JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Liz Milliron is a well-loved member of the Jungle Reds community, and we're always delighted to able to spotlight one of her mysteries. Today, she's back with THE TRUTH WE HIDE, the fourth book in her Homefront Mysteries series, and Liz, I promise I won't make any jokes about Buffalo. After all, in the early '40s it was a vital defense industry and shipping location, and Liz was brilliant to use it as the background for her feisty heroine's investigations into sabotage, class conflict and corruption.
Along with music, clothing, slang and technology, the historical fiction writer has to deal with some of the less-savory aspects of by-gone eras. Even in my youth (which doesn't feel all that by-gone!) we used words and held attitudes I shudder to think of now. How does an author thread that needle? Liz is here to tell us. And for one lucky commenter? A free copy of THE TRUTH WE HIDE!
Thanks Julia and all the Reds for welcoming me back. It’s
always such fun to be in front of the curtain.
Words have power. As writers, we know this. We spend a lot of time searching for just the right word to convey exactly what we mean. Sometimes I think a thesaurus is a writer’s best friend – at least her second-best one. No weak verbs or “almost-but-not-quite-right” words need apply.
But what happens when the word you want isn’t, well, nice?
I’m not talking about mere profanity. Most of us have that
one sorted. Sometimes the boundaries are set by your sub-genre expectations. No
character is going to trot out the “F” word in a cozy. In other cases, it might
be the preference of the author. In my historical Homefront Mysteries series,
I’ve chosen not to use profanity. Not because it didn’t exist in the 1940s, and
not because I’m writing a historical cozy, but because it doesn’t fit the atmosphere
I want to create. Betty, good Catholic girl that she is, wouldn’t swear. At
least not where her mother could hear her.
No, what I’m talking about are those words that people use, or maybe used to use, that we know are simply not acceptable.
In my latest Homefront book, The Truth We Hide, I
deal with the homophobia that existed in the 40s. Part of that is the words
straight people used to describe members of the LGBT+ community. I’m not going
to write them here because this is a family-friendly blog. We all know the words
I’m talking about and we’d never use them.
But people in the 40s did. Frequently. Even casually. There was my conundrum. Did I want Betty to?
On one hand, I want her to be a product of her time. She’s a young Catholic girl growing up when homosexuality was very much not acceptable. On the other hand, I want my readers to like Betty. If she’s casually spewing slurs, is that possible?
To help me out, I turned to friends Edwin Hill and John
Copenhaver (if you haven’t read their books, stop reading this blog now and go
order them). Both were fabulously supportive. Not only did they support my
decision to write the book in the first place, John provided a wealth of
research sources for learning about LGBT culture of the times. One of the
things he addressed was language. “All the slurs you can think of were used,”
he said (I’m paraphrasing).
I made my decision. I wouldn’t shy away from bad language. But I’d use it sparingly and wisely. Betty doesn’t at all. Only one character is a raging homophobe – but he’s a murder suspect. I felt good about it — until my editor asked me if I was sure. People would be upset with me. Did I really want to go there?
I went back to Edwin and John. I explained how I’d handled it. Had I crossed the line?
Once again, they proved the crime fiction community is
generous to a fault. Both praised my decision and said (again I’m
paraphrasing), “Roll with it.” People were, and continue to be, ugly. Even
“good” people use bad language out of ignorance. It’s important to remember the
ugliness of the past – and that such ugliness still exists.
I asked both Edwin and John for blurbs. I was ecstatic at their overwhelmingly positive responses. Mission accomplished.
As a historical writer, I’ve been asked a couple of times what my best tip is. It’s this: Respect your chosen time period. There are lots of good aspects, but there are bad ones, too. Don’t ignore the negative. Deal with it – but in a way that modern audiences will see as respectful. Don’t shy away from the ugly because it’s important to know where we started, how far we’ve come, and how very far we still have to go.
Readers, how do you feel when an author uses facts or language of a time period that is no longer acceptable?
May 1943. Betty Ahern is studying
for her private investigator’s license when a new client—Edward Kettle—hires
her to clear his name after he was dismissed from his job at the American
Shipbuilding Company. When Edward is brutally murdered, the dead man’s sister
hires Betty to finish the original job and find the killer.
