Meeting the lovely Ann Patchett

I had the chance to see Ann Patchett speak last week and it was fantastic! She was the speaker for this year’s Marian McFadden Memorial Lecture and she was honored with the Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Literature Award.

I also stayed for the book signing which followed the talk and got my two favorite books by her (Bel Canto and State of Wonder) signed. We had a chance to talk for a minute and she even took a quick picture with me. It’s definitely one of my absolute favorite author meetings I’ve even had.

Patchett talked a bit about her bookstore Parnassus Books in Nashville. She emphasized the importance of supporting local bookstores and not just saying you enjoy them and then buying the book on Amazon because it’s cheaper. I’m dying to visit her store in Nashville and I’m hoping to make a trip there later this year. I also completely agree with her point about putting your money where your mouth is. I think that’s true for the arts as well as bookstores. Yes, it costs money to buy a book new or go to the theatre, but you’re supporting something important when you buy you ticket!

She said she’s traveled to dozens of libraries all over the country and Indianapolis’ downtown branch in one of the most beautiful she has ever scene. As you guys have heard me say before, I definitely agree! She also gave the entire St. Crispin’s Day speech from Henry V! It made sense in the context of the talk and it was absolutely incredible! She made some important points about there not being a magic muse who writes her novels for her. It’s hard work and it’s not easy, but it’s something you sit down and do every day if you’re a writer.

"If you love books, you want to push them on people, so owning an independent bookstore is the best!"

(Just laughing with Ann Patchett, no big deal)

If you’ve read State of Wonder you no doubt remember a certain intense scene with an anaconda. She described her actual experience on a small 15 foot boat on a river in the Amazon. One of the men in the boat (not one of the tour guides, just a passenger) pulled at giant anaconda out of the river and into their boat. He kept it in the boat for 20 minutes, describing everything about it while it slowly wrapped itself around his body. They eventually pulled it off him and put it back in the water, but she said it was absolutely terrifying and in that moment the scene from the book was born. She later found out the guy was a snake expert and they became friends, but can you imagine witnessing that?!?

During the Q & A session someone asked her for book recommendations and she suggested the following books:

1) Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St. Aubyn
2) Casual Vacancy (this one was interesting because she said she hasn't read the Harry Potter series!)
3) Independent People by Halldór Laxness (Apparently a book about Icelandic sheep and coffee)
4) The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

5) Old Filth by Jane Gardam

6) The All of It by Jeannette Haien 

Photos by a kind new book-loving friend I met in line.

Jennifer Egan Reading

When I first read A Visit from the Goon Squad two years ago I loved it. So when I had the opportunity to hear Jennifer Egan speak last month I was thrilled! During the evening she read the whole first chapter of that book and then answered audience member’s questions.


One of my favorite aspects of her talk was hearing about the process of creating Goon Squad. It started as a single short story about a woman finding a wallet. This story was inspired by Egan herself being robbed on the day she had to fly from New York City to California. Shortly after that experience she saw a wallet sitting out in a public restroom and the story was born.

After writing it she was curious about the other characters mentioned in the chapter and she quickly realized that she had something more than a single short story. As it grew into a book she set three rules for herself:

1) Each chapter had to be about a new character.

2) Each chapter had to feel different and unique (1st person, interview, PowerPoint, etc.)

3) Each chapter had to stand alone; readers deserved closure with each chapter because they’re being tossed into a completely new situation each time.

She said the book is a bit like a concept album. In the same way that musical artists will occasionally create albums (especially in the 1970s) where each track had a different style, this book is set up in a similar way.

Egan was incredibly kind and engaging. She was also bright and very honest about her work and inspiration. I loved her comments on trying something new. She recently published an entire short story “Black Box” on Twitter via The New Yorker. She talked about trying the new form of media as a sort of modern day serialization like the way Charles Dickens used to publish his books. She was so open to finding new ways to experiment with creative flow.

As soon as I got home I started re-reading the book and I enjoyed it even more the second time around. I remembered bits and pieces from each characters’ life and so seeing the complete picture once more was wonderful! I will definitely be reading more of her work as soon as I can.

Photos by moi.

Lois Lowry Lecture

This past weekend I had the chance to attend a lecture and book signing given by Lois Lowry. Her books The Giver and Number the Stars were two of the first that had a huge impact on me as a reader. I read both in grade school and reread them many, many times.

She's written many others, including two companion books to The Giver, that I've enjoyed, but it was those first two, which made her such an important author to me. In person she was clever, intelligent and wonderfully funny.

Lowry has had a fascinating life. She skipped second grade and graduated from high school at only 16. She attended Brown University, but dropped out when she was 19 to get married. She then had four kids by age 25 and yet still managed to become a successful author. 

(Lowry signing books after the lecture)


One thing I'd never heard of before her talk was her passion for photography. She's take portrait photographs for years and when her publishers asked what the girl on the cover of Number the Stars should look like, she sent them a shot she'd taken a decade earlier of a young girl. The publishers used that very shot on the cover (after Lowry got permission from the girl). The covers of The Giver, The Messenger and Gathering Blue also feature photos she's taken.

Lowry's book A Summer to Die was inspired by her own experience of her older sister Helen dying. The Giver was born of her father's struggle with Alzheimer's, which made Lowry wonder, wouldn't it be nice to forget everything sad or lonely that happened to you?

Hearing her talk definitely inspired me to read more of her work and gave me a deeper appreciation for what I've already read.

Top photo by moi.

John Green Reading

(Green signing books after the reading)

Last week I attended a reading given by author John Green. I've read two of his three novels, "Looking for Alaska" and "Paper Towns" and I've loved his writing style. He writes mainly for a late high school/college age audience, but his characters are easy to relate to and I wouldn't label his work as solely "Young Adult."

Green was hilarious. He bantered with the audience and answered dozens of questions. He had some really profound things to say, both about his own writing experience and about reading in general.

(Getting my book signed by the author)

One point he made really hit home for me. He talked about how TV shows and most movies won't ask too much of you. They give you the story and you don't have to think too much about it one way or the other (I would say LOST is an except to that rule). They play specific music to tell you how you're supposed to be feeling and you know they'll wrap up in an allotted amount of time.

A novel on the other hand asks so much of you. You bring all of your own experience to each book you read. Also, your imagination fills in the gaps that the book leaves open. There so much more room for interpretation. He said this is ultimately why books are in trouble, but also why they are so rewarding.

All in all, great author, I can't wait to read more from him.

p.s. Here's a tidbit he shared for anyone who has read "Paper Towns." Margo's last name, Spiegelman, means mirror maker in German. How wonderfully fitting!

Horrible iPhone photos by moi and the friend I was with.