Sara Paretsky

in conversation with Emily Krump

Recorded August 1st, 2020

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Sara Paretsky in conversation with Emily Crump
Saturday, August 1, 2020

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Sara Paretsky’s latest release Love & Other Crimes, is a collection of 14 stories about Chicago shamus V.I. Warshawski, her friends and family, and a remarkably diverse group of other people.

Sara revolutionized the mystery world in 1982 when she introduced V I Warshawski in Indemnity Only. By creating a believable investigator with the grit and the smarts to tackle problems on the mean streets, she challenged a genre in which women typically were either vamps or victims. Hailed by critics and readers, Indemnity Only was followed by nineteen more best-selling Warshawski novels. Publishers Weekly says, “Among today’s PIs, nobody comes close to Warshawski.”

Called “passionate” and “electrifying,” V.I. reflects her creator’s own passion for social justice. As a contributor to the New York Times and the Guardian newspapers, and a speaker at such venues as the Library of Congress and Oxford University, Sara is an impassioned advocate for those on society’s margins. She has mentored teens in Chicago’s most troubled schools, and works closely with literacy and reproductive rights groups.

Not only has Sara’s own work broken barriers, she has helped open doors for other women. In 1986 she created Sisters in Crime, a worldwide organization to support women crime writers, which earned her Ms. Magazine’s 1987 Woman of the Year award. Other awards include the British Crime Writers Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement; the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master; and a number of honorary doctorates. Sara’s work is celebrated in Pamela Beere Briggs’s documentary, Women of Mystery. Her books are published in 30 countries.

Executive Editor Emily Krump has been with William Morrow since 2006. She works on a wide range of projects with award-winning and bestselling authors, but is most passionate about smart, commercial fiction and suspense. Recent and upcoming titles include November Road by Lou Berney, You, Me, and the Sea by Meg Donohue, The Silent Treatment by Abbie Greaves, Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson, The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons, To Tell You the Truth by Gilly Macmillan, Dead Lands by Sara Paretsky, The Lucky One by Lori Rader-Day, The Book of M by Peng Shepherd, The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter, and A Divided Loyalty by Charles Todd among others.

“I write short stories for a lot of different reasons, often to entertain myself.”

– Sara Paretsky

Get ready to join Sara in conversation, Saturday, August 1st.

In the meantime, we invite you to take a moment now to help shape this upcoming conversation.

Check out the list of questions submitted by other registered attendees, and then vote to support any that match your interests.

Feel free to add your own question. Then spread the word to make sure others have the chance to help move your question to the top of the shared list.

  • 5

    votes

    How does the political tie into your writing? Do you ever censor yourself?

  • 4

    votes

    Do you know what the last line in the last VI book will be? If so, any hints?

  • 4

    votes

    What is the last thing you read or saw that moved you?

  • 3

    votes

    As a progressive, I really appreciate the fact that VI is aligned with the lower levels of society and point out the degree to which the system is rigged. What’s your next target? How about the medical insurance industry?

  • 2

    votes

    How will you manage the aging of the characters? Lotty, Max, Mr. Contreras, and Mitch and Peppy are getting older. I worry each book that we’re going to lose a beloved and integral character in the series.

  • 2

    votes

    Where does your inspiration come from when starting a new book? When do you know you have something special?

  • 2

    votes

    Who are some of your favorite authors, whether fiction or non-fiction, and have they influenced your writing?

  • 1

    votes

    Been a reader since book #1. _Blacklist_ (#11?) has been one that still holds a top place in my favorites booklist. The issues resonate now with national issues. Does that connect for you too?

  • 1

    votes

    Is V.I. going to age?

  • 1

    votes

    What initially drew you to the mystery/crime genre?

  • 1

    votes

    What inspired you to create “Sisters in Crime”? As you see it, what are the barriers that female crime writers face, and why is the genre so male dominated?

  • 1

    votes

    Why did you decide to publish two books so closely together?

  • 0

    votes

    WhT do you think about the flack JK Rowling’s has gotten for her stance on women characters being women?

  • 0

    votes

    When will you start?

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