The job hurls Betty back into the world of wartime espionage, but with a twist: Edward Kettle was a homosexual. Did he know something about underhanded activities at American Shipbuilding? Or was his secret life the motive for murder?
Once again, Betty must unravel the mystery, which requires uncovering truths that others would prefer to keep hidden—a job that threatens not only her morals and beliefs, but also her life.
Liz Milliron is the author of The Laurel Highlands Mysteries and The Homefront Mysteries, set in Buffalo NY during the early years of World War II. You can can learn more about her mysteries on her website, and you can friend her on Facebook, trade book recommendations on Goodreads, and follow her on Twitter as @LizMilliron. You can also get a free first chapter by signing up for her newsletter.
Congratulations, Liz, on your newest book . . . it definitely sounds like Betty has her hands full with this mystery.
ReplyDeleteI think it can be a difficult choice for an author when it comes to using no longer acceptable language in the telling of a story. But there’s a big difference between the gratuitous use of ugly words [and language] and judiciously using language that remains true to [and respectful of] the time period in which the story takes place. I may not like the word, but if it’s true to the setting, then it belongs there . . . .
Joan, yes! Gratuitous anything is usally out in my book (literally and figuratively), but it would feel false to the time to not use it at all.
DeleteI think you've taken the right approach, Liz. I've dealt with this sticky decision in my own historicals, especially concerning attitudes against immigrants. We tread lightly and thoughtfully but also true to the times.
ReplyDeleteAnd the slurs persist. Twenty-five years ago I was driving a carful of teen boys, including my son. The guys were tossing around a gay slur. I stopped the car and we had a little talk. They were good kids and are now all fine men who would never use that word, but they needed a bit of guidance at the time.
Edith, exactly. The words persist, so I think it's important to write exactly why we don't use them. Good job with your son and his friends.
DeleteEdith, bravo to you! I think that is the best way to pass on important values to kids. To speak to them as a friend and mentor, someone they know and trust.
DeleteCongratulations on the new book Liz!
ReplyDeleteI think when writing historical stories, using language that was prevalent at the time makes sense. You can limit how much you use it but if you completely ignore it, especially if the plot kind of calls for it, it takes you out of the story. You can limit it of course, but to whitewash the offending language would rob the story of a sense of time and place.
Thanks Jay, my thoughts exactly!
DeleteThese slurs haven't gone away. They are just underground. I have done a lot of construction work with day laborers. Through television they are quite aware the words are no longer acceptable and they laugh at my protests, but among themselves the slurs for every possible group are regular.
ReplyDeleteI agree that one must be true to the time, within limits. In terms of swearing, I thought Kenneth Roberts did an excellent job in his historicals written in the 1920s and 1930s. Having served in WWI he was quite aware that men in the ranks swore constantly. He made up his own invective.
Looking forward to your book, Liz!
Thank you! Yes, people are still slinging around these words in secret, more's the pity.
Delete“It’s important to remember the ugliness of the past – and that such ugliness still exists.” Would that everyone, everywhere, heeded this. I may be a bit of a potty mouth from time to time but don’t like reading the same words in a book unless they further a point or there is no believable substitute. Your Homefront mysteries sound wonderful! I love reading about that period of time and look forward to reading this one. SuzettePC
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Liz--you made a careful decision with lots of thought! I like what Suzette said--the words should further a point! I think readers will find that yours do exactly that.
DeleteSuzette, thank you. I completely agree - the words need to further a point.
DeleteAnd thanks, Lucy. I sure hope so.
Liz, congratulations on your latest home front mystery. Your books are on my TBR list, especially this series which is set in a time period that greatly interests me.
ReplyDeleteAs for the use of raw or insulting language in a book, I think it is important to consider the character you have created and whether that character would use the word. I have read cozies where the author has to jump through hoops to keep the language clean and unoffensive after having created a totally offensive character. Tough.
I know people who would never use a slur or a swear word. I know people who punctuate their sentences with curses. It is a delicate balance for sure, when you do not want to offend your readers. I am very interested in seeing how you balanced this for your main character, who sounds like someone who does not casually drop slurs.
Thanks, Judy. No, Betty isn't that person and she doesn't swear either. Her mother would wash her mouth out with soap. Although, as you point out, there have been times when I wish she would drop the occasional swear word. When she's muttering under her breath, that's probably what she's doing!
