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08:49 am
3/10/08

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writergrl
Some of you may be aware that my hometown, and my university, have been in the news the last few days, and not for a reason you would ever want to be. The student body president at UNC, a girl named Eve Carson who, by all accounts, was an amazing person, full of compassion and incredibly accomplished, was murdered last Wednesday. This happened in a residential neighborhood, one not very far from a house I lived in when I was a student at UNC. It was a brutal murder, completely random and senseless, and our entire community is reeling from it.

I wanted to write about this on Friday, but I felt, in a way, that it wasn't my place. I didn't know Eve Carson, and I felt like it was inappropriate to write here, in this space usually reserved for such fluffy, pop-culture things, about something so serious. But all weekend, I've just been thinking about her, and her family, and while I can't imagine what they must be going through, my heart just breaks for them. I know we live in a dangerous world, and terrible things beyond our comprehension happen every day. But for something like this to happen here, in my hometown, where I have always felt safe, it just....I don't even know what to say about it. Maybe it's because I taught at UNC, and had so many incredible, smart girls like Eve in my classes, girls who I knew right off would go on to do amazing things. Or maybe it's because I have an amazing girl of my own now, one who I wish I knew I could keep safe always, always, always.

I remember when I was teaching one story I always assigned for my students to read was Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find." It starts as kind of a funny story, this larger than life southern family heading off on a road trip, and the grandmother manages to take them off course for her own selfish reasons, and you think that's the worst thing that will happen, that they'll all be at each other's throats. But then, when you least expect it, there's this turn, and something awful and tragic and terrible happens. I remember the first time I read it I kept wanting to put the story down, stop, because it was just too random and awful, and my students often said the same thing. It was just so scary BECAUSE it could happen to you, to anybody. And we want there to be reasons for things. But sometimes....you just don't get that. And it's terrible, and makes you look out at the dark in a different way, and sleep not so well at night. That's what we've been doing, all of us, around there the last few days.

I know this is not the most uplifting entry for your Monday morning, and for that, I apologize. But even in the rush of fun TV shows and celeb crushes and discussions of pastry, reality does butt in, once in a while. I just felt like I wanted to tell someone, anyone, how sorry I was that this happened. That's all.

Have a good day, everyone.
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On March 10th, 2008 01:12 pm (UTC), [info]lkmadigan commented:
I hadn't heard about this, and I'm glad to know ... so I can at least mourn the loss of another promising young life.
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On March 10th, 2008 01:14 pm (UTC), [info]kristydempsey commented:
I'm really glad you shared this. I'm sorry it happened too.
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On March 10th, 2008 02:26 pm (UTC), [info]jt_dominguez commented:
I think I had heard about this...right after I heard about the girl who was killed in Auburn, which is also really close to me. I just can't believe so many things like this can happen.
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On March 10th, 2008 02:49 pm (UTC), [info]chickenbus commented:
so sad.
we were living in CH when the last tragedy happened and the whole twon just felt shaken.

C.

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On March 10th, 2008 03:09 pm (UTC), [info]writingjunky commented:
As always Sarah my prayers are with you and your community. I hope that the outpouring of love from the rest of our nation is felt in North Carolina. If you need anything at all you can get ahold of me by leaving a comment on my LJ.

Love and Prayers,
Teresa g.

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On March 10th, 2008 03:18 pm (UTC), [info]seaheidi commented:
I'm so sorry. I hadn't heard about that yet--it's the scariest part of having kids, I think, knowing that this horrible stuff does happen in our world. So sorry for her family and your community. Hugs.
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On March 10th, 2008 03:32 pm (UTC), [info]jellybeanxoxo commented:
What a terrible thing to happen to anyone, including someone so bright and future-oriented. Thanks for sharing this with us and my heart goes out to my fellow North Carolinians.
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On March 10th, 2008 03:37 pm (UTC), [info]quiller77 commented:
The death of someone so young and full of promise is always hard to deal with (my son's friend died in a vehicle accident just before Christmas so we know), but that element of violence does somehow make it even more tragic.

Sending to your community and that girl's family. So sad.

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On March 10th, 2008 04:18 pm (UTC), [info]dumblonde70816 commented:
I hadn't heard about this yet. Chapel Hill is in my thoughts and prayers.

On a funny side note, I'm actually reading Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" for my American lit. class along with Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood". We just got the story today in fact!

