With the number of true crime podcasts and documentaries released in the last decade, it’s easy to think that the current cultural obsession with true crime is a modern phenomenon. However, Americans have been thirsty for details about gruesome crimes and murder mysteries for centuries. From sermons and pamphlets to penny papers and dime novels, how people consume true crime has evolved over time, but many of the impulses behind that curiosity remain the same. Dr. Erin Dwyer, Associate Professor at Oakland University, discusses the history of representations of murder in popular culture in America and why true crime is such an enduring American fascination. Registration is requested.