DeleteFirst, congrats on your new book, Liz! I'm looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteAs for swearing and slurs, I think they have to fit the story and the characters, which is, I realize, easier for me to say and harder for an author to write! I can drop F-bombs with the best of them, but I (usually) know when not to. I expect the same of the characters I read about. I have friends who never use actual cuss words but only ever stand-ins; that is true to them. It is not true to me, though it sounds like it might be true for your character Betty.
Thanks, Amanda. Yes, Betty doesn't swear. Out loud, that is. I have her use common slang of the times. And she is definitely uncomfortable with slurs.
DeleteLiz, congratulations on your new book! There are those among us who don't even try to hide their homophobia today--their names are like swear words in my mind. I think what you've done is just right, Liz. It's the context that matters to me as a reader. Those words were part of the times--the use of them won't shock me. Have you read Margaret Maron's last book in her Deborah Knott series? This story reminds of me of that book--which I loved.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Flora. I missed that one. I'll have to look it up.
DeleteGreat post and congrats not just on the book but on the way you handled the truth of the past. That said, I was born and raised in Toronto. We lived for jokes about Buffalo (especially when Buffalo was buried in snow and Toronto, directly across the lake, only got a dusting). Of course, we liked to SHOP in Buffalo! So much cheaper. Good luck with the book.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Judy. LOL, yeah, I'm sure they're still making snow jokes about Buffalo. Not undeserved. I remember growing up, the lots of the malls and outlet stores would be packed with cars with Ontario plates on the weekends.
DeleteI spent my teen years in Syracuse, where my parents lived for the remainder of their lives. We made Buffalo jokes mainly as a way of feeling better about having slightly less snow than they did further west.
DeleteJulia, I my dad's brother and family lived in Syracuse. Very familiar.
DeleteCongratulations on the new book, Liz and on your thoughtful use of ugly words. Have you prefaced the book with an explanation to the readers? I've enjoyed your Homefront series so much and look forward to reading your latest.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in high school sixty years ago there were 2 older boys and everyone called them a certain name. I had absolutely no idea what it meant. At lunchtime the school gave us a place with a juke box and we could dance there. The two boys danced with each other, jitterbug dancing. I had also heard my father use that word but I didn't ask what it meant. Or maybe I did ask and was not given an answer.
As for swearing in books I'm thinking it has become a lot more prevalent. Louise Penny's latest book was full of it and I kept thinking she had been told to put those words in to make it more real or something. A book I read recently took place at the turn of the last century. There was a sheriff who was angry and used the F word in front of a lady he had just met. I was absolutely shocked.
Later in the book he did the same thing again and that time he apologized and the woman said his apology was unnecessary. (Apparently she considered herself one of the guys, since she was a woman in a man's field.) I got her point just fine and really I don't think the word was necessary. The first time it was used I thought it was sort of a clue that this was a "bad guy." But not the case.
Hillary Clinton has said when she and Louise collaborated on writing their book that she insisted Louise tone down the profanity. So maybe it's all her.
DeleteThanks, Judi. I'm so glad you like them. I do mention the times and language in my Author's Note for the book. We had a variety of slurs in the 80s when I was in high school. I figured out the context eventually, but I never felt comfortable using them myself.
ReplyDeleteI use mild swearing in my Laurel Highlands series, but stay away from the F-bomb. In the next Homefront book, which I'm writing now, a character does say "damn" but I'm going to have to let it slide, because he's just not a character that would say "darn." LOL
Have you considered using something like 'Bill swore viciously at the ugly sight'? I like that in books because then as a reader I come up with the best word he might have used.
DeleteI have used various methods. The above, "If Betty's mother could've heard her, she'd have tasted soapsuds for days," "He turned the air blue," - many options.
DeleteWhen swearing suits the story and the character it makes it real and it depends upon the individual and their character. Overdoing it though does not make the story more enjoyable but can become a big annoyance. As far as slurs are concerned they were used in the past much more as people were ignorant and felt superior to use them.
ReplyDeleteYes, and unfortunately some people haven't overcome that ignorance today.
