Are You Interested?

Question

My wife and I are currently working hard on a book that is more of an investigative reporting than anything else.
Five black people in east Knoxville raped and murdered two privledged white kids from west Knoxville back in January 2007.

Since then there have been so many rumors, protests, horrible reporting, lack of national media-attention, public anger, sadness & speculation that the entire subject warrents setting the record straight from beginning to end.

Our plans are to take the reader on a step by step account of EVERYTHING - including interviews with the suspects, interviews with the suspects family, friends and employers, interviews with the victim's family members, friends, employers, etc...

My question is
(Since this happened 8 months ago) does anyone give a damn? Would anyone buy the book? With so much garbage happening in the world today, would anyone take the time to dig into this story with us?

http://www.snopes.com/politics/crime/newsom.asp

http://www.volunteertv.com/news/headlines/8036687.html

There is so much to this story. Every time we get one piece of information it becomes either unconfirmed or contradicted a million different ways.

All of it is constantly changing - So far we've created a time line and have visited the crime-scenes, we've talked to a few people and are facing a/an "I can't comment" wall because the cases (each to be tried seperately) are still in the courts and the trials don't even begin until May 2008.

I/we have decided to begin the book and write the story as it evolves, althewhile digging for the truth behind all of it. - It's a journy, and as-always, in my style of writing - the reader is coming with us.
In the end the unbiased truth will be exposed - I am nothing without it.
Thank you all for answering this question.

8/20/07
If anything – at this point we are finding a direct relation between race and the writers and reporters of the internet. Many (if not most) of the articles were written from a racial-standpoint… that-is white on black racism. – Many, if not most, were nothing more than cut and paste, watered-down versions of the original racially-motivated articles and as the factless stories continued to be copied from each other, each racist writer would add a new lie or two.
The red flags began with keywords in their articles such as certain, certainty and I. Continuous references to the Ana Nicole Smith and the Don Imus stories made me begin to wonder if all of these articles were written by the same person under, of course, different names.

Prejudice is an interesting word and it’s funny that ______ uses this word continuously throughout his article exactly one year before any of the suspects above have gone to trial.

Answer 1

I think people would be interested, but for all the wrong reasons if ethnicity is one of the routes taken in writing the story. For one, approaching the subject racially throws people completely off track with the focus. Then the story becomes, literally, black and white, when it's much more complex, hence the desire to make the book to illuminate those complexities.

I never heard of the story personally, I don't take much to watching the TVs, it's incredibly depressing and just creates more anxiety, fear and division amongst people, in my own opinion of course.

Would I buy the story honestly? I can't say. The topic IS interesting, but is a constant thing in the world today as you pointed out. What is unique about it? What is so special that sets it apart and makes it more than the normal of abnormal behavior and events?

Answer 2

If it's interesting, then it's interesting. It doesn't matter how long ago it took place, as long as you don't plan on sensationalizing or pandering to the true crime crowd it could be an interesting take on a historical event. There are a great many books written on things that happened more than eight months ago.

It's unfortunate that things are forgotten so quickly.

It sounds like you've decided that they are guilty though and you might want to show a bit more objectiveness unless they've been convicted of the crime.

Answer 3

A lot depends on how it's written. "In Cold Blood" is about a killing in Kansas, and written long after the fact. But Truman Capote wrote an engaging book. Make it relevant to the reader and people will read it.

Answer 4

Here's a possible plan. Do your research and interviews. Write the first draft of the manuscript. Send copies to Reverend Jesse Jackson and Reverend Al Sharpton. I guarantee that they will put you and your proposed book in the national spotlight before it is even published.

Answer 5

I wouldn't but im only 14. So like you said I don't give a damn whats going on in the world (most of the time any way).

Answer 6

I'd be interested in reading/hearing about it...it sounds like something Dateline would cover...although seems they do their stories years after the incidents...

Answer 7

i wouldn't read it.