I love true crime non-fiction by investigative reporters. And, in my opinion, there’s no one better at that genre than Mara Leveritt.

I first heard her speak at a writer’s conference several years ago on the subject of vetting her 1998 book, Boys on the Tracks. (To vet: to examine carefully. In this case to make sure there was nothing in the book that could be considered slanderous.)  After the conference, I went home and raved about her so that my daughters drove to Books-a-Million (I told you it was several years ago) and bought the book for me straight away.  I can’t remember now why I didn’t buy it at the conference as is my normal practice.

I recalled the case of the teenagers from Saline County who were killed when hit by a train in a bizarre incident. I lived in Tennessee at the time and was able to read follow-ups only sporadically.  Reminded of the story, I couldn’t wait to catch up on the happenings.

Mara Leveritt is a seasoned investigative reporter, columnist and contributing editor for the Arkansas Times. She has won many awards for her work. She writes her books like a reporter should report: just the facts. Every statement made is footnoted and documented from court records or interviews with those involved.  Her absolute thoroughness and years of research are likely the reasons she has written only two books in this genre.

Much of the narrative in her book about the boys in Saline County involved not only the crime of murdering the boys, but also the corruption of people and agencies up and down the line that didn’t do their jobs in solving the case. St. Martin Press, publishers of The Boys on the Tracks, insisted on an in depth look at the supporting documentation.  During the conference, in discussing the vetting of her book, Ms. Leveritt said that she had never been sued, though “my life has been threatened.”

Her second book of this nature was The Devil’s Knot (2002, Atria), about the investigation, arrest and trial of the three young men known as the West Memphis Three. Both books were awarded the prestigious Arkansas Booker Worthen Prize.

Soon after publishing The Devil’s Knot, Mara Leveritt established a newsletter titled DK2, continuing to follow the story of the West Memphis Three, which was obviously not over just because the three were incarcerated. Contributions went to pay legal fees for the trio. Leveritt’s latest book, Justice Knot, examines events that culminated last year when the West Memphis Three were suddenly released from prison.  I plan to own and read this book.

Mara Leveritt is an excellent journalist, writing not to convince so much as to allow all the facts to be heard so a fair opinion can be formed.

To learn more about Mara Leveritt and her books visit maraleveritt.com

I became a fan of William E. Barrett 40 or more years ago when I belonged to the Doubleday One-Dollar Book Club. Each month I chose from selections for $1.00 or perhaps a bit more depending on the fame of the author or expected popularity of the book.

The first Barrett novel I remember reading was The Shape of Illusion, published in 1972. A young man visits an art gallery and sees a painting of Christ being led through a stone-throwing mob. He sees his own face on one of the angry men about to lob a rock at Jesus. His quest to find the artist and learn more about the magic of the painting leads him “finally to discover the most precious gift a person can receive.” (book jacket quote)

Other novels I acquired at this time were The Wine and the Music, dealing with the issue of celibacy in the priesthood, and A Woman in the House, about a young monk moving from the solitary life he has known and working through relationships he had never had before.

The Left Hand of God, published in 1951, was one of Barrett’s most popular books. When I saw the movie with Humphrey Bogart and realized it was from a Barrett novel, I promptly found it in the public library. (I reviewed The Left Hand of God, book and movie, on January 20, 2013.)

In 1962 a short story Barrett had written earlier was published by Doubleday. Lilies of the Field was an immediate success and became a motion picture before he had even agreed to sell the rights! The movie won a Best Actor Oscar for Sydney Poitier.

William E. Barrett was a devout Catholic and many of his stories are based in that doctrine. All those I have mentioned here are along this line. I find they have a depth not usually found in the Christian fiction genre of today.

Though my favorite books come from his later works, William Barrett had a long career in writing, beginning with ghost writing term papers in college and moving to pulp fiction in his early years, speeches for political candidates, action thrillers, and biographies. He died in 1986 at the age of 86.

Many of his books are still available at Amazon.com, public libraries (or their sales) and used book stores.

