Before JonBenet Ramsey was murdered, she was frequently on the cover of some trashy magazine, the Enquire or Star by the checkout isle, announcing her latest pageant win. Seeing that adult face on a child’s body always freaked me out. There was this eerie sexuality about her that was totally unsettling. I used to think, what parent would encourage this? When she was murdered, I became transfixed - addicted to the case. After reading endless accounts, watching specials about the case, even reading books, I came away with thinking it was someone within the family. The fact that both kids had problems controlling their bowels and urine well past the potty training time frame was a huge indicator of some kind of major family dysfunction. It’s just so tragic because I felt sorry for her when she was alive. Her death was brutal also.
God knows why I’m reading about JonBenet Ramsey at 6am, but I totally loved this. Anything written by Joyce Carol Oates, one of America’s most celebrated living writers, is sure to be excellent.
I was too young to experience the JonBenet craziness in all its glory. Utterly wild! The criminal justice system is (still) broken, exactly as Oates described decades ago.
Before JonBenet Ramsey was murdered, she was frequently on the cover of some trashy magazine, the Enquire or Star by the checkout isle, announcing her latest pageant win. Seeing that adult face on a child’s body always freaked me out. There was this eerie sexuality about her that was totally unsettling. I used to think, what parent would encourage this? When she was murdered, I became transfixed - addicted to the case. After reading endless accounts, watching specials about the case, even reading books, I came away with thinking it was someone within the family. The fact that both kids had problems controlling their bowels and urine well past the potty training time frame was a huge indicator of some kind of major family dysfunction. It’s just so tragic because I felt sorry for her when she was alive. Her death was brutal also.
Upvote. Great comment!
First published in 1999!
God knows why I’m reading about JonBenet Ramsey at 6am, but I totally loved this. Anything written by Joyce Carol Oates, one of America’s most celebrated living writers, is sure to be excellent.
I was too young to experience the JonBenet craziness in all its glory. Utterly wild! The criminal justice system is (still) broken, exactly as Oates described decades ago.