Nineteen Minutes

I wonder what Jodi Picoult has been thinking and feeling for the last week?

Her novel, Nineteen Minutes, just came out a month ago. It's about a school shooting.

From page 99:

Ervin knew the network hadn't come to him for his expertise - only for solace. The rest of Sterling - the rest of the world - wanted to know that kids like Peter Houghton were recognizable, as if the potential to turn into a murderer overnight were a visible birthmark. "So there's a general profile of a school shooter," the anchor prodded.

Ervin Peabody looked into the camera. He knew the truth - that if you said these kids wore black or listened to odd music or were angry, you were discussing most of the male teenage population at some point during their adolescent years. He knew that if a deeply disturbed individual was intent on doing damage, he'd probably succeed. But he also knew that every eye in the Connecticut Valley was on him - maybe even the whole Northeast - and that he was up for tenure at Sterling. A little prestige - the label of expert - couldn't hurt. "You could make that argument," he said.