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On March 10th, 2008 05:36 pm (UTC), an anonymous reader commented:
I currently live in Durham and went to library school at UNC last year, so I was there when the student body elected Eve as president. I never met her, but I was very much stunned and saddened by her death. Thank you for writing this.
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On March 10th, 2008 06:22 pm (UTC), [info]ballerinadork46 commented:
I'm glad you wrote about this. As I read the story I couldn't help thinking of this happening at my college campus and it terrifies me. The violence at schools lately is horrifying - this shooting and the one at Auburn; the rape and murder at UNR... it's destroyed that feeling of comfort and safety that all college students long for. I hope this isn't a continuing trend.
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On March 10th, 2008 07:23 pm (UTC), [info]justr3ad commented:
She will be in my prayers...
My principal announced Eve Carson's death on Friday morning, during announcements.
He was really shocked because Eve went to my school and grew up here, In Athens Georgia. He had known her personally.
I was really touched to see him announce this in front of the whole school, and I am just so grateful that she is in a better place and that no one else was harmed.
I am grateful to be alive.
She really taught me a lesson.
...And to think, I didn't even know who she was until three days before!
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On March 10th, 2008 07:48 pm (UTC), [info]mewalker1999 commented:
My heart is breaking, too. I will remember Eve's name, just as I'll remember Kristin Lodge-Miller. Always. Thanks for posting this.
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On March 10th, 2008 08:04 pm (UTC), [info]whirlsofpearls commented:
I was hoping you would address this. I heard about it last week because one of my friends goes to UNC, and I just felt so sad that somebody would do such a senseless thing to someone who was so young and had such a bright future ahead of her. Eve was a great person, and didn't deserve to pass so early. My thoughts are with Chapel Hill and her family.
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On March 10th, 2008 09:20 pm (UTC), [info]italianeyes83 commented:
That is really tragic. I had heard of a college student that was murdered but didn't realize it was a UNC student.
Living in Baltimore, though, I've become in a way desensitized. Every night on the news our reporters have to solemnly list the brutal murders and crimes from the day. When my cousins visited and watched our news they were horrified by the amount of violence in the news. I had just assumed everywhere was like that.
But I do live outside of the city so I've always felt relatively safe. Just recently we had a similar occurence, just shocking. A 14 year old boy shot and killed his parents and brother in the middle of the night in my town (not downtown Baltimore). That just really blew everyone away.
Every once in a while these horrible things happen.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Eve's family and the town of Chapel Hill.
-Rosalee
PS - long depressing comment for a serious post. Happy Monday.
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On March 10th, 2008 10:59 pm (UTC), an anonymous reader commented:
I completely understand what you mean. I attend Auburn University and a freshman was murdered here the same day that Eve was murdered. It has really shaken our community and it's so hard when something so tragic and unexpected happens in a place where I have always felt safe.
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On March 10th, 2008 11:58 pm (UTC), [info]_starkiss commented:
That is so very sad. :( Sometimes the world just seems like such a scary place, where so many bad things happen that it's pointless to try to do anything.

I love Flannery O'Connor. A similar story (in terms of shocking and frightening, not plot) is Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" Absolutely haunting.

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On March 11th, 2008 12:49 am (UTC), an anonymous reader commented:
your the best
i love your books so much
i usally abandon books and i read two of you books in a month long period of time and they werent that thin which were someone like you and the truth about forever
actually i liked you books so much im planning on reading the rest of your books
i just borowed from the library which is just listen and that summer
i was talking about your books to my cuz and she went to the library today and borrowed the truth about forever because i was raving about your books to her
i swear you are like my fav. author ever
from
lisa r
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On March 11th, 2008 01:05 am (UTC), an anonymous reader commented:
weird
i am kind of weird in a way
in books i actually want the main character to be a loser because at the end you see how much they have grown and your like wow! i didnt no she had it in her or he! like in the truth about forever how that girl (sorry i forgot her name) was such a loser and had no social life then meets wes and kisses him at the end which personally i love happy endings like that, its like she grew into a new pant size which in my opinion you did it the best
ecspcialy when you threw curve balls at me like when wes didnt answer her question in truth and she told wes that she didnt like him i mean wow your like the best writer ever!!!!!!!!!!!!
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On March 11th, 2008 02:10 am (UTC), [info]opheliandreams commented:
I've been following this story, and the Auburn student story as they are both from GA, and (relatively) close to where I live.
I, unfortunately, have had a lot of experience with death at school. My high school was in the news when a coach and a classmate were murdered. Summer before senior year, another classmate died in an accident. At college this past year, we had 6 students die in a fire.
Even though the connections I had with these students were limited, you still feel a loss - of innocence, of security. It always affects you more than you imagine.
I am glad you shared.
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On March 11th, 2008 03:33 am (UTC), [info]michi_michuu commented:
Wow, I'm so sorry to hear about that. Was this Eve Carson just there at the wrong time, or what happened to her was on somebody's agenda?? Scary how things can happen to people that you know of. There is so much darkness in this world that we always succumb to it or either turn away and embrace the light, completely ingorant.
She must have been young, I would think.

