November 6, 1998

Novelist is writer-in- residence at Loyola

Valerie Martin, author of the famous book that inspired the movie Mary Reilly, is currently writer-in-residence at Loyola. In addition to working on a new novel, she is teaching two courses in the English department.

Martin has written both novels and short fiction, including Mary Reilly, The Great Divorce, A Recent Martyr, The Consolation of Nature, Set in Motion, and Alexandra. Mary Reilly was made into a film with John Malkevich and Julia Roberts in the lead roles.

Martin says it was strange to see her novel on the big screen. She adds she was not very active in the making of the movie, only meeting with the screenwriter, Christopher Hampton, once in New York.

When asked what she considers her greatest writing accomplishment, Martin states, “Other than the novel that I am working on now, The Great Divorce is my favorite.” Currently, she is working on Italian Fever which is scheduled to be released next June. Her inspiration for this novel came while she was living in Italy.

Martin, who grew up in New Orleans, received her undergraduate degree in English from the University of New Orleans. Her master’s of fine arts in creative writing is from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

She has been a professor of creative writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mt. Holyoke College, the University of Alabama, and the University of New Mexico.

– Alison K. Verges, A’99, Intern in the Office of Public Affairs