How Rebecca Handler’s Strange New Mystery Novel “In the Round” Came to Be 

Have you ever been dead certain that you’re being watched? That maybe your very existence is predicated on how others see you? So begins the description of Rebecca Handler’s gripping new literary mystery, In The Round. Following one woman over the course of a single night in her San Francisco home, this breathtaking story will leave readers wondering how well we can trust our own intuition, and whether all the world’s a stage after all. 

Following her highly acclaimed debut, Edie Richter Is Not Alone, Handler’s second novel is a can’t-miss read for the holiday season (or any time, really). Book Passage’s Marketing & Publicity Manager Brian Birmingham sat down with Handler to learn about her writing habits, inspirations and influences — and an ideal day spent in a bookstore.

I read that you conceived the idea for In The Round while undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and that the story came together in a semi-hallucinatory state. I’m curious to know more about how this experience shaped the story, and when you knew that you were onto something.

The thing they don’t tell you about chemo is that it’s boring, and you can feel too nauseous and brain-fogged to focus on a book or movie. I was lucky enough to be treated at UCSF surrounded by caring nurses. One nurse went out of her way to sneak me an extra apple juice or distract me with a crossword puzzle. I watched the way she expertly cared for people, and I remember thinking, ‘She plays the part of a nurse so well.’ And then I thought, ‘And obviously I am playing the part of the cancer patient.’ Thinking of myself as temporarily inhabiting a role, rather than seeing cancer as something stealing my identity, gave me a sense of calm and curiosity.

There were a couple of other points of inspiration for the story. My daughters are now young adults, but after the eldest was born, I had this strange feeling that the “real mother” was going to show up to take my place. That feeling was unnerving but also, in the more sleep deprived moments, titillating. Maybe this is a temporary role I’m playing, and my next role will be a well-rested woman who lounges by a pool and reads.

The first scene of my novel is stolen almost word for word from a conversation I had with my husband. I was trying to read in bed, and he kept saying these boring things about ducks and the temperature of the room. I thought, “If this were a play, the audience would have walked out by now.” I got up to write that first scene. I strongly urge that if you have a choice between yelling at your sweet husband or writing, choose writing.

What is your ideal writing experience?

Ideal? After a walk or swim in the morning, I’d have five hours of uninterrupted time at a desk with tea and snacks. All of the news of the world would be good, and I’d listen to a movie soundtrack or Pictures at an Exhibition on repeat. Then someone would call out, “Dinner’s ready!” and I’d enjoy a perfectly grilled salmon fillet with some interesting people. That’s the ideal. The reality is that I try and reserve two days a week to write in large chunks of time, and the rest of the week I squeeze in an hour or two when I can. I sometimes eavesdrop at cafés for the purpose of finding dialogue. I must say that my husband makes a delicious salmon and is an interesting person so that part is certainly ideal.

This novel is described as a “Kafka-esque literary mystery,” and I wonder if you read any specific works by Kafka, or other writers, for inspiration during the writing process.

In preparation for In the Round, I read a variety of playwrights. My favorites were Sarah Ruhl, Sarah Kane, Paula Vogel, Annie Baker, Jacquelyn Reingold, Max Posner, Lisa Kwon and Wendy Wasserstein.

Your first novel was published by the LA-based indie publisher Unnamed Press, and now In The Round is forthcoming from McSweeney’s. Could you speak to your experience working with independent presses? 

I’m lucky to have worked with both Unnamed and now, McSweeney’s. I think the folks working at these smaller presses are particularly passionate and brilliant about literature and are in this business for the sheer love of books. Smaller presses might not have the same resources as larger houses, but they publish fewer books per year and are deeply invested in the finished product.

You’re spending a day in a bookstore. What’s the first section you go to?

After checking out the new releases, I’ll head to the used section to scour the shelves for books I meant to buy but never did. If I really have all day, I’ll go to the travel section to find a place nearby to have lunch so I can recharge for an afternoon of browsing. And then before I leave for the night, I’ll buy a cookbook so I can make something yummy for dinner. Maybe salmon. You see what I did there? That’s Chekhov’s salmon.