~from Ami

The date: Saturday, April 1st

The place: Ella's Restaurant on the University of Arkansas campus

The crime: Death by poison

This was not only my first time to be involved in a murder mystery dinner, it was my first murder mystery dinner at all. These are really popular over in my neck of the woods around Tulsa, but I don't think NW Arkansas has had many of them.

There's no way to structure a play around an entire novel- not with a limited budget and limited actors!- so we played around with one angle of NEXT OF KIN, the mayoral race. Dave Duerr of Fayetteville, Ark., good sport that he is, agreed to run for mayor of Fayetteville, announcing his bid at the elegant Carnall Hall on the U of A campus- now a bed and breakfast and restaurant. He is subsequently poisoned in the middle of the lamb entree and carted off by a team of emergency technicians and firemen (thanks, guys!). Poisoned by whom, you ask? Was it the wife he humiliated in front of a crowd of well-heeled Fayetteville-ites? The writer (moi) who desperately wants to break into the world of true crime writing? Or was it the current mayor of Fayetteville, who wants to eliminate one of his more annoying rivals for office?

It was pure fun and lasted late into the night. Turns out Mr. Duerr survived the poisoning, bursting back into the dining room in the middle of the cheesecake to point fingers at would-be suspects.

I sold some books,

talked to people, actually waitressed a little in a white apron, and tried to fulfill the role of dimwitted, over-eager, talkative author. A stretch, I know, for me to be ditzy. A heartfelt appreciation goes out to the real EMT's, firemen, U of A campus police, and especially the mayor of Fayetteville- Dan Coody, for helping with this dinner. All proceeds went to the Ozark Literacy Council.