[Editor's note: As part of our Fall Lit Week, we asked Maureen Johnson, author of the just-released "The Name of the Star," to wax poetic about our continued fascination with Jack the Ripper and why she included the famous serial killer in her latest novel.]
Jack the Ripper. The name means Victorian England, foggy streets and the glint of a silver knife. There’s something almost romantic about Jack. This, when you think about it, is one of the most disturbing things possible. He’s a serial killer.
When I started work on "The Name of the Star," I was trying to think of the person you would least want to return from the grave and roam London, unseen. Jack fit the bill. After 123 years, people are still trying to catch Jack the Ripper. He’s the one who got away. And since someone solves the case every year or so, there’s always a documentary to watch, another story to tell. But why do we care?
The answer seems to be found in the newspapers. Jack the Ripper was a creation of the media. Yes, there was a Whitechapel murderer, but the publishers of The Star newspaper first saw the huge potential in the story and pumped it daily. They were likely the ones who coined the name Jack the Ripper. Jack the Ripper is a story based on fact, but the lines between fiction and reality are blurry. Almost no evidence is still available for examination. The culprit is most assuredly dead. What we have left is the fear. The fear is so well drawn, it doesn’t die.
What if it happened today? Imagine the frenzy if Jack was back and we knew what to expect, but not where. London would be prisoner, and the fog would roll back in . . .
Check back in with Hollywood Crush tomorrow for our Book Report on "The Name of the Star"!
(Psst! Maureen is also very active with YA Saves. Help support the cause by buying a T-shirt. Or two or three...)
Have you read "The Name of the Star" yet? Are you a fan of Maureen's novels? Sound off in the comments and on Twitter!
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