In 2010, I took a facebook challenge from my granddaughter, Elizabeth (who is way ahead of me on these things), to list 15 authors whose work I enjoy.  The challenge may have said something like “Authors I have read and will read again.”  As I look now at that list I posted then, off the top of my head, I can see the influence of what I was reading at the time. Also, there are some writers I missed, or new favorites I would add and a few I would replace, if I am limited to 15.

So, today, I’m revising the old list and over the next couple of weeks, I will tell you why I enjoy these particular writers. The first list was in no particular order, this one is alphabetical.

1. Jane Austen
2. William E. Barrett
3. Dave Barry
4. E. L. Doctorow
5. Karen Kingsbury
6. Wally Lamb
7. Anne La Mott
8. Mara Leverit
9. Brett Lott
10.Max Lucado
11. Catherine Marshall
12. Donald Miller
13. Jodi Picoult
14. Anna Quindlin
15. Anita Shreve

Four were deleted from the original list and here’s the reason:

Robert Frost: I fell in love with Robert Frost’s poetry when I heard my daughters’ high school chorus perform a musical setting of “Stopping by the Woods.” It was not only beautiful notes, it enhanced the rhythm of his words. I have read his poetry with enjoyment ever since. But I decided to make this a list of prose writers.

Neil Simon: He’s one of my very favorite playwrights, but I have several and I decided not to go there.

Gary Paulsen: I have read some excellent Young Adult fiction by Gary Paulsen, Richard Peck, Ann Martin and others. I decided that’s a whole other category.

Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird is probably my favorite book and movie. But if the list limits me to “authors I have read and will read again”, alas, I don’t think Harper Lee will qualify. I blogged about Mockingbird, the book, movie, and writer about a year ago. Find it on the right, under Reading List or Writing.

So, that’s my list. Not off the top of my head but with a lot of thought. And I’ll tell you why.  Next week.

I read 11 non-fiction books during the past 12 months. Four were inspirational genre: What Difference Do It Make by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, Is This Seat Taken by Kristin S. Kaufman, and If You Want to Walk on Water You Have to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg.

When I’m reading a collection of poetry I like to go slowly, one or two poems a day, to feel the rhythm and think about the meaning.  I finished two compilations in 2012: 100 Best Poems of All Time, edited by Leslie Pockell (I’m always interested to see what “they” consider “the best”) and The Poets Roundtable of Arkansas 71st Anthology, a gift from my friend Pat Laster. Pat, a past president of PRA, contributed several poems to this book.

I love investigative non-fiction and in 2012 I devoured Mara Leveritt’s The Devil’s Knot (don’t know why I waited so long to dig into this story about the Memphis Three) and The Pastor’s Wife by Diane Fanning. Ms. Fanning did well with the story of the preacher’s wife in Tennessee who shot her husband, but for investigative reporting no one holds a candle to Mara Leveritt– in my opinion.

An interesting book for folks living in White County is Images of America — Searcy Arkansas by Patsy Pipkin and Carolyn Boyles, two friends from White County Creative Writers. People who grew up in Searcy will especially love this pictorial history of that town.

Marley and Me by John Grogan is a delightful story about a man, his family and his great big Labrador Retriever. It was made into a sweet movie with Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston (and a big dog).

You Might as Well Live by John Keats is the story of the life and times of Dorothy Parker.  It pains me that many under-fifty types might say, “Who?” She was a popular, successful writer during the Twenties-Thirties-Forties when poets and storytellers could support themselves writing for the popular magazines of the day. She never wrote a novel, but did compile her short stories and poems into collections. These books would be a rare find today in a flea market or estate sale. D.P. was known as a wit and free thinker who always said exactly what was on her mind, unusual for a woman of that time.

Of the 20 books I read in 2012, 8 were gifts and another 3 were recommended by friends who know I like to read.  Indeed I do and I am glad to share my reading with you.

My goal for 2013 is to read four classics and six writers I have never read before. Who knows what else will capture my fancy and be added to the list?

Another goal is to publish my fourth book, a novel-based-on-a-true-story (creative non-fiction?) as yet untitled but really, really close to being finished.  More about that later.