New York Times Best-Selling Author Julie Berry Visits LMHS

Lower Merion High School recently had the pleasure of welcoming Julie Berry, acclaimed writer and New York Times bestseller, for a special author visit. Berry met with students and faculty in lively presentation about writing, her creative process and her newly released novel, If Looks Could Kill.

Berry walked students through glimpses of her journey — from crafting vivid characters to weaving in historical and mythological elements — and revealed the passions that drive her work. She shared how the idea for If Looks Could Kill came into being: a daring blend of true crime and myth, in which Jack the Ripper pursues new victims in New York while a resurrected Medusa hunts him in turn.

In If Looks Could Kill, Berry explores themes of power, vengeance, sisterhood and survival as the novel pits history’s most notorious murderer against Greek mythology’s most infamous monster — a collision that invites readers to rethink both terror and agency.

During her visit, Berry also answered students’ questions on research, inspiration and revision. She encouraged aspiring writers to pursue stories that feel urgent and personal, and to embrace the messy, iterative parts of creating fiction. For more about Julie Berry, her books, and her upcoming events, visit her official website: www.julieberrybooks.com.

Click through the slideshow below to see a collection of images from Berry’s time at LMHS!