A few weeks ago, I read the February book selection for Jenny Lawson’s - you may know her as “The Bloggess” - book club, The Fantastic Strangelings.
The book, titled American Sherlock, written by Kate Winkler Dawson, was recently launched and it’s right up my alley: **I’m counting these off on my fingers for drama** it has your history, it has your true crime, and it has - and this truly is catnip to me - pictures!
I’m truly intrigued by Dawson and her delicious story-telling.
Heinrich and his assistants | Photo courtesy EO Heinrich/UC Berkley, with permission from Kate Winkler Dawson
The fact that she’s just right up the road from me - just right here in Austin, teaching journalism at The University of Texas - and that she’s done the thing that I want to do: write a nonfiction book and do it well.
This was a connection that I just had to make, so I could pluck from her brain all the nitty gritty pertaining to her techniques in hopes that I can do everything she did and be just like her in every way.
Like in “Single White Female*”.
I reached out to her and she agreed to answer some questions, which I admittedly tailored a few to suit my own needs as a writer 😏.
But - in an effort to give a peek into this book and to the woman who brought it to life, and not to just get answers for my own damn self, this interview does actually serve you as a reader, too..
Here’s My Interview With Kate Winkler Dawson
Kate Dawson Winkler © Paepin Goff 2019
Me: You mentioned in an interview with Jenny Lawson that you’ve had people approach you to ask, “So this is MOSTLY true, right?” and you tell them that no, it’s COMPLETELY true. You said that with thorough research, you’re able to amp up the drama while staying aligned with the truth, which is what - for me - makes a story so interesting. What is the criteria for being able to call a book “nonfiction” in a case like this, where you’ve included dialogue without knowing for certain what was said?
Kate: The good news is that I do know what was said! I had incredible sources--more than 2,000 letters between Oscar and all of these folks--so I could quote directly or paraphrase. You simply cannot make things up and call a book nonfiction--it's against the law (or it should be). I have extensive notes in the back of the book, so you can see where everything came from. It's really important to source EVERYTHING.
Me: Were there other books that served as inspiration for the way you told Heinrich’s story in American Sherlock? Any pieces of other nonfiction titles that led to you saying, “I want to give my readers a vibe like that.”?
Kate: You know, not really. I love narrative nonfiction, but I haven't read many historical true crime books that don't feel like academic books. And I think that has a lot to do with a lack of sources. If you don't have diaries, journals or letters, you just can't really wrap your head around a person.
Me: As a Texan and a professor at the University of Texas, how did you manage the logistics of conducting massive amounts of research at UC Berkeley? Did you spend months at a time in California?
Kate: No, thank goodness. I have 10-year-old twin girls, so spending a month in California is not allowed. I'm really strategic at an archive. I always frantically take photos of EVERY piece of paper in a collection and then sort through it later. And I was able to do a lot of research online. Once I narrowed down the time period and the cases, I was able to focus on his letters and evidence specifically from that time, which made it easier.
Me: How many years of research are we talkin’ for this book?
Kate: Oh, about two years. My projects tend to overlap, so I started researching this book while I was finishing the fog book [she’s referring to her debut nonfiction title, Death In The Air].
Me: You’ve said that you love forensic psychiatry and digging into how a criminal’s mind works. Do you have any go-to authors for that genre who give you that “fix” as a reader?
Kate: So honestly I barely have time to read my OWN writing, let alone someone else's books. But I imagine that as I prepare to write the next book, that will change.
Me: I love how you sort-of bridged the journalism department and the law school class at UT when you became involved in the Actual Innocence Clinic that your dad founded. I’m all about cross-training in an educational and career sense. What kind of careers could these journalism students who learned how to investigate crimes pursue with this specific niche of training? How about your law students who learned journalism skills?
Kate: There's so much cross-over between law and journalism, including classes you can teach, journals you can write for, and law offices you can consult with as an expert in journalism. And there are so many careers I don't know about!
Me: I’m super excited to see you’re launching a podcast later this year! True crime podcasts are blowing up right now and I love it! What makes yours different?
Kate: My podcast is called Tenfold More Wicked (go to katewinklerdawson.com to join my newsletter); each season will have six to seven episodes and they'll be documentary-style. I interview family members from one historically significant case for each season. And I interview experts about the current themes that the case brings up. But it's just good storytelling with creepy music and a great soundscape. The story is the most compelling thing. And you get to learn more about me!
*There is absolutely no way in all hell I can be exactly like this woman. I told her I was impressed at how quickly she got back to me and she said she keeps her inbox at zero WHILE serving as a professor at one of the largest universities in the country and being a mother to twin girls, and I can tell you that I’ve chosen the wrooonnnngg girl to be the Bridget Fonda to my Jennifer Jason Leigh.
I wrote a micro-mini review of American Sherlock on social media for my weekly “What I’m Reading Wednesday” series. You can see it here on Instagram and on Facebook, look here and here.
Also: you follow me, right? Get on it! It’s where all the cool people are!
