Rachel Monroe’s new essay collection is Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession.From her Q&A with Molly Odintz at CrimeReads:
Molly Odintz: Your introduction takes us through a true crime convention where there are some cringeworthy moments of true crime fandom—as the true crime craze continues, are fans maturing in their approach to the subject matter, or are we still just as likely to hear a squee as a yech when talking about a serial killer at one of these things?--Marshal Zeringue
Rachel Monroe: Fandoms are complex ecosystems, and I think fans often have more self-awareness than they’re given credit for. That said, fandoms can also be insular and resistant to critique or pushback. During my experience at CrimeCon, which I write about in the book, I spoke with true crime fans who were very attuned to and critical of the more voyeuristic, exploitative aspects of the genre. I also met people who were unabashedly enthusiastic and hungry for sensation without seeming to acknowledge that these stories involved real people’s real trauma.
MO: You mention that interest in murder as subject of research has increased as real-life murder rates have fallen over the past few years, and that interest in murder increases when the victim is young, white, wealthy, or all of the above. Is empathy restricted for the least vulnerable? Has the 24-hour news cycle led us to cut ourselves off from only the most manageable pain?
RM: Some true crime fans say they’re drawn to the genre because...[read on]