The Inhabitants by Beth Castrodale
Regal House Publishing, 2024
Beware the Tall Grass by Ellen Birkett Morris
CSU Press, 2024
Beth: In the Acknowledgments section of your novel, you say that Beware the Tall Grass was inspired by a National Public Radio story on children with past life memories. Can you say a bit about the NPR story and why it had special resonance for you? Did you see a novel in this story from the start, or did the idea for a novel emerge over time?
Ellen: The story focused on a program at the University of Virginia Medical Center that attempted to corroborate the stories young children told about their past life memories with news accounts of the time. It was surprising the number of times the news accounts and memories lined up. Right away I knew there was a story there, which I wrote first as a short story. I was at the Antioch Writers Workshop in Yellow Springs when my instructor suggested the story would make a good novel. It was an idea I was interested in exploring in part because my own life had been guided by coincidence and could have turned out very differently. I was extremely premature and my mother, who was a nurse, made sure I got great care. I was born with cerebral palsy and wore braces on my legs as a child. She overheard my doctor say the braces were used to appease the parents. She promptly got me to a surgeon who did a tendon release surgery that allowed me to walk. I was captivated by the idea of a mother who dreamed of giving her child a perfect life only to find circumstances (past life memories) made that impossible and by the thought that the life we expect isn’t always the life we get.
Ellen: I was so impressed with your ability to mix modern concerns with a haunting Gothic sensibility. I would love to hear about what inspired The Inhabitants.
Beth: I’ve always been a big fan of spooky stories (more about that later). This sparked in me a desire to write a horror novel, though it took me many years to do so.
The main character of the novel, Nilda, served as an ongoing inspiration for me as I wrote the book. As an artist, Nilda is especially sensitive to the visual details of the house she inherits, which was constructed by a nineteenth-century architect whose creations were said to influence the mind. So when Nilda begins to have troubling experiences in the house, she (rightly) suspects that the architectural features might be playing a role.
As far as modern concerns go, I didn’t initially set out to include a #MeToo angle in the novel. But as I wrote the book, that angle emerged in a way that felt organic. Specifically, Nilda decides to exact revenge-by-painting against a portrait subject who, years before, had abused a dear friend of hers.
Beth: Before you heard the NPR story, did you have any interest in the occult, or a desire to write a novel that brought in elements of the occult? Did the process of writing the novel shape your personal views about the possibility of human consciousness surviving death?
Ellen: I have always been a bit of skeptic/scaredy cat when it came to the occult. I don’t watch horror movies or read scary books too often, but this idea was so compelling to me that I couldn’t let it go. I believe that families have tendencies and characteristics that are shared across generations. My family has a long line of dreamers and gamblers, who went prospecting, played the horses, entered contests, and I am no different. Why couldn’t memories be passed across generations? I found the concept of a collective unconscious that combines both joy and pain of life hugely comforting. My only job when crafting the novel was not to perfectly explain these things, but to best depict how they might impact a mother and a soldier as realistically as possible.
Ellen: Tell me about what drew you to write about the occult. Have you always been a fan of the genre? What books helped you get in the right mindset to tell this spooky, immersive tale?
Beth: I’ve always been a huge fan of scary stories. Back when I was a kid, I loved spooky shows and books (a favorite was Gus Was a Friendly Ghost). I also wrote little staple-bound, illustrated ghost stories. In doing so, I think I was trying to make my own meaning of the scenes and situations typical of the scary stories I’d read and watched: the creepy house or castle, the dangerous or mysterious presence, and so on.
As an adult, some spooky books that have inspired me are The Haunting of Hill House, The Turn of the Screw, and The House Next Door. One feature that unites these books is that the setting is a central character, often the most unsettling character of all. While writing The Inhabitants, I definitely tried to make the house in which the novel is set a central character.
Beth: I admire how deftly you wove together the two storylines–the present-day story of Eve (the mother) and her son, Charlie, and the story of Thomas, who enters combat in Vietnam. Did you envision two interwoven stories (i.e., alternating between the points of view of Eve and Thomas) from the start, or did the structure evolve in some other way?
