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Deft, Daring and Delightful:
by Emily C. Howie
April 24th, 2006, was the 206th birthday of the Library of Congress. Visitors and Library staff celebrated the special day by attending a program featuring a panel of popular mystery writers who discussed writing, research, fans, and the traditional mystery genre. Panel members Jo Dereske, Carolyn Hart, Katherine Hall Page, Patricia Sprinkle, and Jacqueline Winspear captivated the audience with their wisdom and humor. The event was the 8th annual Judith Austin Memorial lecture sponsored by the Humanities and Social Sciences Division of the Library of Congress.
The authors graciously agreed to include a program at the Library of Congress during their visit to Washington, D.C. to attend the 2006 Malice Domestic Convention. Malice Domestic is held annually in the Washington, D.C. area. The event salutes traditional mystery books in the vein of Agatha Christie, and is attended by writers, publishers, and mystery readers. It was announced at the convention that Carolyn Hart will receive the 2007 Malice Lifetime Achievement Award.
The panel was asked about the importance of geographic location as an element in their mystery series. Patricia Sprinkle, author of the “Thoroughly Southern” series set in fictional Hopemore, Georgia, said that in Southern books the place is a character in the books. “Most southerners tell stories, we like to entertain each other, make each other laugh, and we like to listen to what people say.” Katherine Hall Page noted that in the past many regional descriptions would have been penciled out by the publishers, but several of the writers commented that fortunately this has changed.
Jacqueline Winspear, author of the “Maisie Dobbs” historical mystery series set in post World War I Great Britain, stated that the essence of “place” is what we remember, such as the sounds, smells, and the rhythm of the speech. She tries to bring to her work memories evoked by the senses, such as a description of Maisie driving through Kent in the spring seeing the fabulous wildflowers, or smelling the hops in the field.
Jo Dereke, former librarian and author of the “Miss Zukas, mysteries featuring a librarian sleuth in fictional Bellehaven, Washington state, resides herself in the Pacific Northwest. Ms. Dereske related that she received comments that she should make the setting a “little less beautiful,” so in one of the books she had it rain throughout the entire story.
The panel was next asked to discuss how much of themselves they incorporate into their sleuth. Katherine Hall Page, whose “Faith Fairchild” series features a caterer, said that she likes to cook, but she is not like Faith. However, Ms. Page said that as a series progresses inevitably the author’s values, political thinking, etc., enter the character. “So, I’m getting more like Faith or she’s getting more like me.” The Body in the Snowdrift the fifteenth entry in the Faith Fairchild series was awarded the 2006 Agatha Award for Best Novel.
Carolyn Hart, author of the “Death on Demand” series featuring Annie Darling a mystery bookstore owner, stated that her character Annie is based on her daughter Sarah. “Sarah is cheerful, energetic, and does her very best – just like Annie.” Commenting on her “Henrie O” series, Ms. Hart said, “I planned to grow up to be a newspaper reporter so Henrie O’s closer to my personality – of course she’s taller, thinner, and smarter!” Ms. Hart also mentioned a new venture, the first Bailey Ruth Raeburn Mystery. Ghost At Work will be published in the fall of 2007. The late Bailey Ruth Raeburn returns from Heaven to her hometown of Adelaide, Oklahoma, to help the rector’s wife move a body off the back porch and the going gets sticky.
Helma Zukas, Jo Dereske’s librarian sleuth, works in a public library while Ms. Dereske herself is an academic librarian. Ms. Dereske related that she had been accused of playing to the stereotype of a librarian, but she said that there is some truth to the accusation. She went on to say that all librarians have heard the following three remarks:
Each writer was asked to discuss how they conduct research for their books. Do they use libraries and librarians, and how much do they use the Internet? Ms. Winspear stated that she does her primary research herself, such as walking the streets of London that Maisie walks using pre-World War II maps. The streets in London were completely changed and rerouted by the Blitz. For secondary research she depends on libraries and archives. “I have great help from the librarians and archivists, who direct me to things that I would not see otherwise and find that specific bit of information that will really make the difference.” Ms. Winspear also noted that she is careful about Internet research as “anyone can write anything” and post it on the Internet. Ms. Hart noted that the research depends on the nature of the book. For some books a visit to the place where the story is set becomes the means for ensuring that the atmosphere is correct. For other books, finding a diary is a great help. This was a case with a book written by Ms. Hart where the story was set in the Philippines during World War II. Ms. Hart also told about once asking another writer where she got her information about snakes and was given the name of a herpetologist. She called the herpetologist, who said to her, “Another writer dumping on snakes.” Ms. Hart assured him that she had no intention of maligning snakes, she simply needed accurate information about their habits. Jo Dereske said that she heavily uses libraries and the Internet, and particularly inter-library loan, which she hopes never goes away. She stated that she might perform research for days that ultimately results in only one sentence. “I really ask embarrassing questions,” said Patricia Sprinkle, “and I appreciate librarians because they steer me to things I might not get otherwise.” Katherine Hall Page revealed that she had nominated her local librarian for the New York Times Librarian of the Year and her librarian won the award. She also told the audience that during a tour of the Library’s Jefferson Building before the program, “all of us gasped over the actual old card catalog.” The final question posed to the authors asked them to relate how the Internet and email has changed their relationships with readers. All of the writers said that having a web site and email allows them to have a more immediate and informal relationship with their readers. Patricia Sprinkle commented that sometimes she gets to meet readers with whom she has been exchanging email. “They took me to tea at the Ritz,” she noted. The authors like the instant feedback they receive, and feel that they receive email from readers who would not take the time to send a hand-written letter. Following the talk, the authors signed books and enjoyed their encounters with both old and new fans. The Humanities and Social Sciences Division created the Judith Austin Memorial Lecture series as a tribute to Judith Austin’s outstanding contributions during her 20 years of service at the Library of Congress in the Local History & Genealogy and Main Reading Rooms. Ms. Austin, who died in 1997, was a devoted mystery fan and regularly attended the Malice Domestic Convention.
Emily C. Howie
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