Murder Book Turns 3!
In dog years, she is 21!
Photo by Minder Tucker, 2021
Last week was Murder Book’s birthday but I forgot because I was hosting a baby shower!
Somehow, it’s been three years since Murder Book hit the shelves. As with every birthday, I like to post a little update on how the book has been (thank you for asking, she just got over a cold and is hoping to go to a fun Friendsgiving this week).
Murder Book is being taught in Universities across the country…!??
Hold for laughter. I was shocked when I got the first email. Befuddled when I got the second. Spit out my water when I got the third. In the past year I have received multiple notifications from professors that they are, I kid you not, teaching Murder Book in their courses. Were they out of their minds?? Shockingly no! Quite sane! Not only were they teaching it, they wanted me to speak to the class! HILARIOUS! What I find most amusing about the whole situation is just like at book stores where they often don’t know whether or not to put my book in True Crime or Graphic or History — Universities are teaching Murder Book across all different platforms. Some in Criminal Psychology, others in Cartooning and Graphic Novels, as well as Non Fiction Writing Courses. I’m glad the audience is as diverse as my ADD brain. I couldn’t possibly keep my books in one category, I’d never pay attention!
Zooming in to these college classes has been honestly, very fun. There’s been great questions asked, like a student who wondered how much social media plays into both police work and our consumption of crime, as well as really dumb, upsetting questions like “Who would you murder?” Please don’t ask me that! I don’t want to reveal my big future plans!
One of the more surprising questions I found was one that lead me to some introspection. When one professor was asking about my feelings toward mass shootings in schools, I responded, “Well, I was in one…” They were taken aback.
Why didn’t I include the fact that I was in a mass shooting?
My initial thought was, “Shit… I have no idea.”
It is true, I was locked in a theater during the shooting at UC Santa Barbara in 2014. I had graduated a year earlier but returned to assist in my program’s yearly film festival Reel Loud. It was a horrifying night with a lot of false information flying around on Reddit, our school’s emergency alert system, and phone calls from friends. Most of us were led to believe there was gang violence, not a single male shooter stalking our community. Once we were allowed out of the theater, we were up all night in a friend’s apartment, scared, trying to figure out what was going on. I had ha received a phone call from a friend who screamed that a bullet just missed him. Ultimately, in the middle of the night, we received enough messages from people that whoever was doing the killing, had either been shot or was shot by the police. After debating for a long time whether or not it was safe to exit the apartment, myself and a group of friends finally exited around 3 AM, not to check out the scene, but because we had not eaten in many hours. It being a college town, most food places were open 24 hours, so we walked to the nearest joint that could serve us.
I’ll never forget being at that restaurant. The owner was angry with all of us. Disgusted even. We were placing orders for burgers and fries, and he said, “Your fellow classmates have been shot, why are you out celebrating?” I felt insulted. We weren’t celebrating. We were terrified, we had so many different pieces of information we couldn’t tell which was true, and we were starving. His place was open. We didn’t know where else to go.
Many people were killed that night. Waking up the next morning, the sky was overcast, the typical “June Gloom” of Santa Barbara had a whole different feeling to it.The air was filled with sirens. More bodies were being found. I felt like I was in a real life horror film.
Elliot Rodgers killed 6 people and injured many more.
20-year-old Weihan "David" Wang (July 6, 1993, Tianjin, China - May 23, 2014), junior majoring in computer engineering[q]
20-year-old Cheng Yuan "James" Hong (April 15, 1994, Taipei, Taiwan - May 23, 2014), junior majoring in computer engineering[r]
19-year-old George Chen (September 14, 1994, Ottawa, Canada - May 23, 2014), junior majoring in computer science[s]
19-year-old Veronika Elizabeth Weiss (February 24, 1995, Seattle, Washington - May 23, 2014), freshman majoring in financial mathematics and statistics[t]
22-year-old Katherine "Katie" Breann Cooper (December 26, 1991, San Bernardino, California - May 23, 2014), senior double majoring in art history and classics[u]
20-year-old Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez (December 23, 1993, San Luis Obispo, California - May 23, 2014), sophomore majoring in English[v]
When the professor asked me, “Why didn’t you include this in the book?” I didn’t really have an answer.
Had I just buried it? That deep? That when writing a 350 page book about true crime, it did not once occur to me to include a moment in my life so deeply entrenched in the problems of our country and mental health and gun laws? Did I not want to sound like I was trying to be a part of something, when it really had nothing to do with me? The way people love to say, “I was there” or “I knew the guy”… I was just locked in a gym, albeit it scared, but I never faced any actual danger, I never saw the shooter, and I did not personally know any of the victims. Maybe I was afraid to step into the territory of mass shootings, something I don’t feel qualified to write about (in comparison to serial killings or single killings). Maybe it’s because I still have so much anger toward the police’s mishandling of the situation, how it could have easily been prevented, how the shooter’s own parents knew something was very wrong. The thought still enrages me.
I’m still not totally sure why I didn’t even think about including it in the book, but I also don’t regret it. I don’t think that memory belonged in there. I think it’s something I wish I was never a part of. I once met someone who was also at a mass shooting and I remember saying, “I’m very sorry that we have that in common.”
On a lighter note, MamMam’s thoughts on the book…
My boyfriend’s grandmother, famously known as MamMam sat me down for breakfast earlier this summer and had a lot on her mind.
For the record, I am very afraid for MamMam to read my upcoming book The Joy of Snacking, but I also cannot wait to hear her thoughts.
THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY REVIEWS! An update on my favorite comments!
People continue to think that I am actually celebrating murder (did you read the book?), that i am actively attracted to murderers (insane), and that I am unhinged and problematic (ok fair).
This guy thinks I’m no Jim Gaffigan!!
This one is the most accurate honestly
I don’t know if this person has ever seen standup!!
It is true I’m not for everyone!!!
I’ll always love a review that ends in a LOL!
Further Holiday updates…!
I am still taking commissions for holiday orders! Want a drawing of your dog? Of your dad? of your dog and your dad at their favorite bar? Order now on Etsy! Limited spots left!
PLUS! NEW T-SHIRTS ARE HERE!!
Introducing… DANCE FLOOR CAPTAIN and OUT RAGE! Order now to receive by Christmas!! I myself am VERY excited to wear these!!
And as always, you can shop my existing collection, like the very popular Dog Pile Tee!
Thank you for reading! New posts every Friday!
ICYMI: I’ll be live drawing at the next Honky Tonkin in Queens
Looking forward to: WICKED! OBVI!
On repeat: Messy by Lola Young
In love with: my new office!!!
Recently Watched: the whole first season of Twin Peaks for the 3rd time…
Want to hire me at your holiday party? Lets CHAT!
Most of the cartoons in this newsletter are available on Etsy!
Enjoyed hearing from you today. Can’t wait to get the book. Looking forward to it.
O.M.G. The fact that you didn’t include the mass shooting in your book 📕 about murder is fodder for its own book, perhaps Murder Book Part 2?
Congratulations 🎈🎈🎈on the 3rd birthday 🥳 of your book. How wonderful that it’s being used by professors as a part of their courses on murder. To me that’s the best review you could get. The only thing that could top that would be a good review from Mawmaw.