Media circus cover

Media circus

by Kim Goldman

"No one understands better than Kim Goldman the complex emotions of individuals suffering a personal tragedy under the relentless gaze of the media. During the famed O.J. Simpson trial, Kim, whose brother, Ron Goldman, was brutally murdered, became a very public poster child for victims suffering in the public eye. In Media Circus: A Look at Private Tragedy in the Public Eye, Goldman-now a dedicated victim advocate-and journalist Tatsha Robertson present the first collective looks at something that has become all too common in America: ordinary, grieving victims-forced to manage their very private trauma and despair in a very public way. Through candid interviews and detailed, original reporting, Media Circus delivers riveting, humanizing, and inspiring stories from the victims and survivors of violent crimes who found themselves the focus of national media attention. Its heartfelt narratives showcase the unique challenges of coping with and healing from grief when the whole world is watching. Stories include those of: Tere Duperrault Fassbender, survivor of family's brutal murder at sea (1961) Debra Tate, sister of Charles Manson victim Sharon Tate (1969) Collene Campbell, sister of murdered NASCAR driver Mickey Thompson (1988) Judy Shepard, mother of gay hate-crime victim Matthew Shepard (1998) Mildred Muhammed, wife of the DC Sniper (2002) Marie Monville, wife of the Amish shooter (2006) Dave and Mary Neese, parents of teen murder victim Skylar Neese (2012) Scarlett Lewis, mother of Newtown Tragedy first-grade victim Jesse Lewis (2012) Shirley Wygal, mother of Aurora theater shooting victim Rebecca Wingo, and Scott and Kathy Larimer, parents of Aurora theater shooting victim John Larimer (2012) Esaw and Emerald Garner, wife and sister of police brutality victim Eric Garner (2014) "--

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?