Author Katie Williams’ recent novel is about a woman discovering life after death when she’s cloned following her murder by a serial killer.
It’s called My Murder: A Novel and it’s been recognized by the Library of Michigan as a 2024 Notable Book. Williams is visiting several libraries in the capital region this week as part of a statewide tour of Notable Books authors.
She’ll be at the Okemos branch of the Capital Area District Libraries Wednesday, June 5 at 6 p.m. and the Carnegie branch of the Jackson District Library Thursday, June 6 at 6 p.m.
WKAR's Sophia Saliby spoke with Williams about the book ahead of those tour visits.
Interview Highlights
On where the idea for her novel came from
I've always felt a little uncomfortable about the fact that so many of them revolve around a dead woman on the ground. She's in chapter one or she's in chapter two, everyone else is buzzing around her. It's arguably the story, her story, the story of her life, the story of her death, and yet she gets no choice or no agency. So, I wanted to bring her back and make her not just the murder victim but the detective of her own murder.
On the themes of motherhood and feminism in the novel
I started with this, you could call it a feminist question about the woman victim at the center of the murder mystery, and it kind of spiraled out as I wrote the story. And Lou's story became in some ways, about just being a woman walking in this world and the different ideas of identity and choice, responsibility, family, freedom around specifically being a woman ... motherhood was something I felt like I really had to include and explore as well.
On why she set the novel in mid-Michigan
The first draft of this book was set in San Francisco where I lived for many years, too. And it wasn't working at all. And I needed to be in a place that was more, I guess, grounded for me.
I grew up here. I spent my whole childhood and teenage-hood here in Michigan. And so, I needed Louise to feel grounded in her body, especially since she's a clone. I thought that was so important. I needed to feel grounded in her body and in the place. And so, that's why I move the setting to mid-Michigan.
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: Author Katie Williams’ recent novel is about a woman discovering life after death when she’s cloned following her murder by a serial killer.
It’s called My Murder: A Novel, and it’s been recognized by the Library of Michigan as a 2024 Notable Book. Williams is visiting several libraries in the Capital Region this week as part of a statewide tour of Notable Books authors.
And she's here with me now. Thanks for joining us.
Williams: Sophia, thank you so much for having me.
Saliby: I want to start by asking where this idea came from for a society that brings people back to life through cloning?
Williams: Yeah, it came from my own love as a reader of murder mysteries and thrillers. They're one of my favorite genres. I think they're an incredibly fun game that the author and reader get to have together.
Lou's story became in some ways, about just being a woman walking in this world and the different ideas of identity and choice, responsibility, family, freedom around specifically being a woman.
And yet, I've always felt a little uncomfortable about the fact that so many of them revolve around a dead woman on the ground. She's in chapter one or she's in chapter two, everyone else is buzzing around her. It's arguably the story, her story, the story of her life, the story of her death, and yet she gets no choice or no agency. So, I wanted to bring her back and make her not just the murder victim but the detective of her own murder.
You asked about the futurist element, the speculative setting. So, I was thinking about that. I love of murder mystery and that funny feeling about the dead woman on the ground. And then along with that, I started thinking about the ways in which media, social media, the public sphere have been changing, and the ways in which a story or an idea can kind of take hold and take a life of its own.
So in the book, the deaths of Louise and the four other women who have been murdered by the same serial killer, they get picked up by the news, and they become a kind of sensational story and take on a life of their own. So even after Louise is brought back, she's contending not just with who she used to be and who she is now in her new life, but also her public persona, who people think she is as this sort of famous victim of a murder.
Saliby: You touch on how classic mystery novels often deal with a woman being at the center of the story but not quite having a voice. And then there's also modern true crime which also deals with women being at the center of the story and not quite having a voice sometimes.
So, did you pull from any real life examples for that part of your story, that kind of exploitation in the true crime genre?
Williams: Nothing specific. I mean, I am familiar with these true crime murder stories. I listened to the first season of the Serial podcast, enjoyed every minute of it. But there weren't any specific models that I pulled from.
So, from the sphere in general, I would say, yeah, it's curious to me why this story of a woman, usually a young woman as a victim is more interesting to us than other stories of other victims.
Saliby: Another major theme in your novel is motherhood. Before her murder, it seems like your main character Lou or Louise is dealing with postpartum depression. And after she's brought back, she's still struggling to connect with her newborn daughter.
I needed Louise to feel grounded in her body, especially since she's a clone. I thought that was so important. I needed to feel grounded in her body and in the place. And so, that's why I move the setting to mid-Michigan.
Obviously, you deal with death and new life with your main character, but also death and new life with this baby that's a part of the book as well. So, can you talk about that theme?
Williams: Yeah, well, I do think it's interesting to put opposites together and see what energy exists between them. So, I started with this, you could call it a feminist question about the woman victim at the center of the murder mystery, and it kind of spiraled out as I wrote the story.
And Lou's story became in some ways, about just being a woman walking in this world and the different ideas of identity and choice, responsibility, family, freedom around specifically being a woman. And so motherhood was something I felt like I really had to include and explore as well.
Saliby: Your character Lou feels uncomfortable in this new body she's given, and I wanted to speak as a reader. You've set this novel in the near future.
So, there's kind of a dysphoria in a way to be like, oh, this takes place in Lansing. They're at the Lansing mall, but they're using driverless cars to get around or like their work all takes place in VR.
So, was that intentional to kind of like force a reader experience that was similar to your main character and feeling like things were close to being right but not quite?
Williams: Oh, I should say yes, it was all a part of the plan. I love that though. No, I wasn't thinking intentionally of that. I was thinking a lot about setting. And so, the first draft of this book was set in San Francisco where I lived for many years too. And it wasn't working at all.
And I needed to be in a place that was more, I guess, grounded for me. I grew up here. I spent my whole childhood and teenage-hood here in Michigan. And so, I needed Louise to feel grounded in her body, especially since she's a clone. I thought that was so important. I needed to feel grounded in her body and in the place. And so, that's why I move the setting to mid-Michigan.
Saliby: What does it mean for you to be recognized by the Library of Michigan? I'm not sure if this is quite your direct home anymore, but Michigan is a part of you.
Williams: Absolutely, and I do consider it my home. I've lived in lots of different places, which is I think part of the deal when you're an artist and an academic. But Michigan, for me, is the place I've lived the longest. It's the place I grew up.
I think part of being a person is contending with our own mortality as people. But I think why I would [get cloned] is because I think it gives her a really interesting perspective both on her life before her death and her next life after.
I feel like the place you grow up as a child, you're forming your first memories there. Everything is so vivid and tactile. So, it's an incredible honor. I was absolutely thrilled when I heard the news.
Saliby: I want to kind of end with a thought experiment. So, let's hope this doesn't come to it, but would you want to be replicated in the same way your main character was, brought back to life a little bit?
Williams: Oh, my goodness, I definitely wouldn't want to be murdered.
Saliby: Well, yeah. Maybe let's not talk about the cause.
Williams: I think, yeah, and you know why, it's not because I feel like I need to live forever. I think I had a friend say to me, and I will give her credit and repeat it here: I think part of being a person is contending with our own mortality as people.
But I think why I would is because I think it gives her a really interesting perspective both on her life before her death and her next life after.
Saliby: Katie Williams is the author of My Murder: A Novel. She’ll be at the Okemos branch of the Capital Area District Libraries Wednesday evening and the Carnegie branch of the Jackson District Library Thursday night. That’s as part of the Library of Michigan’s Notable Books Author Tour. Thank you for joining me.
Williams: Thank you so much for having me.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