Also, just wanted to mention that I pre-ordered you newest book, Lock & Key!! I cannot wait!!

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On March 11th, 2008 04:12 am (UTC), [info]lvly_raindrops commented:
Though this is undoubtedly not the most uplifting of your entries, I'm glad you wrote it.

I feel awful for Eve's family and for everyone in your community. It's horrible and tragic and just shouldn't happen.

I can somewhat relate to how you're feeling. A girl from Auburn University near where I live was killed last week. I'm a senior in high school and many of my classmates and friends plan to attend Auburn next year. It's been an uncomfortable week, and I(well, all of us really) feel so terrible and helpless about the whole situation.

I hope that you and your family have a fantastic week, in spite of all the sadness.

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On March 11th, 2008 09:24 am (UTC), an anonymous reader commented:
Eve Carson
The Houston Astros hat that Eve Carson's killer was wearing does have a gang affiliation. The “H” logo pays homage to Larry Hoover who was in various incarnations of the Black Gangster Disciples, which he founded. Throughout the 60’s Hoover created alliances and “nations” of gangs in the Chicago area. Lemaricus Davidson, the lead "accused" black slayer of Channon Christian and Chris Newsome was also a BGD-- and we know what THAT means--the murder of Eve Carson could not POSSIBLY have been racially motivated--lol.

VIDEO ABOUT Eve Carson-
http://podblanc.com/?q=node/14742

VIDEO about her white-ribboned "memorial"-
http://podblanc.com/?q=node/14842

VIDEO-BLACK GANG DISCIPLES-
http://podblanc.com/index.php?q=node/1769

MORE EVE CARSON VIDEOS-
http://podblanc.com/index.php?q=node/14654

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On March 11th, 2008 10:30 pm (UTC), [info]cmonletsdisco commented:
I live in Auburn and attend Auburn University, and, as a couple people have already mentioned, a freshman at our school was shot and killed last week, completely by random. She touched a lot of people in her life, and I know she's touched so many more through her death. I didn't know her personally, but I found myself reeling when I heard the news. The fact that it happened so close to home, to someone who could have just as easily been me or any of my friends or family members .... it hurts. It feels personal. And I can't help but grieve for those who did know her .... her family, her friends, her boyfriend.

I'm so sorry that tragedy has touched your community as well. But you are definitely not alone in what you're feeling. I know what you mean about feeling as though it's not your place to write about it -- I feel almost disrespectful for mourning someone I didn't know, for feeling qualified to write about her. But it's hard not to be affected.

I know everyone in the Auburn community is mourning UNC's loss, as well as our own, and I hope you all have the same good fortune that we did in that Eve's killer is found soon and brought to justice.

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On March 12th, 2008 10:49 am (UTC), [info]writerross commented:
Ironically, I was going to post a comment to your latest LJ entry when I heard of this horrible tragedy a few days ago. The world grows ever smaller. I knew of your UNC/Chapel Hill connection and it somehow brought me one-millionth of a centimenter closer to the core of the pain of this story. This was a woman on the brink of... everything. Truly a heartbreaking loss and I pray her life WILL matter after the tears subside...

-Pamela Ross



Edited at 2008-03-12 10:50 am (UTC)
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On March 17th, 2008 02:30 am (UTC), an anonymous reader commented:
agreement
Hi Ms.Dessen,
I'm a graduate student at UNC, and like you, did not know Eve, but am deeply touched and saddened. I also keep thinking about her, and the grief her family must be feeling....
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