We chat with author Bailey Seybolt about Coram House, which is a haunting novel—inspired by a true story—about a crime writer who risks everything as she investigates the mystery of two deaths, decades apart, at a crumbling Vermont orphanage.
Hi, Bailey! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Let’s see. I grew up in New York City, but now live in Vermont. I’ve always made my living as a writer but that’s taken different forms—travel, tech, marketing—and now I’m working on a new novel.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
From the second I learned to read, I was a voracious consumer of books. But it took a lot longer to realize that, you know, actual people wrote those books—not mythic figures in a tower somewhere. And even longer to realize that I might be one of those people one day.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: I read many books before I found Stephen King, but I remember reading Pet Sematary and being absolutely terrified. It was the first time I realized how deeply a book could sink its claws into you.
- The one that made you want to become an author: I remember reading Tana French’s In the Woods and that ending! No spoilers, but you know what I’m talking about. At first I was offended—you’re not allowed to do that. But then I thought, maybe when it’s your book, you get to write your own rules. The thought was intoxicating.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Annie Proulx’s Barkskins. I think about this book all the time. The way we’re all a product of the long history of the place we live, even if we don’t understand how.
Your novel, Coram House, is out April 15! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
The past won’t stay buried.
Where did the inspiration for Coram House come from?
So Coram House takes inspiration from a real life place: St. Joseph’s orphanage, which operated in Burlington, Vermont until the 1970s. When I first moved here, I used to walk by this beautiful brick building perched on a hill with dramatic views of Lake Champlain. When I looked up the history, I felt like I’d been slapped in the face. The idea that this beautiful place, just sitting right there, had this terrible history. I felt the building should have been marked somehow, but of course these places rarely are.
This is your debut novel! What are some of the key lessons you have learned when it comes to writing and publishing?
Tenacity and patience (still working on that one). For most people (myself included), publishing is a long road that involves an unpublished novel or two in a drawer somewhere. But everything I’ve finished has taught me to be a better writer and editor of my own work.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on a new book! A woman reluctantly returns to her family home on an island in Maine. When something terrible happens next door, she’s drawn back into her past. It’s got an elderly mother with an acid tongue who is the most fun to write.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Heartwood by Amity Gaige (also out this month) is phenomenal. I love books that really draw you into the setting and the woods come alive in this one.
