UO Today with Emily St. John Mandel

Paul Peppis Director of the University of Oregon Humanity Center, interviews Emily St. John Mandel. The U of O uses the book "Station Eleven" in its first year required reading course. The video is 27:27 minutes long. It was very interesting to hear her say that she wrote this book mostly in an attempt to not be pigeon holed as a crime writer, and that she wanted to honor the actors who act for the love of the art and not for the fame and money.
     Mandel also comments on how she consciously wanted her post-apocalyptic world to not be a world of horror and depression. She believes that the idea of the Hollywood version of a horror filled world is unrealistic, and didn't wish to go down that road. She also chose a pandemic because she did not want her book to be political, she feels that by having the world end by a nuclear war it instantly becomes political, and it also dates the book.
     Mandel also discusses why the symphony does mostly Shakespeare plays and why she included the graphic novel. She originally chose Shakespeare because it is her favorite play write, only later in the writing process did she realize the parallels between his life and the novel. Mandel picked graphic novels because it is a favorite art form of hers, and it fit the scenes, of a character being able to work on it at work and hide it when the boss walked through the office. The comic book and the paper weight are also pass through objects that tie both time lines in the story together.