Piece image

Girl Detectives-Expanded Version

From: Sue Mell
Length: 25:53

The aftermath of a friend's murder and the search for resolution in the face of an unexplained death. Read the full description.

Sm1206v2_small This is the expanded "Invisible Ink" version of the piece "Girl Detectives" that first aired on Transom.org in the fall of 2003. Girl Detectives is a poignant and personal piece about the struggles of three women to cope with the murder of a beloved friend in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Frustrated and unsatisfied with the findings of the police, they try to do some investigating of their own but are ultimately unable to provide any clear resolution. In the end, they can only continue to search inwardly for peace. As it tells the story of Susan and Stephanie--two lively and determined women--and their attempt to step out of their assigned roles as providers of comfort and take action on behalf of their friend, it also reveals the producer's attempt to make something meaningful and worthwhile out of these terrible events.

To hear the full audio, sign up for a free PRX account or log in.

More from Sue Mell

Piece image

Unintended Detours Episode 7: Foreign Lands (35:00)
From: Sue Mell

Stories of Foreign Lands.
Piece image

Unintended Detours Episode 6: Derailed (27:13)
From: Sue Mell

Four interwoven stories of lives derailed by serious illness or accident.
Piece image

Unintended Detours Episode 4: Road/Trip (27:08)
From: Sue Mell

Stumbling and stranded, in one way or another, on the road.
Piece image

Unintended Detours Episode 3: What Remains (12:19)
From: Sue Mell

What Remains: a painter's legacy.
Piece image

Unintended Detours Episode 2: Tic-Toc (20:55)
From: Sue Mell

Creativity in the face of time.
Piece image

Unintended Detours Episode 1: Shelf Life (14:15)
From: Sue Mell

Musings around the theme of shelf life.
Piece image

Halloween Teen Couture (02:37)
From: Sue Mell

Two teenage girls talk about their high end concept for Halloween and clothing as a means of personal expression.
Piece image

What Remains --a painter's legacy. (09:47)
From: Sue Mell

A portrait of the painter Mary Yntema.
Piece image

In The Bath (04:35)
From: Sue Mell

Vox Pop Collage of people's preferences for baths vs. showers

Piece Description

This is the expanded "Invisible Ink" version of the piece "Girl Detectives" that first aired on Transom.org in the fall of 2003. Girl Detectives is a poignant and personal piece about the struggles of three women to cope with the murder of a beloved friend in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Frustrated and unsatisfied with the findings of the police, they try to do some investigating of their own but are ultimately unable to provide any clear resolution. In the end, they can only continue to search inwardly for peace. As it tells the story of Susan and Stephanie--two lively and determined women--and their attempt to step out of their assigned roles as providers of comfort and take action on behalf of their friend, it also reveals the producer's attempt to make something meaningful and worthwhile out of these terrible events.

1 Comment Atom Feed

User image

Review of Girl Detectives-Expanded Version

One of the saddest and most consistent traits of the human heart is the need to make sense of the senseless. Part of what powers the search for answers, the need to turn the comprehensible into something graspable, understandable, is the knowledge of how fragile life is, how so many worlds can change catastrophically because of something as benign as a decision to go to the movies.

Profound in its simplicity, Sue Mell?s calmly courageous documentary about the painful ripples radiating from the violent death of a friend and the chillingly dismissive attitude of authorities that followed echoes with loss and frustration.

The discussion of conflicting sex-roles is appropriate, but not the most valuable lesson of the piece. The message that cuts across the gender lines is the vital importance of participation. Even in the worst moments of our lives, we need to be present, ask questions and demand answers, of those in power, those we love and ourselves.

Broadcast History

Girl Detectives (17 minute version) aired on Transom.org 12/03
Girl Detectives (expanded version) aired on Invisible Ink on KALW in San Francisco May of 2004 and January 2005.