Ellen: Thank you! The structure came out of my need to put my short story writing skills to use in service of the huge task of writing a novel. Thomas was there to help me extend and deepen the story. I thought I couldn’t pull it off with just one point of view character. I knew from writing poetry and studying craft that it was possible to create subtle echoes between the stories through repeated images, words, even tone. I wrote the book alternating between the two characters hoping that some of that connection was being built in unconsciously as well.
Ellen: You do a masterful job mixing the new (#MeToo, emojis, rock playlists, binge watching) and the old (dollhouses, tonics, haunted artwork). Talk about the importance of objects to set the tone and move the plot forward.
Beth: What a great question! Speaking of physical objects in particular, I had a lot of fun writing about the architectural models that the main character’s (Nilda’s) daughter, Sidney, discovers hidden away in the house they’ve just inherited. These models were created years before by the architect who designed their house, and they feature some eerie details that this architect became known for—details that were said to influence the mind.
Although Sidney sees these models as playthings (along the lines of dollhouses), Nilda sees them as sinister objects that should have been left in their hiding place. I was hoping that the models would be creepy in and of themselves but also foreshadow some influences that Nilda’s new house seems to have on her.
Beth: I was really struck by how central motherhood is in both of our novels. While reading Beware the Tall Grass, I admired how effectively you portrayed the judgment that Eve faces for taking Charlie’s otherworldly experiences seriously and for trying to help him cope with them. These scenes really underscore how mothers are so frequently judged or made to feel guilty for trying to do their best by their children. Were these scenes emotionally challenging for you to write, or was writing them cathartic in some sense?
Ellen: The scenes were made easier to write when I reminded myself that Eve’s central characteristics were both the burden of perfectionism and the courage to advocate for herself and others. The hardest part for her was having her beloved husband be a skeptic and push back at her.
Ellen: Tell me about your experience writing about motherhood.
Beth: Although I don’t have any children, I was fortunate to have a wonderful mother and to observe the parenting of many friends who are mothers. These experiences and observations helped me greatly as I wrote about the relationship between Nilda and her daughter, Sidney. Still, while drafting the novel, I was sometimes concerned that I wasn’t portraying motherhood fairly or accurately. Getting feedback from other writers, some of whom are mothers, helped me feel more confident in this regard.
Beth: Both of our novels deal with grief—for example, grief over the death of beloved humans or animals, or over other losses. Do you think writing about such situations can be a way of processing grief in our own lives? Is there anything you’d like to say about writing about grief in the context of your novel?
Ellen: That was certainly the case for me. My mother had a diagnosis of terminal lung cancer as I was writing the book and I had been diagnosed with a chronic illness. Writing Beware the Tall Grass both allowed me to escape my challenging present and process the pending loss of my mother, who had always advocated for me. It was very cathartic, though I am not sure I was aware at the time of how big a role it was playing for me. I hope the book is a testament to my mother’s love and the courage we all need to face the challenges of life.
Ellen: As you said, both of our characters are, in ways, mourning their mothers, and both Nilda and Eve are trying to protect their children, Sidney and Charlie. In what way did maternal love drive the drama of your story, and what were those scenes like for you emotionally when you wrote them?
Beth: Maternal love is a major through line in The Inhabitants and a key driver of the plot. Nilda is struggling to be an attentive and caring mom while she’s dealing with grief over the loss of her own mom. Also, her late mother, another artist, is continuing to have an influence on Nilda and on events in the novel. Finally, Nilda’s housekeeper, Helen, is serving as a kind of mother figure for Nilda while also grieving the loss of her son. Through all of these characters, we see that although maternal love is largely a force for good, its power can sometimes have unintended—and not always positive—consequences.
Writing about all these forms of maternal love was an emotional experience for me, but if this weren’t the case, I doubt these scenes would have been effective.
Beth: The scenes of Thomas’s experiences in Vietnam are so vivid and detailed, calling to mind Tim O’Brien’s masterful story collection The Things They Carried (which is actually referenced in your novel). In the Acknowledgments section of your book, you mention that a relative who served in Vietnam shared details of his service that helped you craft these scenes. Can you talk a bit about that process? For example, did what you learned from your relative help you shape the plot surrounding Thomas in any way?
