"It really excites me that there’s a resurgence of [the Gothic]. I love working with it, and as someone who’s very squeamish when it comes to straight up horror, I love the Gothic because it addresses these dark themes sideways, so we get to have a subtler language for talking about things."
— Betsy Cornwell interviewed by Elyse Martin for Electric Literature
Betsy Cornwell ('12) is a New York Times bestselling author. She is the author of six books including Reader, I Murdered Him (2022), The Circus Rose (2020), The Forest Queen (2018), Venturess (2017), Mechanica (2015), and Tides (2013).
Named one of Book Riot's Best Books of 2022, Cornwell's most recent novel, Reader, I Murdered Him, is a revenge sequel to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre and centered around the character Adèle. In an interview that appears in phoebe, Cornwell reveals that the idea for Reader, I Murdered Him emerged when she took a class called "Jane's Heirs" during her time in the MFA program at the University of Notre Dame. In an interview in Electric Literature, Cornwell says "Gothic literature is a women's genre. Some of the canonical texts are by women, like Jane Eyre, and it has been a way for women to speak about the darker aspects of their experience, when for many reasons we're unable to do so directly."
Reader, I Murdered Him has been called "an enthralling examination of justice, revenge, and romance" (Publishers Weekly); "an absorbing and empowering tale" (Kirkus Reviews), and a "perfect Gothic read for a cozy night" (Forbes). In March 2023, Boston Public Library selected Reader, I Mudered Him as a Staff Pick, recommending the book to lovers of gothic fiction: "[...] regardless of whether you're more into Charlotte Brontë or V.C. Andrews, you should check this one out."
Earlier in 2023, she published an essay in The New York Times called "I'll Get By With a Little Help From My Herd," detailing her life as a single mother and how she crowdfunded the purchase of a knitting factory in Connemara, Ireland. This purchase resulted in the founding of the Old Knitting Factory project, a childcare-inclusive arts retreat for single mothers. In 2021, Cornwell spoke with Notre Dame Magazine about her early goals of purchasing the knitting factory. Today, she has achieved her goals and continues to write in the Old Knitting Factory's garden.
"Without the painful transformations I experienced, I never would have found this place. But I am so grateful to be here with my son and to have the chance to work toward caring for other single mothers. Here I can take my life in my hands, feel for the holes and mend them where I’m able."
— Betsty Cornwell, Notre Dame Magazine
Betsy Cornwell is a New York Times bestselling author living in west Ireland. She teaches at the National University of Ireland, at writing retreats and workshops in Connemara, and through online mentorship. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Notre Dame and a BA from Smith College. Betsy is represented by Sara Crowe (children’s and YA market) and Dara Kaye (adult market).
Originally published by at english.nd.edu on August 16, 2024.