Stacy Horn: Class Act.

Today I'd like to share with you the answers I received back to a few of our questions from Stacy Horn, the author of The Restless Sleep: Inside New York City's Cold Case Squad (as well as the books Waiting for My Cats to Die: A Morbid Memoirand Unbelievable: Investigations Into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other Unseen Phenomena from the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory.) Stacy has multiple websites, including the official site for The Restless Sleep and her personal blog. She also notes that she is still in contact with Detective Wendell Stradford, one of the police officers profiled in her book, and has offered to pass along any further questions about his cases or his work to him. I would like to thank Stacy for her answers, and her (and Det. Stradford's) willingness to continue these conversations.

Stacy was very complete in her answers (thank you, Stacy!) so I'm going to let this post ride for a couple of days; don't feel you have to read it all at once.

Question: About how long did it take you to research and write the book, from your idea to completion? Can you provide any insight on why the people you interviewed (both detectives and victims' family members) consented to speak with you?

SH: It took me three years to research and write The Restless Sleep. A few of the cops liked me immediately, but most of them didn't trust me at first and some actively disliked me. Not because of me, but because I represented pretty much everything they hate and distrust, which boils down to: I was from the "media" and I'm a liberal. It really was hard to approach these guys at times, because some of them were so actively hostile. There are some angry people in the police department. This one guy really high up, who was in a position to make my life miserable at times, would do just that. I finally asked him why he was being such a... well, dick. And he answered proudly, "Because I can." You should have seen his face. He was a hero in his own eyes.

However, with few exceptions, most got to like me as they got to know me. I talked to most of the cold case detectives and Wendell, Steve and Tom were the ones who impressed me. Which is not to say there weren't other great detectives in the squad (and some terrible ones), but these three each had an interesting history, interesting or moving cases, and I felt they could represent the squad as a whole. I also just liked them, and knowing I was going to be spending a couple of years with whoever I ended up working with I wanted it to be with guys I liked. There was one more detective  wanted to include, a guy in the Bronx named Mark Tebbins. But someone else was working on a book that would include him so I thought that would be overkill. But he is also a great detective.

I really adore these guys and we're all still friends today.  In fact, I just came back from breakfast with two of them.  I asked Wendell if he would answer questions if you guys had any and he said yes!

The families agreed to talk to me because they hoped that something I did would lead to solving their loved one's murder. Talking to them was really really hard. I don't know how the detectives do it. But even harder was writing about their murdered loved one. I felt an enormous responsibility there. Think about it. Someone has been murdered. Now you have to tell their story knowing that the people who loved them most and suffer their loss every day are going to read every word you write. 

I specifically inserted something I had learned from the book "How We Die," for Christine Diefenbach's father, knowing he was going to read it. I thought it might provide him with just a tiny measure of comfort, to know that his daughter probably did not suffer how he imagined she did.
 
I felt this responsibility about everyone, though. The detectives have families and friends too, who will be reading what I write about them. I had to get it right, to tell the truth with as much compassion and insight as I could summon.

To this day, because of my blog, I still regularly hear from family members who ask for help. And from family members of the murderers and the people who helped the murderers. (So not fun.) It's not easy. 

Question: How did you choose the five cases on which you focused?

SH: I chose the cases I did because I thought between them they'd give a good overview of the kind of work they do. Really old cases, not so old cases, sympathetic victims and less sympathetic victims, mob cases. What's impossible to convey is how many cases they're actively working on. I say the numbers, but unless you witness it, it's hard to imagine. It's insane.

For instance, I had a really hard time keeping all the cases I was writing about straight, who was who, what happened when. I finally literally drew charts and diagrams and timelines and kept them up in front of me the whole time while I was writing. Not a day went by where I didn't think about the fact that I was struggling to follow four cases and each of the detectives were at all times following around 20. Blows my mind still. And they can't walk around with charts and graphs.

Question: How did you decide upon the organization of your book, and was there a reason you chose to divide it by case details and investigations, rather than following a more linear timeline?

SH: I guess I have to accept that the organization wasn't a complete success! But it was extremely carefully purposefully done. The first section was about introducing the history of the squad and the cases. The second section was about the investigations, and the last section was about how everything ended up. Or didn't. I wish I had explained that more and did more hand holding about what was going on. Live and learn.

But I took those charts and timelines and worked and re-worked how to tell the story. I ended up taking a lot out just because there were hundreds of people and thousands of man hours and you saw that it was hard enough following what I left in, never mind all the people and time it took to accomplish what they accomplished. It was a hugh challenge, HUGE. And I guess it wasn't a 100% success. You can't get a home run every time you get up to bat.  But I couldn't have worked harder trying to get it right.

So you've got a great detective who is will to talk to you!  If you have any questions for Det. Wendell Stradford, I will pass them on to him!  For instance, I asked him why he talked to me when so many didn't trust me in the beginning.  And he said it was because I was completely honest about who I was.  Every cop would immediately grill me about myself and I always answered honestly.  "Yes, I'm a liberal.  I'm not just a liberal I am rabid liberal.  I'm as left as you can go."  Etc.  He said because I always told the truth he felt he could trust me.  I wasn't sneaky or cagey.

