Kim Batchelor

Writer of magical realism and other imaginative fiction

A Dark and Starry Night

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Fall is my favorite time of year. I may not like the winter waiting in the wings, except for the rare occasions that snow covers the ground. There is something mystical, though, about that period between when summer takes its last breaths before sliding into hibernation and the bitter winds and rain of winter make their entrance.

Something distinctly different happens on fall days that has nothing to do with the change of leaves, which here in Texas, we get very little of. Can you feel it? Day or, especially, night, something slips in with the cooler air to give a slight sheen to the light of day and the stars at night. I’m sure the scientists would remind me that the gigantic orange orb that hovers just above the horizon doesn’t happen only in autumn. Or is that why it’s called the harvest moon, because that’s the only time you see it? A moon so fleeting that it slips away into ordinary moon-ness in no time.

A dark and starry sky captures best my experience in my last class teaching at the Dallas County jail. We talked life stories and focused on events, happy and sad, that make up that life. We used Deborah Harding’s poem, “How I Knew Harold” which tells the story of a life in events in non-chronological order. As the female prisoners constructed their lives, there were many common themes of taking the wrong course, meeting and hanging out with the wrong people, turning to drugs to self-medicate against difficult situations.

The class wasn’t all seriousness. During the opening activity when each person compares her mood that night to food, one class participant characterized hers as ‘smashed peas.’ By the time she constructed her poem, she shared a hilarious story about her childhood. And another, a 60-year-old, told of her excitement at going to junior high school so she wouldn’t have to see the same 50 boys she’d known since first grade.

Most poignant of all was when a young woman of 27 related how the judge had told her he was giving her one last chance. One last precious chance to turn her life around after many missteps. For that moment, she seemed to value that chance and planned not to waste it. One bright star in the darkness. One moment of possible transition between the bleak and a sunny day.

I see those stories, happy and sad, as points of light, like the stars overhead when I left the jail a free woman, able to drive into the evening and go anywhere I pleased. Able to stand outside and breathe in the air of the in-between place of fall. Enjoying the different feel of it without exactly knowing why that was so.

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Boucheron 2016 Part III: What I Found as a Reader

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dreaming-spies-book-coverBouchercon is an annual convention for readers and writers of mysteries, thrillers, and suspense, and I attended as both—a writer and a reader of those genres. I’ve written on the great diversity workshop sponsored by Sisters in Crime and a few of the best tips I got from panels as a writer. For mystery readers, the perks started once you step in the door.

Immediately after registration, participants had access to new releases that filled dozens of tables in a very large room. Tickets were provided to select from among the hundreds of novels available—from cozies to hardboiled to noir to police procedurals.

mermaid-sing-book-coverA panel of historical writers–Tasha Alexander, Laurie King, Lyndsay Faye, C. S. Harris, Deanna Raybourn, and Susanna Calkins—introduced me to authors and work that I might have missed before. I found one of Laurie King’s books, Dreaming Spies—one of a series of novels featuring Mary Russell, married to Sherlock Holmes—in my local bookstore. I heard about her writing process along with those of the other women on the panel. Tasha Alexander studied English and Medieval History, helpful for her bestselling Lady Mary series. Lyndsay Faye started her career with a novel of the Jack the Ripper murders from the perspective of Dr. Watson. Candice Proctor, writing as C.S. Harris and C.S. Graham, puts her research skills and PhD in European history to work with works in settings from London to the United States south. On the book table, I picked up a copy of New York Times bestseller Deanna Raybourn’s A Curious Beginning before I heard her speak, and her participation in the panel made me happy I did. And Susanna Calkins, also with a PhD in history, authored several books based on her interest in 17th century England that have received numerous awards, including a Macavity Award presented during Bouchercon—the Sue Feder Historial Mystery Award for The Masque of a Murderer.

While my tastes often lean toward darker and very serious novels, I find that I occasionally need to read something completely different. I never considered that I would be a cozy reader until I attended the panel on food mysteries, featuring writers Leslie Budewitz, Lynn Cahoon, Maya Corrigan, Edith Maxwell, and Nancy Parra. Each woman took an aspect of food and food culture as a context for a good mystery. After the panel, I went by one of the conference bookstores and picked up a couple.