DeleteCongratulations on your new release Liz! Too much swearing just for the sake of it turns me off. Yes, at intervals it can be necessary. In the old days many used slurs and it was just the way they thought and spoke. They were not aware of the hurt it caused. The books written then were part of that era.
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's an interesting question. I wonder how many actually felt negatively and how many were thoughtlessly using words where they didn't consider the impact.
DeleteI have some favorite authors who wrote novels "back in the day" and I am offended when they used language which was acceptable at the time. I am not talking about swear words but words to describe people of color, religion, national origins, etc.because the author felt the word was actually ok to use. However, it is an interesting question when an author today is writing about the past - I would have to agree it is appropriate to use in moderation.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, I would like to go back in time to ask those authors if they knew the words they were using were hurtful.
DeleteThe two most famous examples of great books using bad words are, of course, Huckleberry Finn and Uncle Tom's Cabin. I think we need to judge each era on its own standards linguistically, but we can and should uphold more universal standards morally. Despite being written when racism was rampant (Twain) and when slavery was legal (Stowe) there's no doubt whatsoever who the bad people are and what evil acts they perform in those novels.
ReplyDeleteJulia, as a person who two degrees in English, yes. It's why I always wonder a little at people who want to "rewrite" the classics to remove the slurs. As you point out, no matter what words they are using, the bad people are clearly the bad people. And the acts are more important than the words, at least to me.
DeleteExcellent point, Julia. I always wonder why people freak out about those books instead of using them as a starting point to discuss why the language is used, and how to have different attitudes now. ~Lynda
DeleteYou have to consider the times and the situation and maybe the location when you're writing an historical that you want to be authentic. Yes, some of those words are truly cringe-worthy but may be necessary to set the tone or setting. Also you have to consider that men who were friends called each other all sorts of names they could get away with in their own circles.
ReplyDeletePat, that's an excellent point. Even today, I hear members of a group call each other words that I would never dare to use as an outsider.
DeleteSo looking forward to reading this. Brave topic, too.
ReplyDeleteOne of my majors is in history. When I read a historical book that does NOT use era true terminology and concepts, I'm offended. If we are going to look at the past, we need to do so through an honest prism. The prejudices and language may startle me and make me wonder what they were thinking, but their omission would make me wonder what the author was thinking. Well done, Liz to be honest to the time.
Thanks, Kait. That is almost exactly what Edwin and John told me when I talked to them.
DeleteI think that you need to consider the time period that the book is set in. I’m okay with people speaking the way they would have in the past as long as it isn’t overdone. sgiden at verizon(.)net
ReplyDeleteYes, you definitely need to keep a balance and not be gratuitous.
DeleteCongratulations on the new book, Liz! So pleased for your success. And impressed at the thoughtful way you approached your sensitive subject.
ReplyDeleteThinking back to my own childhood in the '50s and '60s, and recalling cringing at my own father's extremely (and I do mean extreme, he was vilely crude) raw language. Other men of his acquaintance must have spoken that way, too, although never in my presence. Rude sexual, scatological, racist, and homophobic words and phrases, all spoken in our home. I couldn't invite friends over because of his crazy, usually drunken ranting.
I've never read anything remotely like that in fiction, even though I'm pretty sure my dad didn't make any of that stuff up. And I'm grateful others don't have to imagine being on the receiving end of that kind of diatribe, even in print.
Thanks, Karen. I think of my grandfather, who served in WWII and worked in a steel mill for 30 years. I'm sure he knew some pretty colorful words. Thankfully, he never brought it home.
DeleteKaren, my childhood was also the 50s and 60s, also with a dad who used hateful language regarding anyone who wasn't white. He'd been raised by people, actually surrounded by people, who used it and he didn't know any better. By the time I was in my teens, I challenged him every time he used the "N" word, which physically sickens me. Each time he used it, I'd simply say, "F***." He hated that, and told me not to say it in front of my mother. I'd laugh and tell him not to use his word in front of any of us.
DeleteCongrats on the new book!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you found the right key, choosing how to use words like that, and using them sparingly. I love your commitment to representing the time period without using inundating us with those details. Balance, like in everything else, is important.
Thanks, Mark. I really do want people to feel "in" the time period. Unfortunately, sometimes that means exposing its warts.
