 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
 |
August 23rd, 2009
Why did you write The Homecoming as a work of fiction?
Doesn’t the blend of fact and fiction create a real quagmire
for the reader?
Yes, unfortunately, it does.
Frankly, creative writing is my field of expertise…so what
came out was a work based on the facts of a real-life crime,
framed in the world of fiction. The genre is known as
Roman a clef (novel with a key.)
Had I a degree in journalism, I might have written the story
differently. In fact, the story was first written as my
Master's thesis screenplay at the University of Southern
California, so anybody with a bit of knowledge of film
theory might see a mystery plot-structure similar to that of
a movie like Chinatown at work in the novel.
In hindsight I might now be able to say, “Gee, wouldn’t it
have been nice if I had written this differently or that
differently.” But in the end, not one shred of evidence has
come my way to indicate my basic premise was wrong.
In fact, after the book was released, many people came to me
with information that only served to confirm any lingering
doubts I had about those involved in Tammy’s murder and
its cover-up.
But does being right make it all right?
Prima non Nocere is an ethic held by many in the medical
community. It means “first do no harm.”
In other words, you don’t want to cure the disease but kill
the patient in the process.
If I wrestle with anything, it is this notion. Have I done
more harm than good in releasing The Homecoming?
Have I hardened the hearts of those holding onto this secret?
Those holding onto this secret had thirteen years to come
forward before the release of The Homecoming. Developing
a conscience after all that time, I have to believe, would be
more difficult for these people than growing a third leg.
I just don’t see how anything I had to say would have made a
dent...unless I was wrong about what happened that night.
If I were wrong, I'm pretty sure they would have had good
grounds for a defamation lawsuit.
Some have asked me why I feel the need to keep rocking the
boat. I have to answer back, what’s the alternative? What
would you do?
I have yet to have anybody give me a satisfactory answer.
In a perfect world, Eric Stukel should have just confessed to
what he had done and made life easy on all of us. In fact, I
think he wanted to those first days but was pressured by
family and friends to keep his silence. Better yet, he could
have shown some restraint and Tammy might still be alive.
So much for living in a perfect world...
I never really had any illusions about Eric Stukel or his
friends coming forward with the truth.
As far as I’ve been able to tell, they just weren’t brought up
with a moral compass which pointed in the direction of
truth…and the lack of compassion they’ve shown towards
Tammy’s friends and family over the years has been
frightening.
I hate to say "so much for them" because I want to believe
anybody can be redeemed, but I really haven't seen a change
of heart in any of these people.
I did have another target in mind when I wrote The
Homecoming though -- the community of Yankton.
My perception was that most people who knew about the
case were lukewarm about what happened to Tammy,
though I do think my perception of the situation was a bit
oversimplified at the time.
People just didn’t know what happened to Tammy and had
no way of finding out unless somebody came forward with
some facts.
Without the facts, people were able to comfort themselves
with the illusion that Tammy died in some freak accident --
that it wasn't an act of evil that ended her life. Illusions like
this are rarely ever helpful or healthy to any community.
I suppose, after enduring ten years of utter silence, my goal
was to get people so worked up that they would go in and
investigate the case for themselves, demanding answers
from those involved, demanding full disclosure of case
documents from law enforcement. I wanted to strip the
people involved in this crime of their anonymity.
I hoped I could spark a fire that would shine the light of
truth so bright nobody would be able to hide.
Or maybe that’s all just hyperbole after the fact.
In the end, I was never thinking in terms of fact or fiction.
The Homecoming was my heart’s cry to God…why her?
I suppose I’m still waiting for an answer.
m.c. merrill
Postscript:
Had I taken a course or two in journalism over my eight
years of higher learning, I might have considered writing
this story as a work of non-fiction.
The thought really never occurred.
Interestingly enough though, last summer I did get a crash
course working as a reporter for one of the local
newspapers…
More to come on this.
Why did you write The Homecoming as a work of fiction?
Doesn’t the blend of fact and fiction create a real quagmire
for the reader?
Yes, unfortunately, it does.
Frankly, creative writing is my field of expertise…so what
came out was a work based on the facts of a real-life crime,
framed in the world of fiction. The genre is known as
Roman a clef (novel with a key.)
Had I a degree in journalism, I might have written the story
differently. In fact, the story was first written as my
Master's thesis screenplay at the University of Southern
California, so anybody with a bit of knowledge of film
theory might see a mystery plot-structure similar to that of
a movie like Chinatown at work in the novel.
In hindsight I might now be able to say, “Gee, wouldn’t it
have been nice if I had written this differently or that
differently.” But in the end, not one shred of evidence has
come my way to indicate my basic premise was wrong.
In fact, after the book was released, many people came to me
with information that only served to confirm any lingering
doubts I had about those involved in Tammy’s murder and
its cover-up.
But does being right make it all right?
Prima non Nocere is an ethic held by many in the medical
community. It means “first do no harm.”
In other words, you don’t want to cure the disease but kill
the patient in the process.
If I wrestle with anything, it is this notion. Have I done
more harm than good in releasing The Homecoming?
Have I hardened the hearts of those holding onto this secret?
Those holding onto this secret had thirteen years to come
forward before the release of The Homecoming. Developing
a conscience after all that time, I have to believe, would be
more difficult for these people than growing a third leg.
I just don’t see how anything I had to say would have made a
dent...unless I was wrong about what happened that night.
If I were wrong, I'm pretty sure they would have had good
grounds for a defamation lawsuit.
Some have asked me why I feel the need to keep rocking the
boat. I have to answer back, what’s the alternative? What
would you do?
I have yet to have anybody give me a satisfactory answer.
In a perfect world, Eric Stukel should have just confessed to
what he had done and made life easy on all of us. In fact, I
think he wanted to those first days but was pressured by
family and friends to keep his silence. Better yet, he could
have shown some restraint and Tammy might still be alive.
So much for living in a perfect world...
I never really had any illusions about Eric Stukel or his
friends coming forward with the truth.
As far as I’ve been able to tell, they just weren’t brought up
with a moral compass which pointed in the direction of
truth…and the lack of compassion they’ve shown towards
Tammy’s friends and family over the years has been
frightening.
I hate to say "so much for them" because I want to believe
anybody can be redeemed, but I really haven't seen a change
of heart in any of these people.
I did have another target in mind when I wrote The
Homecoming though -- the community of Yankton.
My perception was that most people who knew about the
case were lukewarm about what happened to Tammy,
though I do think my perception of the situation was a bit
oversimplified at the time.
People just didn’t know what happened to Tammy and had
no way of finding out unless somebody came forward with
some facts.
Without the facts, people were able to comfort themselves
with the illusion that Tammy died in some freak accident --
that it wasn't an act of evil that ended her life. Illusions like
this are rarely ever helpful or healthy to any community.
I suppose, after enduring ten years of utter silence, my goal
was to get people so worked up that they would go in and
investigate the case for themselves, demanding answers
from those involved, demanding full disclosure of case
documents from law enforcement. I wanted to strip the
people involved in this crime of their anonymity.
I hoped I could spark a fire that would shine the light of
truth so bright nobody would be able to hide.
Or maybe that’s all just hyperbole after the fact.
In the end, I was never thinking in terms of fact or fiction.
The Homecoming was my heart’s cry to God…why her?
I suppose I’m still waiting for an answer.
m.c. merrill
Postscript:
Had I taken a course or two in journalism over my eight
years of higher learning, I might have considered writing
this story as a work of non-fiction.
The thought really never occurred.
Interestingly enough though, last summer I did get a crash
course working as a reporter for one of the local
newspapers…
More to come on this.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
