Pulitzer Prize Penn alum chats with Google (VIDEO)

Remember when we covered Penn alum Jennifer Egan (C’85) and her Pulitzer prize win for her creatively constructed novel A Visit From the Goon Squad and how HBO is going to turn it into a series?

Well she recently paid a visit to the Google NYC headquarters for a sit down chat for their Author series.

After the jump watch the video and learn about:

• her process for writing (and how she first writes the novel on legal pads) (minute 4:40)
• how she anchors each chapter with specific music or technology
• her complicated relationship with technology (minute 8:00)
• why she decided to write a chapter in Powerpoint format (although she never used the software before!) (minute 12:10)
• a story about how seeing a lost wallet reminded of her of how she was once robbed and her curiosity from the robber’s point of view which prompted her to start writing (minute 26:45)
• what she’s worst at as a writer and who she feels most comfortable writing about (minute 48:40)

And listen for my favorite line of hers regarding her technology research about how she “found herself commiserating with 21 year olds about how 14 years olds were way ahead of all of us.” (minute 8:43)  : )

Get A Visit From the Goon Squad

More Penn alum authors HERE

* Get advice HERE on becoming an published author from Penn alumni who have done it! *

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