DeleteWe didn't hear pejoratives at home. Mom was strict about it. I hadn't even realized that the horrid jokes of the '60s referred to Polish people until a neighbor explained it. I wasn't aware of homosexuality until school friends whispered about it in high school. I hate to think of the extra burden that secrecy imposed on gay youth of the time, and applaud efforts to be more open. When I began teaching, "gay" was used rampantly as a putdown, as was "retarded," both often without awareness of the impact on others, until challenged. Change comes through effort and openness, not silence.
ReplyDeleteMary, yes. Keeping silence is rarely the way to change behaviors.
DeleteLiz, I appreciate the conscious effort you have made for verisimilitude and yet trying to not be offensive. A fine line to balance, indeed.
ReplyDeleteI don’t like the “f” word and yet remember explaining to my mother who complained about “you girls’ favorite word” (begins with “sh”) that it was short and to the point. Might be what ‘f’ bomb users feel. As to racial or other types of slurs, I didn’t learn those until All in the Family came on the air. They were not spoken in my house or friend group. Congratulations on your new book! I’m currently reading the first in your Homefront series and enjoying it! — Pat S.
Thanks, Pat. I remember reading the history of the "f" bomb and yes. Short and pithy is part of it. I also remember watching a show set in Ireland and being a little stunned at how casually they used it, but then someone told me that it's part of the culture.
DeleteCongratulations, Liz, on your new book. I like that it deals with a topic I haven't encountered much in WWII fiction set in the states. I've come across homophobia more in British WWII fiction than U.S. Of course, I may just be unaware, so I'm always interested in titles I'm not familiar with. But, kudos to you, Liz, for tackling this matter and doing so with such sensitivity and concern to be authentic but not hurtful. I do think it's important to be true to the time and show it as it was. Sanitizing history has gone on too long in this country. With different states passing laws to prevent the ugliness of our history to stay hidden, we need those writing historical fiction or historical non-fiction to show the reality of what was and what still is. Thank you for having the courage to do it right and trusting your readers to appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathy. I think if you read the PI fiction of the 40s, you'll come across more homophobia - as well as a lot of other ugly things. And yes, sanitizing history might make people feel more comfortable by not confronting reality, but you don't learn much when you are comfortable, do you?
DeleteHi, Liz--I'm really looking forward to reading this book. It sounds very well done, and I'm grateful for the thought you put into handling slurs and swearing during the time period you're writing about and the way you've discussed your decision-making process here. It makes me think! I see it as part of an issue all writers of fiction face, even when writing about the present, which is how to make dialogue sound realistic when, if we wrote TRULY realistic dialogue, it would be boring, full of obscenities, repetitive, a long string of "likes" and "you knows," and worse. I appreciate your work at getting the balance right! It's something I work at, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kim. Yes, true dialog is fairly boring. I hope you enjoy the book!
DeleteSorry to be late to the party today, Liz. Such a thoughtful post, and I think you made the right decision. It's always a delicate balancing act but I don't think sanitizing history does anyone any good. It sounds like you've handled things very sensitively and I can't wait to read The Truth We Hide.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debs. Hope you enjoy!
DeleteI don't mind a certain amount of slurs or bad language in a novel if it is used sparingly and for good reason. While I hate smoking and would love to never see it in a book, TV show, or movie, smoking still exists now and was super present in the past. You just can't ignore this stuff. Congratulations on your new book.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sally. The smoking thing brings to mind something my husband said when he read an early copy. "Betty sure does smoke a lot." Well, they did that in the 40s.
DeleteWhat a terrific discussion. Congratulations on your new release, Liz. I've added your series to my TBR pile and look forward to reading it, especially knowing the thought you put into it. As a reader, I appreciate an honest story dealing with the reality of hate language and hateful attitudes. A charming series I read, The Darling Dahlias, by Susan Wittig Albert, is set in the 30s and addresses this conundrum in the forward to each book. There will always be readers who take offense, but I'm not one of them. Taking offense is an active decision. It's clear she's using language to covey attitudes that were prevalent then, and remain so today.
ReplyDeleteAs for Louise Penny, I find her use of Rosa, the F-bombing duck, to be hilarious. ~Lynda
Lynda, thank you! I hope you enjoy. An f-bombing duck is too funny.
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