Session Spotlight: What Makes a Family?

“That’s what people do who love you. They put their arms around you and love you when you’re not so lovable.”
― Deb Caletti

“One day you will do things for me that you hate. That is what it means to be family.”
― Jonathan Safran Foer

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the eons, it’s that you can’t give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it.”
― Rick Riordan

The thing about families is: There is no one thing about families. There are those with whom we share blood and childhoods, and those we choose as adults. Family, that universal theme that is nearly impossible to grasp in its entirety, gives the writers on this panel a herculean task.

These panelists discuss what makes a family (and what makes a family difficult to write.)

Nidhi Chanani, graphic novelist who delves into the immigrant experience; Chris Crutcher, novelist and family therapist; Abdi Nazemian, whose newest novel raises the question of personal identity and unknown heritage; and Mitali Perkins, who tells multigenerational stories of family and the Indian-American identity. (Remember, anyone under age 18 is let in free—no wristbands necessary!)

Sunday, April 29, 11:45 AM-1:00 PM
Hotel Shattuck Plaza Boiler Room