Interview With an Author: Leah Rowan

Leah Rowan is the author of Marion and the forthcoming Vigil Annie. She lives in Brooklyn and the Catskills. She recently talked about Marion with Daryl Maxwell for the LAPL Blog.

What inspired you to reimagine Psycho?

Believe it or not, I was in the shower when the idea came to me. I think *that scene* has always really stuck with me, and for whatever reason, that morning, it popped into my head once again. I started to think—hey, what would I do if this happened to me?—and my first thought was: kick him in the groin! So my mind started to play out the scenario: what if Marion did just that? What if she wrestled the knife away from him? From there, it was full speed ahead.

Are Marion, Hannah, Lauren, or any of the other characters in the novel, inspired by or based on specific individuals (beyond their Psycho counterparts)?

Though not inspired by us as people or our specific stories or situations, the power of the bond between Lauren, Marion, and their mother was definitely inspired by my own experience as the eldest of two daughters and by having two daughters myself. I think the connection between mothers and daughters, as well as between sisters, is endlessly fascinating, and I loved exploring it here, even though the circumstances are much darker and more dramatic than my own.

As for Hannah, she was kind of anti-inspired by the wealth of hard-boiled detectives and private eyes we see in mysteries and noir. I wanted her to be as different as possible from that kind of character. She’s young, she’s a woman, she dresses quite casually, and moves completely to the beat of her own drum. I loved getting to write Hannah and had so much fun with her.

How did the novel evolve and change as you wrote and revised it? Are there any characters or scenes that were lost in the process that you wish had made it to the published version?

I’m the kind of writer who is quite happy to leave scenes on the cutting-room floor, so the version you see is 100% the version I’m most in love with, but that said, I did discover many of the biggest twists in the writing process, so that was probably the biggest evolution from version to version.

Do you remember when you were first exposed to Psycho? Was it the book or one of the films? If it was one of the films, which one?

Yes. I first watched Psycho in, I believe, 4th Grade with my mom. We had built up to it with other Hitchcocks like Rear Window, Vertigo, and Notorious, but Psycho was essentially my first-ever horror, a genre I would come to adore. In many ways, I think I’m still chasing that high of seeing the suspense and surprise of Psycho unfold for the first time.

Is Psycho your favorite of Alfred Hitchcock’s films? If not, what is?

Funny enough, no. I love it and think it may be the most influential of all his works, in that it truly set up the slasher genre as we know it, and the tropes explored and created from Psycho are ones we still see in cinema today. But I have two favorites, both with Jimmy Stewart! Vertigo is, to me, just one of the most visually stunning movies ever made, with an absolutely bonkers plotline that still manages to surprise me every time I rewatch it. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, Rope is this tight, focused, highly dramatic, and tense exploration of a friendship turned murderous.

Were you intimidated by the idea of reimagining such a well-known novel/film and its characters?

I probably should have been, but the moment I got the idea, it unfolded so quickly for me that I really didn’t look back. I think because Marion riffs not just on Psycho but on so many horror tropes of the last several decades, it felt more like, instead of trying to re-do Psycho (who could possibly do that?), it was about giving every girl who was ever the first to die in a slasher film her due.

If Marion were going to be adapted to a film or series, who would your dream cast be?

I would absolutely cast one of the women who is absolutely killing it in the horror space right now. Inde Navarrette (Obsession) would probably be a top choice, alongside Naomi Scott, whose Smile 2 performance was incredible, or Florence Pugh (an idea I got from one of my favorite Instagrammers, gareindeedreads, who put an awesome dream casting together.

We lost Alfred Hitchcock in 1980 and Robert Bloch in 1994. If you could ask each of them something, what would it be?

I’d love to have them for a screening of some of the top modern horror movies—I’m thinking Obsession, Get Out, Weapons, Pearl, Sinners—and see what they thought.

If you could tell each of them something, what would it be?

Thank you for giving the world this story!

Marion is your debut novel. As a debut author, what have you learned during the process of getting your novel published that you would like to share with other writers about this experience?

I’ve actually written additional thrillers under the name Leah Konen, but Marion is the first book that really toes the line into horror. My advice is the same either way, though. Enjoy the pinch-me moments and really try to let them sink in, but know that the best part of writing will always be that—the writing. It’s also the only part we can really control.

What’s currently on your nightstand?

I’ll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel, and it is fabulously deranged.

Can you name your top five favorite or most influential authors?

This is such a hard question, but I have to go classic here. In chronological order: Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Edith Wharton, Agatha Christie, and Toni Morrison.

What was your favorite book when you were a child?

The Enchanted Castle by Edith Nesbit, hands down.

Was there a book you felt you needed to hide from your parents?

Hahaha. I did read Lady Chatterley’s Lover in high school and was pretty scandalized.

Is there a book you’ve faked reading?

No, why would I? I love reading!

Can you name a book you’ve bought for the cover?

Yes, absolutely. Samantha Downing’s My Lovely Wife gripped me with that cover (and the book did, too).

Is there a book that changed your life?

Agatha Christie’s ABC Murders got me hooked on the power of a good twist, so it probably influenced my career the most.

Can you name a book for which you are an evangelist (and you think everyone should read)?

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. I just absolutely adore it and think the social commentary is *chef’s kiss.*

Is there a book you would most want to read again for the first time?

Pride and Prejudice, hands-down. I want to both judge and pine for Mr. Darcy all over again, without knowing how it ends.

What is the last piece of art (music, movies, TV, more traditional art forms) that you’ve experienced or that has impacted you?

I saw Sinners twice in the theater this past year, and honestly, I wish I could watch it theatrically about ten more times.

What is your idea of THE perfect day (where you could go anywhere/meet with anyone)?

I adore the Catskills, so anything that gets me some mountain views, sunshine, and conversation with the people I love fits the bill.

What is the question that you’re always hoping you’ll be asked, but never have been?

Do you use AI to write your books?

What is your answer?

No! Not for writing, ideating, researching, or any of it. And I don’t use it in my non-writing life, either.

What are you working on now?

I’m wrapping up a high-octane, fast-paced thriller about doppelgangers (one of them murderous). I can’t wait to share more very soon!