Writer's Corner - Writer's Bios

KATHLEEN A. CARBONE

Kathleen Carbone

Kathleen s a forty-one year old native of Massachusetts who works in laboratory medicine and occasionally practices/teaches aikido when the spirit of guilt moves her. She has been a Borden devotee for many years, and lives with two cats who are presently plotting her demise. Her "I Love Lizzie" episodes and her ongoing novel on Lizbeth of Maplecroft are great contributions to this site. Look for more of Kathleen's work here in the future.

SHERRY AND MARLA CHAPMAN

Sherry and Marla Chapman are mother and daughter from Detroit, Michigan. Mom has the ongoing Lizzie interest; her family gets dragged along. Marla's sense of humor is close to Mom's & they had a blast doing the jokes. Marla's a good sport -- she let Mom put her in the little hall closet at the B & B to see if a person could fit in there (they can!). Sherry is a Sunday School director and writes freelance in her spare time.

EUGENE HOSEY

Eugene Hosey is a 42-year-old artist, webmaster, and book designer who works for a research company. He has recently begun making prints of his works he hopes to eventually sell from his web site. A graduate of Georgia State University, his thesis was a collection of character studies of Civil War leaders. He has also written a number of Civil War battle accounts. Lately he's done some work as a non-professional but serious poet. Eugene is single and very much a loner. He loves to travel and his three favorite places are Colorado, New York City, and Miami Beach. He loves The Lizzie Borden Virtual Museum and Library, the Lizzie Borden Society Forum, and the wonderful people there. His user name is Haulover if you would ever like to chat with him about the case.

TINA ROUSE
Click here for a link to Tina's book.

Tina Rouse

Writing Lizzie

Truth is stranger than fiction. This old cliché sums up the mystery of Lizzie Borden, as well as the trip that initially inspired me to write about this enigmatic woman.

When Stefani graciously offered to include my stories as part of her wonderful web site, she asked me if I'd like to also include an Author's Bio. I thought about it for a while, and decided I'd rather share a bit of my own personal Lizzie experience instead.

In August of 2000, finding myself with a free weekend, I decided to take a spontaneous trip to Fall River. I'd been fascinated with the Lizzie Borden legend for perhaps 25 years, and I always wanted to go there. Quite a trek by bus, all the way from Toronto, Canada. But hey, I got the itch, and I knew if I didn't indulge myself in this bit of eccentricity, I'd always regret it. Ever had that 'now or never' feeling? So, I threw a few things in my backpack that Friday, and off I went.

Between stopovers and bus transfers, I arrived in Fall River some 26 hours later, on an empty stomach and no sleep. I was laughing at myself, because it seemed like the classic pilgrimage! The whole experience seemed surreal. Fall River is lovely, and a lot different from what I'd expected. We entered on a road from Providence, and suddenly I saw a bridge ahead, and to the left, Fall River rising like a basin from the Taunton River. It's very charming, with a well preserved Victorian flavor. The bus station is directly across the street from the house, and I made the last tour of the day.

The house was cheerier than I'd expected, but then again, I'd always imagined how it had been during Lizzie's era, with that 'genteel shabbiness'. The only room in the house that made me feel terribly uncomfortable was Andrew's sitting room. The air felt thick, and I felt this wave of incredible pain and hopelessness. I couldn't wait to get out of that room! Otherwise, I felt a bit rushed through the house, and would have loved to have lingered longer.

I walked north on Main Street, past the Andrew Borden Building, and got lost on my way to Rock Street. With the help of a few kind souls, I found my way to the Fall River Historical Society. I had the honor of being shown through this gorgeous converted house by none other than Mr. Michael Martins, an extremely knowledgeable and eloquent man.

From there, I walked up The Hill to Maplecroft. I'd tried to make a reservation to see the inside, but my phone calls went unanswered. I was appalled by the lack of upkeep; the houses are generally very lovely in this neighborhood. I took pictures and lingered as long as I dared. Although, I suppose folks are used to us curious Bordenites by now! I had the strange sensation that even though the current owner wouldn't allow me inside, Lizzie did anyway.

As the setting sun shone gold over Fall River, I hopped back on the bus to Manhattan, and onward back home from there. The journey stayed very much with me for a long time afterward, leaving me with an insatiable need to read every Lizzie book I could find.

But the strangest thing of all happened just a few days after I came home. I was back at work, on my lunch break. I'd sat on a short wall outside the building, which contains a small garden of ivy bushes. While eating, I happened to glance down to the bushes. There, laying on the ground, was a hatchet with a broken yellow handle! A friend of mine came out, and I showed it to him, laughing. Just that morning, I'd told him about my weekend trip. He shook his head and gave me an indulgent smile. He's known me for years and is used to my strange observations. I wondered how on earth a handle-less hatchet (of all things!) had ended up beneath the bushes outside a building in Toronto's Design Ghetto. And immediately after my spontaneous trip to Fall River!

In the end, I took it as a 'sign' that I was supposed to write about Lizzie. I'd had some profoundly moving feelings while in Fall River, experiencing the places that had been important in her life. I felt as though I'd 'spoken' with Lizzie, and that she had let me inside of her for a brief glimpse through time. Although I still had no idea about the whole truth of her life, I believe I learned enough to write as though allowing her to show her feelings through my words.

Last fall, a friend encouraged me to finally write these two stories. And, thanks to Stefani and Kat Koorey, I have this great opportunity to share them with those of you who I know would appreciate them the most. I hope you enjoy my glimpses into Lizzie's world.

T. K. Rouse
March 2002