Major influences on my writing are social and national events. Kids killing kids led to my wanting to do research inside the state youth prisons and interview kids who had killed other kids. That's how I happened to coin the word "adolescentcide" (kids killing kids). My interviews became my research project for my doctoral studies. When my research was all over and I had graduated, the Columbine tragedy occurred shortly thereafter. I was asked to be a keynote speaker at the first commemoration ceremony to honor the memories of the slain Columbine High School victims. & more...
