Mystery History - The Salem Witchcraft Trials End

It was on this day in 1692 that seven men and women were hung after they were convicted of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. Used as inspiration by dozens of artists, musicians and writers, the events stun us even today. How did the town descend so rapidly into chaos and madness?

The town of Salem had seen an influx of refugees from the devastation of King William's War in 1689. The strain on resources among the town folk caused a great deal of conflict between the established wealthy and powerful families and the newcomers. By the time the trials ended, the hysteria surrounding the accusations had claimed twenty innocent lives.

 It began when some of the teen-aged girls became to bark and yelp like animals and reported seeing strange things. They soon accused their afflictions on three women, one a slave, one a beggar, another an impoverished old spinster. A panel of male judges declared them witches and held them for trial. A declaration of innocence did the women little good. When some of them spoke, the girls broke into convulsions, and this was seen as proof of the accusations. One confession was even extracted from a four year old child!

Some victims were accused simply because they declared that the did not believe in witches, such as Martha Cory (she was one of the women hanged this day). Her husband, Giles, defended her and was also accused. Refusing to enter a plea or recognize the authority of the judges, he was punished by being slowly crushed to death.

After the Governor of Massachusetts received news of the trials he put a stop to them. He barred further trials, released the remaining accused and disbanded the court.

Today, the Salem witch trials have come to represent hysteria and xenophobia at their worst, and the events inspired numerous works of literature.

Arthur Miller used the trials as inspiration for his play The Crucible. Shirley Jackson's short story, The Lottery, is said by some to have been inspired by the trials. And elements of teenage angst and hysteria are prominent in Megan Abbott's novel, The Fever (although the author points more directly to strange events in an upper New York state town as her direct inspiration).

A complete list of cultural references to the Salem Witch trials in art, music and literature would be enormous and beyond the scope of this blog, but a partial list is featured here.

Mystery Weekend Roundup for May 11, 2014

Mother's Day Crime Fiction

Janet Rudolph, who created several crime fiction blogs including Mystery Readers International and Mystery Fanfare, has come out with a Mother's Day list of crime fiction. Janet assembles these lists around each holiday, and they're a treat to browse or use to find a new book to read. My favorite from this list? How To Murder Your Mother-In-Law by Dorothy Cannell. The fun starts when the main character's mother-in-law moves in and it isn't long before the bodies begin to pile up in this cozy mystery.

If you like your fiction shorter, pick up Mom, Apple Pie & Murder, edited by Nancy Pickard, former President of Sisters In Crime. The collection includes a story by Nancy  as well as 10 apple recipes. It's a tasty entree in this crime fiction sub-genre.


Crimespree Magazine Interview With Ben Leroy and Alison Dasho

Jon Jordan, founder of Crimespree Magazine, has an interview cover story in this month's issue with Benjamin Leroy, who founded Bleak House Books & Tyrus Books,  and Alison Dasho, who edited many of the award nominated crime novels they published. Don't miss this great look at the origins of one of the best independent publishers to emerge in the world of crime fiction.

The discussion looks at the origins of the press, how publishing has changed with the emergence of ebooks, and hear from some of the writers whose careers have been changed for the better by this dynamic duo. Bookmark the interview...you'll want to savor it. Start here.


The Shirley Jackson Award Nominees

The Shirley Jackson Award has released the list of nominees for 2013. The award is presented for those writers who demonstrate "outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic." A lot of impressive writers are on this year's list, including Joyce Carol Oates for The Accursed, and Megan Abbott for My Heart Is Either Broken, from the anthology, Dangerous Women.


The Writer's Game


There aren't many better ways to restore those creative juices after a day spent pounding on the keyboard than to play a game. And if you've wondered what it takes to become a successful writer, this just might be the game for you. It involves a bit of luck, but then so does getting published. And it's a lot more fun than watching Wheel of Fortune. You can even share your score on Facebook and Twitter.

So pick up the dice and roll away! From the Los Angeles Times, How To Be A Writer.