Media

Twitter: @marrow_victor

Instagram: victormarrow1871

Website: www.victormarrow.com

What is your first novel, The Pilgrim and the Prophet, about?

- - - - In The Pilgrim and the Prophet, an apocalyptic preacher, Pastor Barker, arrives into a sleepy midwestern town set on installing a violent theocracy. Pastor Barker’s design is to fix America’s moral problems through unflinching violence while building a national movement. Each act of terror and mayhem seems to only bring the fingertips of fanaticism closer around the city of Avarice.

What inspired that first novel?

- - - - This novel was conceived in 2006 after I went to a haunted house but discovered it was a fanatical hell house. Their violent rhetoric and complete lack of empathy for anyone not in their flock gave birth, in my head, to villain Pastor Simon Barker.

Where do you get your stories from?

- - - - Varies, sometimes experiences other times just a phrase or image can make me ponder the next story. I’ve been in court, driving, showering, or other social situations that allow me to people watch. I tend to like the clash between fascinating personalities and challenging ethical dilemmas even if it down a dark road.

Does your legal background influence your writing?

- - - - Somewhat since, in court, attention spans are similar to teenagers so action has to keep moving. Depth can enter via expert witnesses or necessary educational tangents but back to the action. Themes matter more than you’d expect. Also make the facts bleed, any solid case should turn not on manufactured testimony but the facts emotionally ripping at your soul. I’ve noticed great novels do all of the same things great trial lawyers do.

What are some of your favorite writers?

- - - - Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, Clive Barker, Michael Connelly, Albert Camus, John Grisham, Iceberg Slim, Donald Goines, Ruth Ware

What are some of your favorite novels?

- - - - The Stranger (Camus), American Psycho (Ellis), Fight Club (Palahniuk), The Street Lawyer (Grisham), The Scarlet Gospels (Barker), Survivor (Palahniuk), In a dark dark wood (Ware), The Brass Verdict (Connelly), The Beach (Garland), Super Cannes (Ballard).

What is the biggest misconception people have about the law?

- - - - That it is dramatic courtroom moments with the hands of fortune or justice clinging to you. In reality unless you practice criminal law or are a high profile injury lawyer most lawyering is via Microsoft Word. It is the drafting of pleadings, motions, research analysis, and far more like Office Space than what is depicted in popular media. I don’t blame them since a two hour movie on me sending emails to clients searching for a routine document will tickle lawyers but not the rest of the public.

What type of cases have you worked?

- - - - Rape, attempted murder, domestic violence, theft, drug trafficking, asbestos litigation, dog bites, traffic tickets, haunted house sprinkler systems not working, you name it I’ve probably done it. There are a handful of comedic and heartbreaking cases that have stayed with me through the years.

Why do you wear a mask?

- - - - I wear a mask to protect my identity given my daytime job is sensitive as is my respect for my family’s privacy. My subject matter tends to be pretty bleak even with a distant sense of hope. My mask allows loved ones to be vaguely immunized from my literary journeys into the darkness. They still have to live with me and so not really a bargain I guess. I’ve also worked enough disturbing cases to know a layer of privacy is a nice starting point. I’ve had at least one client murdered due to compromised safety so that reminded me to be wary. That said, I’m also cynical enough to know my identity will be determined, sooner or later, but at least I’ve attempted to set up safeguards so that daytime lawyer and author Victor Marrow are two distinct persons. If you were hoping it was some furry fetish or robot S&M thing I’m sorry to let you down.

Are any of your stories based on actual cases you handled?

- - - - Lucky for my clients no, not at all. I like keeping those worlds separate. That said, I’ve come across some pretty depraved violence and witnessed some unnerving forensic interviews with predators. The sad thing is that while my writings may be dark, violent, and bizarre for some we could open any prosecutor or injury lawyer’s file cabinet (laptop drive) and you’d see a level of barbaric disregard for human suffering that makes my novels sterile. Or ask an EMT who has responded to a mass shooting involving children about that scene and your heart will shatter faster than any reading of fiction. My goal is to provide a glimpse into the dark, meet some unique characters, and to give someone escapism into a bleak optimist adventure. I find beauty in the discarded souls clawing their way through an imperfect life.