded to accept this call say or dial five now.

Thank you for using global tell link.

Hello.

Hey Jarvis.

Hey, are you children? Oh my gosh. This has been a conversation that has literally been a decade in the making. Thank you so much for speaking with me today.

How are you feeling today? How does it feel to finally be having this conversation?

...