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.

John Green is Pretty Awesome

(Horrible iPhone photos of Green signing my book and speaking)

On Nov. 1st I got to go see John Green speak in Indianapolis. One thing I learned was that the man has some serious teenage groupies, which on one hand is wonderful because he’s reaching a whole new generation of readers. But, on the other hand, it’s annoying to have to sit next to dozens of giggling piles of hormones. Anyway, that’s beside the point and even though I’m only 27, it makes me feel old to say that. What I really want to talk about it the author himself.

So here’s the thing about John Green. Yes, I think his vlogs are hilarious and I really love his books, but seeing him talk in person leaves me with a different reaction. I feel like he’s just a normal guy who I could grab a beer with and I love that. I feel like I could run into him in Indy and have a great conversation about life or books, etc. There are some authors that are so intimidating for one reason or another, but Green isn’t one of them, and that’s a good thing. I think that’s also why his writing is so accessible. You can relate to what he’s saying.

The talk was great, aside from a few awkward audience questions, like “Will you give me a hug?” Really people, that’s never an appropriate question to ask a stranger who is on a stage in front of hundreds of people. I loved hearing him read from his new book, The Fault in Our Stars, though I wished I could keep reading it instead of waiting until I get my pre-ordered copy in January. I got two more books signed by him afterwards and I was reminded of just how much I love hearing authors talk about their work. It always gives me a deeper insight into their work. Just hearing them talk about their lives or writing process allows me to connect a bit more with the work.

One thing that he said has really stuck with me. He referenced a well-known quote about how dogs have it so easy because they know how to be dogs. Then he talked about how people don’t really know how to be people and everyday we have to try to figure out what we’re doing and what the point of it is. It was much more profound when he said it. So, if you haven’t read anything by him, you definitely should. Looking for Alaska or Paper Towns would both be great places to start.