Verso University: Women & Crime: Beyond the Headlines

Monday, November 9 | 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Location: Brooks Place | Registration Fee: FREE

About This Course

Why are we so fascinated by true crime — and what can these stories teach us beyond the question of who did it?

Criminologist and Women & Crime podcast co-host Amy Shlosberg takes the audience behind the scenes of true-crime storytelling to explore what happens when compelling cases intersect with the criminal justice system, public opinion, and the law.

Using the highly debated death of Philadelphia-area woman Ellen Greenberg as a central case study, Dr. Shlosberg will examine how investigators, medical examiners, families, attorneys, and the public can interpret the same evidence differently — and what happens when an official conclusion remains contested years later. She’ll also look at several other cases involving women from the tri-state area and beyond, using them to explore larger questions about women as victims and defendants, wrongful convictions, investigative bias, and the ways changing laws can affect women’s lives.

The talk will also examine the ethical challenges of true-crime storytelling itself. When does telling a real person’s story serve a purpose — and when does it simply turn tragedy into entertainment?

Come for the crime stories. Stay for the criminology.

About the Speaker

Amy Shlosberg, Ph.D., is a criminologist, professor, and co-host of the award-winning podcast Women & Crime, where she and fellow criminologist Meghan Sacks examine the cases of women who are victims, suspects, defendants, and survivors of the criminal justice system. Their work combines compelling true-crime storytelling with research and analysis of criminological theory, investigative practices, and criminal justice policy.

Dr. Shlosberg has spent her career studying crime and the criminal justice system, including teaching incarcerated students and conducting research on wrongful convictions and life after exoneration. Through her teaching, research, and podcasting, she is particularly interested in the gap between the stories we tell about crime and the complicated realities behind them.

About Verso University

• Classes are usually structured as a consecutive series.
• Class size is often limited.
• Each series has a one-time registration fee covering all classes in the series.
• Registration is mandatory.
• The Westport Library wants to ensure that all interested students are able to participate in Verso University courses. If the registration fee is a barrier to entry for you, please contact JConnon@westportlibrary.org.

Verso University is the Library’s lifelong learning and education initiative, serving up year-round offerings of classes, workshops, and lectures designed to further education and learning. Offerings run the gamut of educational opportunities, ranging from one-time lectures to ongoing courses to classes that meet weekly or perhaps monthly.

Verso University programs are made possible by the generous support of the Nancy J. Beard Lifelong Learning and Education Fund.

Library Refund Policy

Programs, prices, and dates are subject to change. Tickets are non-transferable between events but may be passed along to another attendee. All sales are final. Refunds are issued only if The Westport Library cancels an event outright. In the case of a postponement or reschedule, refunds are not guaranteed provided the event takes place within 12 months of the original date. Refunds, when applicable, are issued in the original form of payment.