Della Leavitt
Author Interview - Della Leavitt
Author of Vivian's Decision: A Novel
A debut novel taking place in 1956 Chicago and suburban Wilmette.
A mid-20th century, multi-generational Jewish family saga. Vivian Jacobson, mother of four young children, faces the universal, yet deeply personal woman’s challenge when another child may be more than she can bear as she struggles with striving for an identity beyond dutiful wife and mother. A story of the past that is painfully relevant today.
Author Interview - Della Leavitt
Author I draw inspiration from:
Marisa Silver, "At Last"
Author Interview - Della Leavitt | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
In bed at night.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Helene Simonauer from Marisa Silver's "At Last." I'd ask her how it felt when her only son married a woman whose daughter's mother was so unlike her. How did Helene stay close to her son and develop a relationship her only granddaughter amid competition with the other grandmother?
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
Not until I set out to write the serendipitous story as a gift to my mother for her 90th birthday, about how she met my father, a WWII G.I. returning to Chicago from Europe.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Hardback: heavy and expensive, but sometimes I splurge to read an author's new release. Paperback: my sweet spot, often I combine reading the paperback with listening to the same title on an audiobook; going back and forth. I enjoy an audiobook with an outstanding narrator. ebooks: my last resort if I want to download something quickly
The last book I read:
"At Last" by Marisa Silver (2025). Wonderfully layered story with vivid characterizations. Loved revisiting these people beyond what the author portrayed in "The Memory Wing," a story first published in The Atlantic (2020)>
Pen & paper or computer:
Most of the time, I compose on the computer. Occasionally, I begin by writing by hand and then, type into the computer, although when I do, I change what I've written. After chapters or drafts, I print out what I've written and mark it up by hand. Sometimes, reading sections aloud. When I type the edits back into the manuscript, again, I find myself changing what I've edited.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Rocky from "Sandwich" by Catherine Newman. Although she is family-oriented (husband, kids, parents), she can take the long view (often with humor) about her choices throughout the decades. She would understand and help me laugh.
Author Interview - Della Leavitt | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I have been a systems engineer, high school math teacher, and researcher, but my dream careers have always been: librarian or architect.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
Love the 1940s look.
Place I’d most like to travel:
Spain: To Barcelona to see the Gaudi architecture and Madrid to see Picasso's Guernica again. I was mesmerized by Guernica when I saw it at MOMA on my first trip to NYC in 1967.
My signature drink:
Good red wine. Strong coffee with frothed almond milk (best made at home on my Illy machine). If I'm at a coffee shop: cortado with almond milk.
Favorite artist:
Georgia O'Keeffe
Number one on my bucket list:
Excited to talk to people who will read my debut historical novel, Vivian's Decision, after it launches on April 14, 2026.
Anything else you'd like to add:
Thank you for considering an author interview with me.
Find more from the author:
https://www.facebook.com/della.leavitt
https://www.instagram.com/della.leavitt/
About Della Leavitt:
Della Leavitt
After careers in technology and mathematics education, Chicagoan Della Leavitt, a member of the Chicago Women’s Liberation Union in the 1970s and a 2010 PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago’s College of Education, immersed herself in the vibrant Midwestern literary community to study the art of writing fiction. A Newberry Library fellowship and City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events (DCASE) supported the writing ofher debut novel, Vivian's Decision.
