Screen studies Professor Rox Samer constantly crosses the boundary between consuming media for research and for fun. Patricia Highsmith’s novels, like “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” and their film adaptations fall into that category. Highsmith balked at being labeled a suspense or mystery writer, but “The Price of Salt” was her only novel that did not contain a murder. Thriller or not, Highsmith’s stories have repeatedly made their way to the big screen.

“Something about Highsmith’s writing, including her approach to queer representation, was really profoundly influencing the history of cinema, starting with Alfred Hitchcock’s immediate adaptation of her first novel, ‘Strangers on a Train,’” Samer says.

Challenge. Change. is produced by Andrew Hart and Melissa Hanson for Clark University. Listen and subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Find other episodes wherever you listen to podcasts.