Thanks for taking the time to read and respond. I read your recent piece offering advice to female van dwellers on how to keep safe. That story, like others you've written, brings specific helpful guidance to those who can benefit from your experience. I admire the frank honesty of your stories. And also the courage it took to do the things you've chosen to do--and the even greater courage to write about them.

I don't know the answer to the why question you raise. We're all scratching our heads over this one. I'm not a psychologist, but if I had to make a bet I'd put my money on fear. I think a lot of men, perhaps men in general, are afraid of the feminine within themselves. Just as many of us try to kill those qualities in ourselves because we are afraid of them, a few take the extreme step of projecting that fear onto women to tragic results.

There have been efforts to direct resources to the cases of other missing people for several years now. There was even an effort to get a congressional commission started back iin 2017. But the resources go where public interest is high. And for the time being, it looks as if most folks simply don't care enough about people of color to give a damn. Is that because of systemic racism? Or something else like the constant flux of implicit bias and violent content in our movies and TV? I don't know.

I hope you'll explore some of the feelings you're having in response to the GP case, even if you do so in fiction. The arc between being like Gabby yourself once and the wiser person you've become today is bound to provide valuable treasure for you and for those who read your work.