Stories for October 2002

October 30, 2002

Now This is Really Scary

I don’t think we’ll ever be ready for John Allen Muhammad or John Lee Malvo Halloween costumes. But if you’re still undecided about who you would like to be tomorrow night, there is still a overabundance of very scary public…


October 27, 2002

The Wicked Witch is Dead

She’s dead. You killed her. Hail to Dorothy. The Wicked Witch is dead. Chorus: Hail to Dorothy. The Wicked Witch is dead. The Wizard of Oz It wasn’t exactly like that. In J.R.R. Tolkien’s third book of the Lord of…


October 19, 2002

A Few Words on Violence

Since the sniper attacks began, there have been 18 “traditional homicides” in the area. They included a congressional intern who was also a poet. A mother found stabbed in her apartment. A young man who called his mother every day…


October 18, 2002

A Nagging Zig Zagging

I feel a little foolish. I find myself unable to stand still or walk in a straight line these days. With the sniper still at large, I am zig zagging in suburbia. I don’t seem to feel this compulsion when…


October 7, 2002

The Terrorist Amongst Us

What does a terrorist look like? After five days of living amongst someone who gets his kicks from killing and scaring people, I am trying to visualize him: to think about what he really looks like. To see a…


October 3, 2002

Shooting Spree Too Close

A coworker just came to my cube to ask me if I knew about a murder spree in my part of the Maryland suburbs. I didn’t but work to hear the details she imparts while deciding whether I should call…