Summary

Malcolm meets with MacDonald at Terminal Island and is struck by his grace and composure even though he is handcuffed and held in a cell that is five feet by nine. MacDonald brings sheaves of papers to the interview and talks relentlessly, although he pauses and listens closely to what Malcolm has to say. Malcolm notes his story is prepared and heavily rehearsed. She notices an odd difference between his magnetic physical presence and the “dead, flat, clichéd, unnuanced” nature of his discourse. He uses words like “great,” “neat,” and “tons.”

A few months later, Malcolm is having lunch with MacDonald’s Princeton roommate, Michael Malley, and she brings up the oddness of MacDonald’s language. Malley admits to MacDonald’s failing and cites this issue with his linguistic skills as one of the reasons MacDonald lost his criminal trial. According to...