May 2022 Dear Librarians and SinC Members, As a former rare book librarian, I loved reading my fellow board member, Tracee de Hahn, describe researching her mysteries by consulting primary contemporaneous sources, including maps—particularly Sanborn maps. Please see her wonderful article below, and if you happen to be unfamiliar with Sanborn maps, check out the digital collection of them at the Library of Congress: here A new We Love Libraries grant winner will be selected in June. Please find details and the link to apply below. |
|
Authors in Libraries by Tracee de Hahn Libraries were an early part of my love of reading. I have strong memories of a small library in Ruleville, Mississippi, where I checked out my first Agatha Christies and, of all things, biographies of Marie Antoinette and Mary, Queen of Scots. Interesting reading for a fourth or fifth grader! To this day I experience a sense of joy when I enter a library—particularly a large research library. There is something about the smell and feel of a place dedicated to learning. I think I would know a library if dropped into one blindfolded. These days, I continue to use libraries while researching for my books. I begin with an idea: a setting, a situation, and, since they are mysteries, a way to die. The library is a first stop for the basics around each point. I may be familiar with the setting, but details matter. How much snow do they routinely experience? What are the details about that one terrible blizzard? When conducting research for Swiss Vendetta, I used the library to check details against my memory to create my fit-for-a-murder blizzard scene. Primary sources are the backbone of research. Not what would I make of an event I’ve heard about, but what did the people at that time make of it? How did it feel, look, taste? What did in-the-moment onlookers remember and recount? Through the library I can access letters, journals, and newspapers written by those who experienced an event firsthand. Perhaps it is my background in architecture, but place is important to my writing. Maps are an invaluable resource. They show today and yesterday and a hundred years ago. In the United States, Sanborn maps are a living document of the changes to cities. Each page is a section of a city, and between printings the insurance agents would update the buildings with tiny cut out forms. A literal moment in time before the next permanent map edition was printed. Big picture, smallest detail, confirmation or inspiration, libraries and librarians are an author’s best friend and constant guide. |
|
(Photo Credit: Amy Pearman) Tracee de Hahn is the author of traditional mysteries published by Minotaur Books. Her novels include Swiss Vendetta and A Well-Timed Murder, both set against the beautiful, yet sometimes harsh backdrop of Switzerland. Tracee has a bachelor of architecture and a master’s degree in history. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America (MWA), ITW (International Thriller Writers) and Sisters in Crime (SinC) where she serves as Membership Liaison for SinC National. Tracee has participated on numerous writing panels and appeared as a guest lecturer in writing workshops. She is also a mentor and instructor with the Author’s Academy at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and learning in Lexington, KY. Tracee works and writes from her home in southwest Virginia. |
|
How Can Your Library Win a We Love Libraries Grant? Does your library need materials? Do you have a great idea for a library program? Apply for the We Love Libraries award! Find grant details and the brief grant application on our website. A WLL winner of $500 is selected every other month. |
|
Do you have a great idea for an article in We Love Libraries News? Did your library put together an excellent display of mysteries that you would like to share? Submit your ideas and suggestions to Susan Hammerman, Library Liaison at |
|
To find out more about all SinC offers, including live webinars, please visit our website. Thank you for all you do for your communities. Sisters in Crime loves libraries. Best wishes and happy reading! Susan Hammerman
Library Liaison Susan Hammerman, a former rare book librarian, is the Library Liaison and coordinator of the We Love Libraries program. Susan writes crime and neo-noir short stories. Her stories have been published by Mystery Magazine, Dark City Mystery Magazine, Blood and Bourbon, Mondays are Murder, and Retreats From Oblivion. Website, Twitter |
|
WLL and WLB News Editor: Gail Lukasik’s latest book, White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passing, was named one of the most inspiring stories of the year by The Washington Post. She is also the author of the Leigh Girard Mystery series and the stand-alone mystery, The Lost Artist. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, such as The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, and The Georgia Review. Gail appeared in the documentary, History of Memory, which is available on Amazon Prime. |
|
Here's a spreadsheet with our members' 2022 books. This month's releases are in a separate worksheet. Sort the spreadsheet by author name, location, title, or release date. |
|
Sisters in Crime hosts LIVE webinars each month. Webinars last 60-90 minutes depending on the topic and the audience questions! These webinars are open to all. |
|
Looking for diverse books? For many years, SINC has curated Frankie’s List, an extensive list of crime novels by people of color and other marginalized groups. Frankie Y. Bailey, building on work by the late Eleanor Taylor Bland, began to compile a list of published Black crime writers over a decade ago. Frankie has expanded the list to include other WOC and LGBTQ+ authors. Here’s a link: https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/FrankiesList |
|
Sisters in Crime is the premier crime writing association focused on equity and inclusion in our community and in publishing. Our 4,500+ members enjoy access to tools to help them learn, grow, improve, thrive, and reinvent if necessary. They also gain a community of supportive fellow writers and readers, both peers to share the peaks and valleys of writing, and mentors to model the way forward. |
|
|
