So I have a new writing project — it’s in the tiny larval stages so I don’t want to talk about it too much, but I’m working on a murder mystery. One of my dearest friends here in town is Maryanne Vollers, author of the amazing books Ghosts of Mississippi: The Murder of Medgar Evers, the Trials of Byron De La Beckwith, and the Haunting of the New South and Lone Wolf: Eric Rudolph: Murder, Myth, and the Pursuit of an American Outlaw. We were both at a dinner party last night, and Maryanne arrived with a big bag of books for me. There we were like a couple of kids, cackling and pulling out books like Evil: An Investigation and Why They Kill: The Discoveries of a Maverick Criminologistout of the bag. “This one’s really great,” Maryanne said handing me Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us. While the non-writer dinner guests were sort of appalled, for the most part, this is Livingston, where not only is the cackling of writers in the corners of parties perfectly normal, but where you can count on your friends to have a stash of books on the psychology of murder that they’ll loan you. I love my weird little town.
cmf
I'm a writer and editor based in Livingston, Montana. I moved to Livingston from the San Francisco Bay area in 2002 in search of affordable housing and a small community with a vibrant arts community. I found both. LivingSmall details my experience buying and renovating a house, building a garden, becoming a part of this community. It also chronicles my efforts to rebuild my life after the sudden death of my younger brother, and closest companion, Patrick in a car wreck.
2 Comments on “What Happens When You Invite Writers To Dinner”
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Very cool. I haven’t read Lone Wolf yet, but it’s on my list. I’m kind of fascinated by that story, since I have family not too far from where Eric Rudolph was in hiding. I had no idea the author lived in Montana.
Looking forward to reading the possible murder mystery. Good luck!
By the way, I really can’t tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog. I seriously, seriously sifted through my google reader subscriptions and deleted most. Your blog was one of among about 5 or 6 that I kept. One of the others is Tom Philpott posts from Grist.
Anyway, thanks!
Yes, in my own sifting, Charlotte, yours is a blog that remains for me, too. Blessings on the murder mystery. You’ll know best, of course, how much you should and shouldn’t say about it.