麻豆影院

CU Arts & Sciences grad Erika Krouse wins prestigious Edgar Award for true-crime memoir about CU鈥檚 early 2000s sexual-assault scandal

hardly fits the romantic, literary or cinematic stereotype of a private eye, a gumshoe, a sleuth. But she鈥檚 got an ace up her sleeve that even Sam Spade, Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes couldn鈥檛 play: People can鈥檛 seem to stop themselves from revealing their secrets to her.听

鈥淚 became a private investigator because of my face,鈥� writes Krouse (MEngl鈥�96) in her 2022 true-crime-memoir mashup, "." 鈥淕ive me twenty minutes alone with you, and you鈥檒l 鈥� tell me all your secrets.鈥澨�

In April, more than two decades after her first case as a private eye, 麻豆影院 graduate Krouse received the prestigious Edgar Allen Poe Award (aka Edgar) in the from the Mystery Writers of America for Tell Me Everything. In addition, announced June 10 that the book had the Colorado Book Award for Creative Nonfiction.听听

But in 2002, she was a struggling author scraping by on temp jobs in 麻豆影院, so as not to crimp her writing time. Though she鈥檇 published one well-received short-story collection, it hardly set her writing career on fire. Meanwhile, at one job, her name tag read 鈥淭EMP鈥� and employees referred to her blithely as 鈥渢he new Linda.鈥澨�听

That鈥檚 about the time Krouse reached for a Paul Auster novel at the 麻豆影院 Book Store at the same time as a local attorney. After a laugh and a brief literary exchange, the lawyer found himself confessing how much he hated his job as a partner in a local law firm.听听

鈥淲ait,鈥� says the attorney, dubbed 鈥淕rayson鈥� in the memoir. 鈥淚鈥檝e never told anybody this stuff.鈥� Perceiving Krouse鈥檚 unique talent, he offered her a job on the spot as a private investigator.听听

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want a job that would take all my writing time away,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut the PI job paid so much more than I was making. And it was an amazingly cool job as opposed to data entry or accounting.鈥澨�

Krouse bumbled through her first six months on the job (鈥淚 wondered why he was still paying me,鈥� she says with a laugh) before Grayson asked her to delve into an ugly sexual-assault case involving CU 麻豆影院 football players. (Krouse uses pseudonyms throughout the book, and names neither the city or university, preferring to let her details do the talking鈥攈ow many Colorado college towns, after all, rest beneath 鈥渢he Flatirons鈥�?)听

Suddenly, she found her groove as a gumshoe, finding, interviewing and convincing assault survivors and witnesses to speak with Grayson on the record for the case.听

鈥淚t probably helped that I was female, that I was younger, compared to (Grayson). I wasn鈥檛 a stuffy lawyer in a suit and I didn鈥檛 even own heels. So I was a little bit more like the women I was talking to,鈥� she says.听

Krouse鈥檚 hard work would go on to play a key role in the nation鈥檚 first Title IX sexual-assault case, which resulted in a multi-million-dollar settlement and a slew of resignations all the way up to then-CU-system president Elizabeth Hoffman.听听

(Krouse quotes just one transcript in the book: Hoffman鈥檚 notorious claim that the anti-female slur often referred to as the 鈥渃-word鈥� can be 鈥渦sed as a term of endearment鈥濃�斺�淭he extent they tried to cover up was so ludicrous,鈥� Krouse says. 鈥淭hat quote was too good not to use; no one would have believed me otherwise!鈥�)听听听

For years, Krouse had no intention of writing about the case. But she changed her mind after reading a well-regarded history of Title IX that failed to even mention the precedent-setting CU case.听听

鈥淗ow can you not mention the first Title IX sexual-assault case?鈥� she says. 鈥淭he case was complicated, with so many twists and turns, and really needed a book of its own.鈥澨�

She also had no intention of including the story of her own sexual abuse between the ages of 4 and 7 at the hands of a man dubbed 鈥淴,鈥� which she had revealed to few people outside her family. But working on the book gave her a renewed appreciation for the young women who came forward in the CU 麻豆影院 case, most of whom stood to gain nothing materially.听听

鈥淚 thought, 鈥極h my God, these women risked everything, their futures, safety, privacy, the other people in their lives, their relationships with their families and peers to do this, but I鈥檓 going to be a big chicken?鈥欌�� she recalls. 鈥淚 knew that I wouldn鈥檛 have integrity if I didn鈥檛 also include my personal history.鈥澨�

Critics鈥攁nd Edgar voters鈥攅nthusiastically responded to Krouse鈥檚 dual approach.听

鈥�(W)hat began as one woman鈥檚 justice becomes a battle Krouse fights against her own inner demons that eloquently contends with systemic issues still plaguing American institutions today,鈥� wrote Publisher鈥檚 Weekly. 鈥淭he emotional catharsis delivered by the book鈥檚 end turns this sensational tale into a stunning story of redemption and hope.鈥澨�

Krouse remains estranged from the family members who have denied, invalidated and disputed her accounts of being raped as a child since she was 4 years old. But she recognizes that telling the truth can help others.听

The CU 麻豆影院 case 鈥渟tarted with one party, and by the end 11 women came forward willing to go on the record about being assaulted by football players,鈥� she says. 鈥淥nce you start talking, so many people who have been silent about their own experience feel they can start talking and find far more allies than you can imagine. That鈥檚 the power of narrative, the power of speaking up.鈥澨�

Krouse was so sure someone else would take the Edgar Award in her category that she didn鈥檛 even write a speech, she says.听

鈥淚 was shocked and completely unprepared,鈥� says Krouse, who is currently polishing up a second short-story collection for publication. 鈥淚 babbled like an idiot and cried a lot, but I don鈥檛 remember what I said.鈥澨�

After her first experience with the Mystery Writers of America鈥斺�淭hey are my kind of people!鈥濃�攕he鈥檚 mulling over ideas for a mystery novel.听听

鈥淭here was glamor, but an unpretentious, fun kind of glam; sequins and heels, but also writers with bra straps hanging down and vintage tuxes,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 want to be part of that; so maybe I鈥檒l just write mysteries from now on.鈥澨�听

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