Ellen: I was reluctant to ask my uncle for details about his service but he was so incredible (as always) and offered up sensory details about the damp, the mosquitoes, and the claustrophobia of being in a foxhole. It helped me be in Thomas’s body in a way I could not have otherwise achieved.
Ellen: The Inhabitants is beautifully plotted, as mystery and horror stories need to be to work. Can you discuss the tools you use to keep track of and deepen plot as you go along?
Beth: For The Inhabitants and other recent novels, I’ve found rough outlines invaluable for working out story arcs for first drafts, and for helping me complete those drafts in a reasonable time frame. These rough outlines also help me attend to details of plot and pacing.
That said, I never hew strictly to outlines. They’re just general guides, and once I get down to writing, stories and characters inevitably take on a life of their own, which is great. Those moments can feel transcendent, and they are one of the main reasons I write.
Beth: Did you do any other research for the novel? If so, can you share some details about it?
Ellen: I read soldiers’ blogs online to get a sense of how the experience differed or was similar across time and conflicts. I was greatly helped by the biography We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young, written by Lt. Col. Hal Moore and Joseph R. Galloway, which offered a roadmap for the battle featured in the novel.
Ellen: I would love to hear about your research process. I was particularly intrigued by quotes that headed some chapters. Were they real or made up or a mix?
Beth: It was fun to work on those chapter-opening quotes. A few of them (e.g., those from William James and Henry James) were real. But most of the quotes were my inventions.
That said, many of the invented quotes were based on research I did into common themes and tropes in paranormal investigations and in reports of paranormal phenomena.
Beth: What was the most challenging aspect of writing Beware the Tall Grass? What was the most rewarding?
Ellen: The book took eight years, and it was challenging making sure the narratives spoke to each other and that it ended in just the right way. I was really challenged by the length requirements of a novel and truly wrote it word by word. The most rewarding part was landing the ending and feeling like I had done my best depicting these characters’ journeys.
Ellen: What was the most challenging aspect of writing The Inhabitants for you? What was the most rewarding?
Beth: The biggest challenge of writing The Inhabitants was pacing it so that the mysteries within it unfold gradually and so that there’s an ongoing tension/feeling of suspense. In other words, I didn’t want to give away too much too early, and I didn’t want to have a “saggy middle” of the novel, where the story loses steam and drifts. I did some rough outlining to help avoid these issues.
The most rewarding aspect of writing The Inhabitants was the satisfaction of having finally written a horror novel after years of wanting to do so.
Beth: Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about the novel or what inspired it?
Ellen: For writers, if an idea stays with you, don’t let it go. Do your best to let it grow and work and rework it. For readers, I hope you are moved by my novel and that it offers a touchstone with your own experience.
Ellen: This is your fourth novel. I am curious if there has been a through line that connects all your books and also if there’s anything else you’d like us to know about The Inhabitants.
Beth: I can’t think of a particular theme or anything else that connects my books. In fact, I enjoy taking on different subjects for each of my novels. It’s one way that I keep myself entertained!
The only other thing that comes to mind regarding The Inhabitants is that I hope the novel might encourage readers to reflect on places they’ve lived and how these places have affected them. My view is that everywhere we live leaves some kind of mark on us, sometimes a very significant mark that lasts for the rest of our lives.
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Beth Castrodale has published four novels, most recently The Inhabitants, which won the Horror category of the 2024 Best Book Awards, sponsored by American Book Fest. Her stories and essays have appeared in multiple publications, including CrimeReads, Ars Medica, and Writing and Wellness. Castrodale is the recipient of an artist grant from the Mass Cultural Council.
Ellen Birkett Morris’s debut novel, Beware the Tall Grass, won the Donald L. Jordan Award for Literary Excellence, judged by Lan Samantha Chang. She is the author of Lost Girls: Short Stories, winner of the Pencraft Award. Morris is also the author of Abide and Surrender, poetry chapbooks. Her fiction has appeared in Shenandoah, Antioch Review, Notre Dame Review, and South Carolina Review, among other journals. Morris is a recipient of an Al Smith Fellowship for her fiction from the Kentucky Arts Council and grants from the Kentucky Foundation for Women and the Elizabeth George Foundation.