Author Rebecca Makkai explores time and memory

Rebecca Makkai is the author of four novels and one short story collection. Photo courtesy of Penguin Random House.

ELLA HALL | STAFF REPORTER | erhall@butler.edu 

Bestselling author Rebecca Makkai is no stranger to the complexities of storytelling. Last week, she set out to share her insights on the subject with Butler students, speaking at the Visiting Writers Series (VWS) and staying to accompany an honors class the next day.

Makkai is best known for her award-winning novels “The Great Believers”, a Pulitzer Prize finalist about the AIDS epidemic in Chicago and her latest novel, “I Have Some Questions For You”, a required reading for Revisiting Representations of Trauma, Memory, and Madness, an interdisciplinary honors program course. 

Makkai read excerpts from her collection of short stories and “I Have Some Questions For You”. The story follows podcaster Bodie Kane as she returns to her boarding school 21 years after her roommate was murdered there during their senior year. Bodie narrates as if it were a letter to her high school music teacher, Mr. Bloch. As she reacquaints herself with her past, she begins to doubt that Bloch had pure intentions in his close relationships with the students, and wonders if the wrong man was imprisoned for the crime. Bodie’s need to uncover the truth propels the narrative.

Makkai expertly weaves themes of memory, inequality, obsession and justice within this novel. Additionally, she incorporates culturally relevant topics, such as film history, true crime and the online scene of cancel culture. Though these concepts may seem as though they would not fit together, Makkai is well-known for her ability to seamlessly layer complex topics in her stories.

Makkai explained that her array of writing subjects stemmed from her personal fascinations and love of research.

“Whatever I am obsessed with at the moment — if I go in and make it foundational — it can become essential to the plot,” Makkai said. “[I am] also thinking about what really starts to ping off [of] other things [and] what is speaking to the other elements of the book.”

During her visit, one class had the opportunity to ask Makkai questions and some attended a dinner with her before she went onstage. This unique experience allowed the graduate students, faculty and undergraduates who were in attendance to share and learn from each other’s perspectives on writing.

Makkai enjoyed the experience of conversing with students in a casual setting and getting to hear their thoughts and ambitions.

“I love putting myself back in that headspace and the pure joy of talking about books,” Makkai said. “I am on [the author] side of things, but in my head, I am always back on the student side at the same time.”

Makkai reflected on her own time as an English major in college. She fondly recalled the excitement she felt at having brunch with poet Robert Taylor. Today, those memories fuel Makkai’s journeys to college campuses.

This demonstrates Makkai’s distinctive connection to memory, something that has always had a hold on her.

“I have a really strong experiential memory, especially relating to the distant past,” Makkai said. “There is something about how I live more in my memory, or think more about memory, than average.”

Makkai has always been captivated by the idea of humans as mental and emotional beings moving through time. She views time as an agent of change, shaping characters like Bodie as they grow and reflect on the past. 

This view allows her to make time the main focus of much of her work.

“The layering of time — who you were at different times, whether I’m going back and forth in time, or showing a linear timeline — [is] always going to be an element,” Makkai said. “You are one way at a certain point in your life, and you are another way ten years later, or maybe five minutes later [if] something dramatic enough has happened.”

VWS has been a celebrated establishment within Butler’s English department for decades. The efforts of staff such as Adriana Jones to connect students with writers have not gone unnoticed.

Senior English major Morgan Mead has felt the benefits of this series. She had the opportunity to sit down with three different writers during her time at Butler.

Mead claimed that her interactions with authors like Makkai made their accomplishments seem more like reality to her.

“These people were English majors who got the question of ‘what are you going to do with that one day?’” Mead said. “There is a shared lived experience with a lot of them. It is really cool to see the connection.”

Mead was inspired by Makkai’s excitement when she spoke with her and found intentionality in her words of encouragement. She felt uplifted by Makkai’s willingness to meet her as an equal and give her advice.

Mead is not the only one whose education has been strengthened by this series. Sophomore English major Haylee Florkey is another student who was able to converse with Makkai in class after her presentation and felt the experience was enriching. 

Florkey noted that the VWS should be enjoyed by all Butler students.

“Even if you are not an English major, if you just want to create something, or have a long-term goal in mind, it is very inspirational to hear these people talk about their process and how they got to where they are now,” Florkey said. “I think it is good to know that there is not just one path to success, whatever success looks like for you.”

Makkai’s visit shows that the VWS continues to be a living inspiration to current students. She understands how time shapes perspectives, and just as her college experiences led her to where she is today, the students she met may one day find themselves looking back on this moment as pivotal in their own journeys.

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