We're Still Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Last week marked the 136th anniversary of the birth of author Virginia Woolf, and it was noted by numerous newspaper articles and even an iconic sketch by Google. As the #MeToo and Time's Up movements step up to podiums, and powerful men's sexual abuses--in entertainment, politics, media and sports--grab headlines, it's not surprising that Woolf is suddenly accorded politically correct kudos (just a century late). Woolf was a pioneer of the stream-of-consciousness style of fiction in works like Mrs. Dalloway, a keen observer of society and art in her essays, and a member of the legendary Bloomsbury Group of British intellectuals that included economist John Maynard Keynes and writer E.M. Forster. But I would guess that she is receiving renewed attention now because of her feminism and her long essay A Room of One's Own, where she posited "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction," arguing that social and financial dependence prevent women from reaching their potential. As a result, "for most of history, Anonymous was a woman," she wrote. Certainly, women have made many strides since Woolf's birth in 1882 and her death in 1941 (a suicide). Yet gender discrimination and harassment continue because, as it turns out, intellectual emancipation via education, financial emancipation via the workplace, and legal emancipation via the courts are only the first rungs on the long ladder to equality and respect. The next step is political power, which requires a feminizing of boardrooms, legislatures and leadership. The surge in women running for political office in 2018 shows that this realization is taking hold. And then there must be a social emancipation, an acceptance of new rules and values by men and women at every level. The public #MeToo furor over sexual misconduct is just the first wave in a long battle to change hearts and minds. The fact that Virginia Woolf has been dusted off and honored as a "woman writer" and "feminist" pioneer just proves how far we still have to go. Great art, great ideas and great character are without gender. For some of Woolf's more quotable thoughts, see https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/virginia_woolf

How July 4 Fireworks Inspire Mystery Writers

July 4 is a holiday synonymous with summertime family fun--backyard barbecues, beach picnics, fireworks in the park, local parades, etc. And that makes it an interesting backdrop for murder mysteries. First, it's easy to forget that July 4 commemorates the birth of a nation in violent revolution, but this Fourth comes on the heels of headlines--the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage and racially motivated violence--that remind us that a nation founded on the concept of inalienable rights is still fighting to realize those ideals for all citizens. A mystery writer certainly can find murderous motives in old, violent biases--with joyous fireworks bursting ironically in the background. Second, the nation is still threatened by internal and external enemies, although very different ones from 1776, as shown by recent headlines about potential terrorist attacks on Independence Day. It's not hard to imagine the plot for a mystery-thriller! But mainly, we are plagued by more personal demons on the holiday. I am certain that, as families, friends and strangers gather together, there will be many new headlines about violence from fractured relationships and fractured minds. Since the most common violence on the Fourth of July comes at home, the "cozy" mysteries are also those that most often embrace an Independence Day theme, with an emphasis on amateur female sleuths, recipes and cute pets. Here are four 2015 July 4-theme mysteries for your (very light) holiday reading. First comes Nancy Coco with Oh Say Can You Fudge: Allie Murphy, owner of a hotel and fudge shop, plans to hire an aerial skywriter for a holiday display, but he turns up murdered. Next, is Isis Crawford's A Catered Fourth of July: Two sisters in a small New York town cater a Revolutionary War battle reenactment and then become sleuths when the town's playboy is killed. Cute canines dominate in Mutts & Murder, a Dog Town USA Cozy Mystery by Amazon best-seller Meg Muldoon: Winifred Wolf is covering canine-related stories for the local newspaper in Dog Mountain, Oregon, when a dead body is found in the local dog park before the annual Fourth of July Pooch Parade. Last on the list is Doggone Dead, another mystery in the popular Pecan Bayou series by Teresa Trent: In Pecan Bayou, Texas, Betsy Livingston is looking for her runaway puppy when she stumbles upon a murder on a dead movie-cowboy star's estate. For a much longer list of Fourth of July cozy mysteries, see http://www.cozy-mystery.com/blog/fourth-of-july-mystery-book-theme-list.html

'Stranger' Fear Ignores Real Threats to Children

According to the news headlines, America is a dangerous place for children as soon as they step out of their homes and into the potential clutches of evil strangers. Armed maniacs spray bullets in elementary schools; deviant killers abduct tots from playgrounds; the Internet allows disguised pedophiles to lure gullible innocents; and don't forget possible terrorist attacks. Are the risks real or just media hype? FBI crime statistics actually show that violent crime rates overall have declined significantly from the 1990s. But Americans don't believe it; a 2013 Pew Research study found that while the firearm homicide rate was 49% lower in 2010 than in 1993 and other firearm crimes (such as robbery and rape) were 75% lower, 56% of Americans believed gun crime was higher than 20 years ago. So what about those scary stories of crimes against children? The crime data reveal a surprising fact: Children are in more danger before they step outside the home rather than afterward. Looking at just child abductions and murders, a 2013 Discovery.com report stressed the rarity of stranger abductions, citing data that the majority of missing children are taken by a parent or caregiver, and many other abduction reports are hoaxes or false alarms. As a 2000 report by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs noted, more than three-fourths of kidnappings were committed by family members or acquaintances of the child -- and, more shocking, children abducted by strangers actually were harmed less frequently than those taken by acquaintances! Indeed, of all children under age 5 murdered between 1980 and 2008, Department of Justice figures show that 63% were killed by a parent, 23% were killed by male acquaintances, 5% were killed by female acquaintances, 7% were killed by other relatives, and just 3% were killed by strangers. Yes, children need to be taught about "stranger danger," and schools need better security, and Internet threats (from pedophiles to cyberbullying) must be policed. But those actions won't address the greatest dangers to our children. To quote W.H. Auden, "Evil is unspectacular and always human, and shares our bed and eats at our own table." How do we protect children from those closest to them, from familiar faces? The challenge of keeping our children safe is a lot more complex than criminals, madmen and terrorists. For more data and links to articles on children and crime, check out http://www.freerangekids.com/crime-statistics/