An hour after Emily St. John Mandel held a Q&A regarding her craft, she was interviewed by Rebekah Buchanan, read two excerpts from her bestselling novel, Station Eleven, and took more questions from the audience. At the beginning of this hour-long session, Marjorie Allison, the Chairperson of Western’s English Department, gave a brief introduction. She thanked Mandel for visiting, thanked the donors of the scholarship fund that allowed for the event, and then, turned the stage over to Buchanan and Mandel.

The reading session was informal and sustained a Q&A throughout. Buchanan began by asking Mandel questions about her novels, from her earliest, to her most popular. Mandel’s most recent book, Sea of Tranquility, was discussed first. Sea of Tranquility, by my understanding, follows a time traveler who visits three time periods significant to the author’s life. The first is loosely based on Mandel’s great grandfather, who was a young adult in 1912. The second is based on Mandel’s personal experiences while touring her newly released books, focusing on absurd encounters she’s had with readers. The third is based on the lives of New Yorkers a month before the Covid-19 virus ravaged the city in March of 2020. It was very interesting to hear Mandel break down these experiences, as well as answer questions about her funny anecdotes gained from being on tour.

Next, Mandel was prompted to speak about her most popular novel, Station Eleven, which was picked up by HBO for a television adaptation. Station Eleven, as I understand it, tells the story of a world crippled by a flu pandemic. The narrative follows a rag tag troupe of entertainers, made up of actors, artists, and musicians, as they traverse the post-apocalyptic world, specifically around the Great Lakes. According to Mandel, before the final concept of Station Eleven came to her, she was inspired to write about the lives of traveling actors in a Shakespeare troupe, heading through Canada. She discussed how she often imagined the caravans that these actors would have traveled in. Although the Shakespearean actors did not make it to the final plot, the caravans did. Mandel mentioned how incredible it was to see these vehicles she had dreamed of for so long translated onto the big screen by HBO’s adaptation. Before and after discussing the contents of Station Eleven, she read an excerpt from her chapters. First, from chapter eleven, which felt fitting, and secondly from chapter six.

Many questions were asked by Buchanan and members of the audience throughout the hour. They ranged from curiosities over her opinions of HBO’s adaptation of Station Eleven to questions about her early book tours. Mandel answered questions about the first, concerning the Museum of Humanity written in Station Eleven. More specifically, she was asked what she would display in the museum given the chance. Mandel replied, “A globe. I would enter a globe into the museum.” Mandel’s reasons for this inclusion were based on how small the world would become without any outside knowledge of what is happening beyond the immediate horizon. She also spoke about the alienation of electricity and how odd the concept would be for those who it is not normalized. She said, “Flip a switch and the room is flooded with light.” Something so insignificant to us would seem like magic to children of a post-apocalyptic world. Mandel also gave an entertaining and lengthy response about her early book tours. She told the story of how she met Patrick Somerville, who took her to a gun show in the suburbs of Chicago. Somerville was a novelist that Mandel contacted through a mutual friend/colleague. She was hoping he would accompany her on a book tour so that they could share and expand their audiences. Mandel joked that although that was the first time they had met, they bonded quickly over the awkward experience. She then revealed that, years later, it was Somerville who offered her a spot in the writing room for HBO’s adaptation of her bestselling novel. It was a funny anecdote that shows networking truly does lead to success.

In response to another question, one about the impact of her most popular novel, Mandel said, “Station Eleven was like this juggernaut that rolled over my life.” She was referring to the massive success that Station Eleven received and how it subsequently impacted her life. Prior to the novel, she was still working as an executive assistant, writing on the side. After the novel’s release she was able to write to support herself and her family, a notion that she commented, was fading into her dreams.

Mandel’s visit to Western was well received by all who attended and for good reason. She is a fascinating and inspiring author, one who offers a unique insight into what it means to live a life of writing. As I look back and romanticize the event, I am reminded of a powerful metaphor Mandel constructed in comparison to the work. She said, “The novel is like a tiny little world where you have absolute control.” There was a time in Mandel’s life where this control was strictly limited to that of the page, but through grit and insistence, has expanded to fully captivate audiences of eager readers. Consider my belief in the power of literature, renewed.