“Spring has sprung, the grass is riz”.  That phrase is often credited to Ogden Nash or ee cummings but the author is anonymous-the title of the poem is “Spring in the Bronx”

March 19th–the day before spring sprung in Abbotsford, BC we held our fifth annual Memory March and the International Celebration of Women.  Poorly attended because people are apathetic about missing and murdered women and children. Who cares? Not in my backyard–but women are murdered in our backyards everyday. 

I didn’t realize how depressing it was working every day on a book about murdered women and children-well, I realized it was depressing but I didn’t think I was that burdened by it-it was a job that had to be done.  Now that I am finished I feel happy again. I realized I had not been happy for a long time. Whenever my grandkids are around I am happy but the rest of the time I have been very burdened. But now it is done.

I hope there is a ground swell of support for my book-it deserves to be read for the incredible content and to honour the women and children. I wrote it to archive the work of grassroots workers, and to record the names of the missing and murdered.

So far, there has been no rush to buy Rampage:the pathology of an epidemic.  I’ve done all the groundwork I can to make it available on-line, emailed hundreds of women’s agencies (sold one), waited for relatives to show support buy buying a book but beyond a cousin who bought and sold 15 books and another second cousin selling 3 or 4, most of the relies have remained silent.  Doesn’t concern them I guess or interest them.  I have friends but lots of people know me from years of doing The Vagina Monologues-we probably directed over 300 women over the years . . .my guess is, a good number of them know about the book. I haven’t sold one to any of the ‘giners.  We raised $70,000 for non-profits around the lower mainland and Fraser Valley-organizations who work to end violence against women . . .hmmm, no sales there either.

I could take it personal but the book is too huge for that, it is not personal–not to me, but to the 4,000 names I carefully collected and lovingly added ot the pages, it is personal; to the families, the ones left behind.  The book is to honour them.  Raise awareness. Fuel the outrage we should all feel and yet after emailing 170 women’s groups across the country I only sold 1 book.

I have yet to get the book into the bookstores and know my market is through going to events and speaking; and I will get there but in the meantime, I had thought that with all the people I know and all the events I have organized and all the hearts I have touched in these last 20 years that my book would have been scooped up within the first few weeks.

But that was not meant to be and I have to reflect on the small support system I do have and appreciate the few who share my struggles and who even give a damn.

If you give a damn, you can order the book by emailing gwynne1@telus.net

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$22 plus HST plus shipping=$29.64