Fans of Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben, Laura Lippman, R.L. Stine and other big name authors would not have been disappointed by the interviews and participation in panels of their favorite writers. I hope the same will be true for Bouchercon 2019, planned for Dallas and featuring James Patterson. I mention Dallas because I’m a member of the committee working on that convention. we’re excited to be hosting it in its 50th year of convening writers and readers at this premier global mystery convention.

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Bouchercon 2016 Part II: Observations as a Writer

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Two weeks ago I attended my first Bouchercon, a convention named for one of its founders, Anthony Boucher. For those of you who have never heard of Bouchercon, it’s a volunteer-driven convention focusing on mystery and suspense novels and thrillers. Since it is a convention that attracts both writers and readers (and most, like me, a combination of the two), I thought I’d divide up my impressions into what I got out of this almost fifty-year-old gathering.

One of the highlights of attending for me as a writer was a revolving ‘panel’ of writers not participating in other panels. The panel was known as the “Continuous Conversation.” I wasn’t sure what to expect when I was scheduled, but it turned out to be a pleasure to be interviewed by the moderator with one other author for almost an hour. (A couple of authors skipped their slots which allowed me to stay a little longer.) We ended up with a small but enthusiastic group who heard us talk about what inspires us, where we get our stories, the value of workshops for us, and other topics.

Several workshops, too many for me to attend them all, dealt with craft—setting, research, social media, and, apt for a mystery conference, crime scene investigation. Markets were discussed on several panels. I’m not currently a reader of “cozies,” mysteries with less edge and absent of gruesome violence, but I learned that food related cozy mysteries are very popular and demand is good.

One of my favorite sessions was on “Corsets and Crime,” a panel made up of writers of historical mysteries. Many of the panel members—Tasha Alexander, Laurie King, Lyndsay Faye, C.S. Harris, Deanna Raybourne, and Susanne Calkins—are historians or very adept at historical research. A couple of the useful tips for someone writing fiction came out of this panel. Laurie King, known for her bestselling novels of Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, said her strategy was to research only as much as she needed to know to draft the novel, then fill in the blanks. Authors should avoid being drawn into the “research vortex,” when the research becomes so interesting they can’t stop themselves. Several panel members confessed to having to struggle against this, especially when historical research is part of their training. I not only learned how successful authors of historical mysteries do it, I found some new authors whose books I look forward to reading.

I have a police procedural sitting in a drawer and I’d like to take it out someday and revise it for possible publication. Unfortunately, the only disappointing session I attended was one on weapons. I’d expected to hear about different weapons and how an investigator investigates their use, but I didn’t receive much information on this topic in the workshop.

I’m happy to be on the volunteer committee of the 2019 Bouchercon in Dallas, the 50th anniversary of the convention. This meant that I spent some time staffing the Bouchercon table, and will order session downloads of some of the sessions I missed. I’m looking forward to our opportunity here in Dallas to take on this convention that has become an institution. We’re already in the process of planning, and hope it will continue to be an opportunity for writers as well as readers to find plenty that enhances their work.

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Bouchercon Part I: Diversity

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Yesterday, I returned home from New Orleans and my first time to attend Bouchercon, an annual convention dedicated to authors and fans of mystery, suspense, crime fiction. Bouchercon is named for Anthony Boucher, who with a group of volunteers established the first Bouchercon in 1969. It has since grown into a conference attended by hundreds of people; this year the attendance is estimated to be 1800. I am part of the committee organizing Bouchercon 2019 in Dallas, when the convention celebrates its 50th anniversary.

I started on Wednesday by attending a preconference afternoon session on diversity sponsored by Sisters in Crime (SinC), an organization founded by author Sara Paretsky in order to, originally, promote women mystery writers. With much discussion of the need for diverse books and protagonists, as well as supporting characters, I found this and a separate conference session the next morning to be very valuable. Since one session went on for five hours and the other about an hour, both with multiple presenters, there’s too much that was shared to be able to describe it all in only one blog post. What I will do is list a few highlights.

