So, I got a bit of good news last week, which I am just now getting around to posting here in Ye Olde Blogge Space: I am going to be a presenter at an international conference at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, at the end of October on my boy Jack the Ripper.
Yessir. Notable names in Ripperology: Drew Gray, Martin Fido, Richard Walter and… Yours Truly? You heard it here last. Seriously, I was all over Facebook with this already; this is old news but nonetheless great news. But, in the interest of personal marketing via blog, wanted to share here too.
I’m a little nervous but mostly just excited. This is sink or swim territory for me but I’m fairly adept at treading water. My topic is “Our Continued Fascination with the Ripper”, and I’ll be presenting alongside Christopher George of Ripperologist Magazine and John Curra, professor of Sociology at Eastern Kentucky University.
I’ve got roughly two months to put together a top notch presentation and to prepare for questions from the conference participants.
In the meantime, I’ve got to put the final finishing touches on my thesis novel, The Heart Absent, the premise of which is somewhere between “Pygmalion gone horribly wrong”, “Jack the Ripper in love”, and (of course) “Take any bird and put it in a cage”. Simply put, it’s the story of Jack’s evolution from boy to man to monster who demands Mary Kelly’s heart by any means necessary. I’m looking forward to submitting it to publishers soon, as the last day of revisions on the work is close at hand, but I’m a little sad to think this means saying goodbye to my best pal Jack. For now.
But, back to the conference. So many of you wrote in and commented here and elsewhere on FB on four “facts” or “myths” you’d heard about the Jack the Ripper crimes. Thank you! Now, get ready to roll up your sleeves again, for I need your help once more.
Riddle me this, ladies and gents: What do YOU find fascinating about Jack the Ripper? (Again, let’s stick to the hit the high notes formula.) And, if you don’t personally find the Ripper narrative compelling but you do like stories about serial killers, or are a horror/true crime/historical fiction fan, what is it about stories about unsolved (and often grisly) murders that piques YOUR interest?
Looking forward to your responses!
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