Lincoln Abuse Survivor, Author, Keith Smith Talks to GoLocal
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Although sexual assault is a difficult subject matter to discuss, it is a topic that is of vital importance. Author and survivor Keith Smith, is not only a talented writer, but also a preeminent advocate for victims of assault. A Rhode Island native, Smith was abducted and raped at the age 14 in Lincoln. Since then, Smith has lobbied government on behalf of sexual assault victims, served as a member of RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network), discussed matters of sexual abuse on television with Oprah Winfrey and Anderson Cooper, and also authored a book titled Men in My Town (2009: BookSurge Publishing).
Fans of Men in My Town will soon be able to witness Smith's story on the big screen, because the author's gripping tale of survival has recently been transformed into a screenplay by filmmaker Ron Truppa. GoLocal caught up with Keith to discuss his book, advocacy and the upcoming film version of his life’s story.
For those who are unfamiliar with Men in My Town, can you give us a brief synopsis of the book?
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMen in My Town is based on actual events. It’s my personal story. In 1974, at the age of 14, I was abducted, beaten and raped by a stranger. He wasn’t a neighbor, a coach, a relative, a family friend or teacher. He was a recidivist pedophile predator who spent time in prison for previous sex crimes; an animal hunting for victims in the quiet suburbs of Providence, Rhode Island.
Although he was arrested and indicted for what he did to me, he never went to trial. His trial never took place because he was brutally beaten to death in the streets of Providence before his court date. 36 years after his murder, no one has ever been charged with the crime.
Men in My Town focuses on my relationship with a few men in my town, men who were close to me and my family, men who watched over me, men who protected me in the time between my assault and my assailant's death. They’re good men with the capacity to do bad things. It’s a story that causes the reader to revisit their position on the question, “does the end ever justify the means” and vividly juxtaposes the good and evil that can exist simultaneously in every man.
Why did you write the book?
Men in My Town is my first novel and I needed to write it for a number of reasons.
First, it's a good story worth telling. It's a gripping suspense novel with a storyline that includes characters based on real people, real places and real events. It's a glimpse into the street hustle hiding in the peaceful suburbs of Providence in the 1970's, complete with gamblers, bookies, car thieves, petty criminals, organized crime, dozens of hard-working men, a twice convicted sex offender and a murderer or two.
Secondly, Men in My Town is my personal story. I am the 14-year-old boy in the story and only a few people, very few people, know what really happened to me on that cold winter night in 1974. I wrote Men in My Town to stop keeping this secret from the people closest to me, people I care about, people I love, my long-time friends and my family.
And finally, I wrote the story to raise awareness of male sexual assault, to let other victims know that they’re not alone and to help all victims of sex crimes understand that the emotion, fear and memories that may still haunt them are not uncommon to those of us who have shared a similar experience.
What was your writing process like?
I wrote this story inside out. I didn’t start by writing page one, chapter one. Instead, I listed the events I wanted to write about, the places I wanted readers to visit, the characters I wanted readers to meet and the emotion I wanted readers to feel. I wrote sections one at a time capturing the events, places, characters and emotion, then pieced them together in a sequence that made the story whole.
What do you hope that readers take away from your book?
First of all, I hope people read Men in My Town and enjoy the story. I hope my book helps people understand that violent crimes committed against children can occur anytime, anywhere, even in bucolic, beautiful, sleepy little suburban towns like Lincoln, Rhode Island. I hope every adult who reads Men in My Town takes a little more seriously their obligation to keep kids safe. I hope victims of sex crimes who read the book feel a little vicarious justice and everyone realizes that sometimes it's the perp, not the abducted child, who ends up dead.
What was your initial reaction when you heard that filmmaker Ron Truppa was writing a screenplay based on your novel?
I was very excited about getting an unsolicited call from a Hollywood guy. In our first phone conversation Ron said, "I've always wanted to film a movie in Rhode Island and I think I found the Rhode Island project I’ve been looking for." After a few phone calls and hours of conversation, I felt an immediate connection with Ron.
In December '09, Ron flew in from L. A., I came up from Trenton and we got together in Lincoln. We retraced the events of the night I was attacked, from the barber shop on Front Street where I left my hockey team meeting, to the spot where I was abducted in Lonsdale, to where I attempted to jump out of the car in Fairlawn, to where I was assaulted in Lime Rock,” We went to places described in Men in My Town - Kiernan's Lounge (now Brooksie's), the basketball courts on Reservoir Avenue, Lincoln Downs Thoroughbred Race Track (now Twin Rivers Casino), the Lincoln police station, Frank's Restaurant, Lincoln Lanes Bowling Alley, the streets in Fairlawn and to the house on Washington Street in Central Falls where my assailant lived at the time he was beaten to death. We captured the entire journey, our conversation and my description of the events of the night on video.
Over the past two years I’ve come to know Ron as a talented, creative, successful writer, producer and director. I’m glad he took an interest in developing Men in My Town as a movie. I’m really pleased we’re working together and I'm fortunate to call him a friend. I look forward to shooting this ‘Rhode Island story’ back home in Rhode Island.
What's your involvement with the film version of Men in My Town?
I’m working closely with Ron and Lori Truppa in the development of the Men in My Town screenplay. They’ve done really wonderful work bringing the book to life, developing the characters, transforming the pages of the book to the visual scenes and audible sounds you need for a movie. It’s been a great partnership and is a friendship that will continue long after Men in My Town is on the screen.
What, to your thinking, will determine if the film version of Men in My Town is a success?
If one child who is currently being abused, or one victim of past abuse, boy or girl, man or woman, age 7 or 70, sees this film and comes to realize that they are not alone, that they are not responsible for what happened to them and that they can make the transition from sexual assault victim to sexual assault survivor, then Men in My Town will be a success as a movie. An Oscar or two would be good, too.
Lastly, what are you currently working on?
I'm working on two things right now, focused on protecting children and strengthening the legal rights of child victims of sex crimes.
First, it saddens me to say that I believe sex crimes committed against children will never stop. The life altering physical, emotional, behavioral and social side effects of sexual abuse, suffered by children into adulthood, last a lifetime. With the personal and societal cost of childhood sexual abuse so high, it’s necessary for parents, grandparents, guardians and anyone with responsibility for the health and safety of a child to be aware of what they can do to keep kids safe. I speak publicly, to the press and on TV about "5 Steps You Can Take to Keep Kids Safe." Know the Facts; Know the Signs; Know What to Do; Know Where to Go; Know What to Say. To learn more about my "5 Steps You Can Take to Keep Kids Safe" visit www.MenInMyTown.wordpress.com
The second is getting state legislatures to pass legislation eliminating the statue of limitations for civil action in sex crimes committed against children. In many states, victims of sex crimes have as few as 2 years to bring civil charges against their perpetrators. I believe that since the psychological, emotional and physical effects of sexual abuse last a lifetime, the ability for victims of sex crimes to file a civil law suit should last just as long.
For more information about Keith and his mission of advocacy visit www.MenInMyTown.
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