Original article published here at The Hofstra Chronicle by Melanie Haid
The Hofstra Cultural Center kicked off its 2021 “Great Writers, Great Readings” series, in collaboration with the English Department, on Wednesday, Feb. 17. The first writer featured in the series was Jia Tolentino, author of “Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion.”
Tolentino is currently a staff writer at the New Yorker. Her recent projects include an exploration of youth vaping as well as essays on the ongoing cultural reckoning about sexual assault, according to her author bio. Prior to this, she was the deputy editor at Jezebel and a contributing editor at the Hairpin. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times Magazine and Pitchfork, and she recently received a Whiting Award for her work, according to her website.
During her conversation with the moderator, Assistant Professor of English and Director of Publishing Studies Kelly McMasters, Tolentino dove deep into her work, her creative process and writing things that she herself would want to read.
“As a writer, the best thing we can do is match our bar as a reader,” Tolentino said. “Would I assign this as an editor? Would I want to read this as a reader? Could I bring some tangible uniqueness to this writing? And if those three things are true, then I’d write it.”
Tolentino believes that “self-consciousness is so corrosive to living and writing well” – one of the many themes of her candid collection of essays.
“Everyone has their own goggles,” Tolentino said on the topic of perspective. This was one of the main points brought up during her discussion with the Cultural Center.
“I appreciate how honest her work is,” said senior early childhood and childhood education and English double major Natalie Idone, who attended the event last Wednesday night. “She is very aware of herself and what she wants and she’s not afraid to express what she believes in. That’s a portion of her life that stands out to me: The fact that she has held true to her beliefs.”
The raw and relatable nature of Tolentino’s work is part of the reason the event drew in 150 attendees.
“What really surprised me was how much I related to her,” said Gabby Oliver, a senior Video/Television major whose interest was piqued by Tolentino’s position at The New Yorker. “What stood out most to me was how she said she started writing her book of essays with no specific audience in mind – she wrote it solely for herself.”
Tolentino said she wanted to write a book about women and have people see it as being about culture. She spoke openly about her career (and that of many other women) relying on feminism being monetizable, and though she’s managed to avoid it and criticizes its emptiness, she said that she is still a part of that world no matter what she does.
Carol D. Mallison, Hofstra’a manager of Conferences and Events, who was in charge of RSVPs and sending out the Zoom invites, was impressed with the turnout. “It is exactly the type of event that we are aiming for at all of our events – it was both engaging and current,” she said. “I think that the audience, particularly the students, learned a lot during the Q&A from our well-versed speaker, who emphasized the importance of research and reaching for your dreams.”
Tolentino’s talent inspired first-comers to attend GWGR, like Jenna Clark, a senior public relations major. “I read some of Jia’s essays for my class and really resonated with them, so I wanted to see the person behind the words,” she said. “Jia is so authentic and honest in her work.”
The next event in the “Great Writers, Great Readings” series will take place on March 10, also over Zoom. It will feature Brit Bennett, author of “The Mothers” and “The Vanishing Half,” both New York Times bestsellers.
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