Comments

[CR Fan]

Everyone here is preoccupied with the coming deluge of snow, but I have been remiss in commenting on the Geary and the Horn. I found Geary interesting, and picked it up because I had started the Horn and found it difficult, not in its structure really, but in its content. I started reading it late, and am still not quite finished, but as I get further into the book, I am appreciating it more and more. I stuck with it because of CR's recommendation, and I'm glad. Recently there have been many domestic murders in Wisconsin, and I know a detective lieutenant, and reading this book is helping me to understand the whole process of solving crime (I thought I had some idea, but like everything else, there's a lot in the details). For me, reading is something I usually do for enjoyment, but the Horn book in particular has reminded me that we also read to learn and I am learning a lot. I think the writing is very well-done in that it helps you to imagine very much while still not claiming to be the whole truth. A very difficult topic handled well. I intend to recommend this book to my friend and have further discussion. Thank you, Ms. Horn.

[Rachael]

Stacy Horn sounds like a class act. I would imagine it's hard to accept that some people just aren't going to like you, and work around it to make a book that is still a successful work (which I think she did). Her genuine liking for and admiration of the detectives comes across in the book, as does her sympathy for the victims (even the less sympathetic ones). Nicely done.

[Citizen Reader]

CR Fan,
Love the name. :)
I agree that Horn's book is a great reminder of the learning component of reading. It was a hard book to say you "enjoyed," but I maintain, it's really quite the book. I wish everyone had more time to read, because this may not be readers' first choice or good escapist nonfiction, but it deserves to be read nonetheless. I would add my thanks to Stacy Horn with yours.

Rachael,
Stacy Horn IS a class act. I can't wait for her to write something new so I can read it. I think the sympathy you describe is my favorite thing about her, too--it comes through in every chapter, you're right, and after researching such ugly and sad topics I think it could have easily been lost. Nicely done, indeed.

[Jessica]

I just wanted to thank Stacy Horn for being so incredibly gracious with her time.

[Stacy Horn]

You guys are the class act and especially Citizen Reader. Thank you so much for your kindness and support. I was thrilled when my book was chosen, especially this one. I got a call last week from one of the detectives and a US Attorney who were looking for help with a project for getting information about missing persons cases, one that was started by the parents of a missing child. For the past couple of days I keep hearing one quote after another which applies to what I want to express now, and they all have to do with our short journey from cradle to grave and the least we can do is what we can to ease each other's burdens. I even heard one last night watching the new 3D movie version of A Christmas Carol. Sometimes the most you can do is just note that someone lived and died. I know the families of murder victims do feel some measure of comfort to know that their loved ones are not forgotten, that people pick up this book and know their names, and that these were people who were cared about, and who should not have been taken this way.

[Care]

Thank you Stacy Horn! This has been a tremendous Book Menage, CR. Thank you for exposing me to new books and new topics and new thoughts.

[Citizen Reader]

Jessica, Care, I would add my thanks to yours. I'm so glad everyone was amenable to true crime as a Menage subject, and to these two books. It's not always bad to read outside your comfort area. And no, that doesn't mean I'll be picking up any Jodi Picoult books. There's "oustide your comfort area," and then there's just "too far outside your comfort area."

Stacy,
Thank you again for your answers and for writing this book, not to mention maintaining a web site where people who are looking for help with their own cold cases can find information. Now THAT is classy. I wish authors like you were the ones who became rich and famous--instead of the Thomas Friedmans of the world, who write big overrated bestsellers and then move on to write other big timely bestsellers. Maybe this is the holiday season I'll get my wish? :)

I agree. Sometimes it's hard to lift your head up out of your own struggles and cares, but if you can ever do something to help with other people's burdens, that's a glorious thing.

I don't know that it'll help Christine Diefenbach's father, but I find myself thinking of her and hoping she's in a better place. (I hope that for all the victims here.) If there's value in the noting you've certainly made me note these people's lives. Thank you for that.

[Rachael]

Is it terrible that I giggle every time you knock Thomas Friedman? Really, actually giggle?

CR, I just picked up the (newish) book about the disappearance of Etan Patz, called After Etan. I'm only about 50 pages in, but I'm having a problem putting it down (wish we were allowed to read at the service desks at my library). It may be one to add to your list, if you like well-written true crime. I'll let you know in a few days, if you like.

[Citizen Reader]

Rachael,
I giggle every time I think of Friedman, and not in a good way. More in a "the guy's a total waste of space who doesn't deserve any of his money" bitter kind of way. So you should giggle too! I love knocking him, and knocking Jodi Picoult, and when I get to knock them both in the same comment, well that's just gravy.

Hey--email and let me know how the trip went!! I'm dying of curiosity.

Oh, and thanks for the "After Etan" suggestion. I saw that and wondered if it was any good.

[Eva]

Thanks Stacy Horn for answering our questions! I'm so impressed with how committed you are to the ramifications of writing a book like this, and it certainly broke my stereotypes about 'true crime' as a genre (I was worried any true crime book would feel exploitative and sensationalistic). And I loved your introduction to bits and pieces! :)