The afternoon session began with a brief talk and extended Q&A with author Walter Moseley. His remarks were wide ranging and it hardly does justice to summarize them. He started with a rousing call to action on issues of social justice and described the importance of diversity as part of that call. He let us know that we are all people of at least some color. The critical issue is expanding in our writing the inclusion of voices that are too often unheard.

Here are the main points I took from each of the other presenters:

Greg Herren, author of the Chanse MacLeod and Scotty Bradley mysteries: Throughout a humorous presentation, Greg’s best advice was ‘drop the gay male friend,’ especially if he’s your only gay character. Include gay, lesbian, transgendered characters, just don’t make them stereotypes or sidekicks.

Cindy Brown, Agatha-nominated author of the Ivy Meadows mysteries: Cindy was part of the afternoon session and another session the following day that addressed the challenge of creating characters with disabilities. She talked language—use a person with a disability and avoid the use of disabled and ‘handicapped’ (especially) as descriptors. The disability is something the person has, not the totality of the person. She also advised against terms like ‘other abled’ and especially cautioned about how we describe people who use wheelchairs for mobility; e.g., wheelchair bound.

Also important, Cindy educated us on how we should think of disability. It’s not just physical but also mental. Depression and other psychiatric disorders can also be disabling.

Linda Rodriguez, award winning author of the Skeet Bannon mysteries: Linda stressed the importance of really doing our homework when we want to include a character who comes from a different experience from our own. She used author Tony Hillerman as an example; the Navajo thought he ‘got it right’ with his Navajo characters, and even embraced him as an honorary member of their nation. Some were upset by the secrets about the Navajo that a few members shared with him, an outsider. Linda joined the chorus that we diversify our characters; we just need to do our research and expect that there will often be criticism. Do it anyway.

Frankie Bailey, PhD, author of the Lizzie Stuart and Hannah McCabe mysteries, criminal justice professor, and director of Justice and Multiculturalism in the 21st century at the University of Albany: Dr. Bailey covered several topics on dialogue, but two of the most important points she made were (1) be careful of walk-on characters who can be easiest to stereotype, and (2) while women and persons of color have been hired in significant numbers in many police and fire departments, they can be subject to feeling like “insiders within” these organizations.

To recap the overarching theme: We need to incorporated diverse characters in our writing, know more about the people we write about and where they come from, create fully fleshed out characters, and get feedback from people living within the skin and cultures similar to these characters.

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Embracing Our History

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Today, the National Museum of African American History and Culture ( NMAAHC ), part of the Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC, opens to the public. I’m looking forward to visiting this institution dedicated to telling the story of a people, their struggles and triumphs. I have written before about the prejudice of members of my family that transferred to me and which I’m still confronting, at times.

In fall of 2014, my spouse and I went on a driving tour through the south to visit some of the important civil rights sites and museums in Memphis, Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham. When I go to important places in the civil rights struggle, I want to see, to be sad, to reflect, to learn. Yes, even at times to have my gut wrenched.

I do not go to feel guilty. The National Coalition Building Institute has a saying: “Guilt is the glue that holds prejudice in place.” The more civil rights memorials and museums I go to and stories I read and hear, the more I feel able to do the work of understanding and evaluating my own attitudes. I also don’t leave the burden on African Americans to explain it to me.

As a storyteller who wants to create diverse worlds, the journey through the history of African Americans is a helpful process. And as I strive to move readers, I benefit from being moved.

Both my husband and I trace our ancestries through documents showing that at least one of our relatives sold one human being to another. What African Americans have experienced is not something they as a people should just ‘get over.’  We would never consider telling World War II or Vietnam veterans to ‘just get over’ the wars they experienced that changed their lives forever.

The history experienced by African Americans is our collective and painful history. As we move into the future, institutions like the National Museum of African American History and Culture help us build that future without denying our past.

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