Just an update to say that even though I did see this entry, somehow I missed the bit where apparently he's PLANNING TO WRITE A BOOK BASED ON WHAT RAPE SURVIVORS HAVE CONFIDED IN HIM. (thanks, Ilyka and Wolfa, for highlighting this):
One day I’ll write a book. Well, hopefully several. But this book in particular will be a compilation of all the stories shared with me by survivors. Women (of a variety of different backgrounds) raped, beaten, groped, stalked, threatened, drugged, coerced, tortured, pissed on, and emotionally abused by men (of a variety of different backgrounds). It always strikes me, when listing these abuses, that the words are almost meaningless out of context. Maybe that’s part of the problem. Why would we take men’s violence seriously if we cannot begin to understand, on an emotional level, its effects on the lived experiences of women? I would never try to publish this book - these are not my stories to tell. But sometimes I tinker with the idea of creating something - maybe a work of art - that could somehow demonstrate to people that this problem is real. That the “shocking,” “disgusting,” and “evil” stories they hear about barely scratch the surface.
--oh, right, sorry, he'd "never try to publish it." So this is, what, a coffee table book? Privately bound, kept under the bed?
Which, you know, makes me feel a lot better, because now we know that if nothing else, he's for sure -been directly told- all these stories in confidence, and you know, he's just such an -honest- guy, I totally trust him to keep his word about not eventually deciding to start sussing out publishers after all. I mean, hey, bail is expensive.
Please note the date of when he wrote this, p.s.
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I know I said on my own site I didn't want to speculate that he got off on the stories rape victims told him, but I fail to see what else this specifically could be. This whole story gets slimier and slimier.
I know. I can't see what else it is either. The more this goes on, the less hyperbolic I find the comparison to Ted Bundy, I gotta say. There's something really REALLY off about this one.
The "I'm going to write but not publish a book" illogic aside... I'm left wondering whether that prospect is actually illegal in Iowa or wherever he was at that time.
A quick googling suggests that it is, or at least Mr. Payne's former university thinks it is:
http://www.bvu.edu/living_at_bvu/student_services/counseling_services/counseling_services1.dot#confident
"According to federal and state law, information given to the counselor(s) is privileged and cannot disclosed without the students written consent."
Not that the boy has a great track record when it comes to things like consent (or to things like laws).
Actually, that seems to be for a licensed counselor. I can't find info on any sort of student program, so I'm not sure if confidentiality is mandated by law. (Sure as hell should be, as it fits exactly the common law rationale for privileging information.)
I'm wondering what measures the university is planning to take in light of all this, since July 1 I mean.
Yeah...while I've tried to write books before...never even tried to publish because I have a wandering mind and writer's block issues, and a lot of my ideas weren't wonderful anyway, et cetera, they were...fiction. Usually based heavily on my own experiences.
So if he wants to write something just for the hell of writing it, I can't stop him. But there's a big difference between writing fiction because the inspiration won't go away, and writing about other peoples' experiences...other peoples' bad experiences...because they turn you on.
Nevermind that I wouldn't trust him not to publish it. Maybe using fake names for people. But if my story were told to someone who knew me, even with a fake name, they'd know it was me. Also, having a book that's essentially, "Genevieve was raped, 'Cindy' was raped, 'Christine' was raped..." well, that would get tedious after a while. I'm guessing that he'd be telling these women's life stories, explaining what led up to whatever happened to them...making it even easier for the people who would want to hurt us to know who we are.
(Yeah, I'm paranoid and I take my privacy very seriously.)
But this guy now is semi-famous around the blogosphere. No one likes him, but they know of him. (As they should, he deserves all the despising we can throw at him.) And he might have to spend some time in jail. (Hopefully.) I would not be at all surprised if one of the less scrupulous publishers decided that giving him a venue to express himself was a marvelous way to sell books. I can see this being heavily promoted.
And a convicted sex offender with few job prospects? Who is already a proven creep? Why wouldn't he jump at such a prospect?
Urgh.
I dunno, from a publisher's POV, if they could be explained to very clearly and very early on exactly what they'd be letting themselves in for by publishing such a thing, it might not be worth their while. And as a pitch it comes off a bit creepy even for sensationalists, I would think. but then, I am naive sometimes.
Hi Belle. I can't seem to find an email addy for you, so forgive me for putting this in your comments. I'd like to invite you (and any bloggers reading this) to contribute to the 61st Carnival of Feminists.
http://diaryofafreakmagnet.blogspot.com/2008/07/call-for-submissions.html
kpayne reminds me of that character Rusty from Mad TV.
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