On March 1st, I had the amazing opportunity to attend a reading and interview with Zadie Smith at Tulane University. I’d previously known Smith for her first novel, White Teeth, but this night left me wanting to learn much more about her work as a writer. The auditorium was packed as Smith took the stage. She started the evening by reading one of her yet-to-be published short stories entitled “Two Men Arrive in a Village,” a heartbreaking narrative filled with nameless characters that experience grave injustices. She introduced the story by explaining how she questioned if there was an effective way to write a story about pain in which the character's suffering effectively spoke to the universal experience of suffering. The story wasn’t just dark for the sake of darkness -it was a vivid, gripping, poignant reflection on human suffering and injustice. It left teary-eyed, but also unbelievably inspired.
Despite my general annoyance with the woman conducting the interview portion, Smith’s answers were brilliant and reflective. When she would speak, I felt the need to take intense notes (three pages worth, in fact). She was amusing, earnest, intelligent, and unbelievably self-aware. This was most apparent during the audience portion of the interview when an audience member asked Smith what the meaning of life was. Despite the audience’s laughter, she remained straight-faced. “I know you’re joking, but this is a very serious question.” The audience quieted down and after a few more moments of reflection, she replied with certainty: “I think the purpose of life is to get over yourself.” I think it’s my favorite answer she gave all night.
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