From the Event: A Conversation with Veronica Roth

Earlier this month, I was invited to - for me - a new sort of public speaking event, a conversation with a best-selling science-fiction author.  Veronica Roth is the author of the well-known Divergent series of novels and short stories, and the somewhat less well-known Carve The Mark series.  She has a new book of short stories out - The End and Other Beginnings: Stories from the Future - which includes two new stories set in the Carve the Mark narrative universe.

Veronica is on a book tour, which means going around to bookstores for events that include an evening with the author, followed by book signings.  Here in Milwaukee, that means hitting Boswell's Books, an independent bookstores that is a longstanding institution of our literary scene.

I was surprised to receive an email from her publicist, asking me if I would be interested in participating in the event at Boswell's, a "Conversation with Veronica Roth".  I assumed at first that what they had in mind was something like a panel discussion, with Veronica, myself, and a few other local speakers.  But as it turned out, my assumption was mistaken, and it was just to be me and the author.  I'd come to their attention because of my monthly Worlds of Speculative Fiction talk series, nearing the end of its fourth year.

It was a very interesting sort of event, indeed a genuine conversation ranging over a number of topics.  The new book and its stories, key themes of her fiction, literary influences, worldbuilding, personal sentiments, the boundaries of genres, Chicago as a setting. . .  and much more.  In our correspondence leading up to the event, Veronica clarified that what she was hoping for was not an interview, but rather a back-and-forth dialogue that would draw the audience in as a prelude for the more general Q&A portion that followed.

For about 20 minutes before the event started, as the audience began to gather, we all got to hang out and chat - a bit of a warm-up, and getting to know each other - Veronica, her husband Nelson, her publicist Aubrey, and me.  Some very enjoyable conversation - with people who are deeply invested and interested in the creative process, and equally down to earth - and then some further, more literary-focused conversation in the spotlight.

I'd decided that for year 5 of the Worlds of Speculative Fiction, we would include a narrative world of one of Roth's main series.  After some additional discussion with the author - which helped to confirm my leanings, we'll be discussing her Carve the Mark novels and short stories, most likely for the May session.

We snapped a quick shot after the book signing portion of the event, before heading out.