Hofstra English department professor Martha McPhee (left) with author Adrienne Brodeur (right). // Giovanni Salsa / The Hofstra Chronicle.
Hofstra University’s 20th Annual Great Writers, Great Readings series hosted Adrienne Brodeur, author of “Wild Game” and “Little Monsters,” on Monday, Oct. 23. This Great Writers event was hosted by Hofstra’s English department and the Cultural Center and curated by Professor Martha McPhee. The event was hosted in two parts, the first at Hofstra Hall, where students were given the opportunity to personally ask Brodeur questions. The second and main event was hosted in the Guthart Cultural Center Theater, where Brodeur took part in a Q&A.
Brodeur is an American author and editor, having worked on publications such as The New York Times, Vogue and O, The Oprah Magazine. Brodeur celebrated the recent release of her novel, “Little Monsters,” which was released in June. The novel is a culmination of characters, each having their own segment and voice to tell their story. The story is a tale about family drama, secrets and Brodeur’s comfort setting of Cape Cod.
During the event, Brodeur opened by reading aloud an excerpt from her novel, “Little Monsters.” She read the opening, which was from the perspective of the character Adam, a whale scientist on the verge of turning 70 who wants to crack the code of whale language.
“Adrienne Brodeur’s reading was beautiful; both the words and her dialect were gorgeous. She answered questions so thoughtfully. It was a pleasure to attend,” said Valerie Langlois, a senior filmmaking major.
“I liked that she opened up by reading the opening to her book. The event was very fun and engaging,” said Cameron Trotter, a junior filmmaking major.
Brodeur’s best-selling memoir “Wild Game” talks about her childhood and being caught up in the midst of her mother’s major secret. The book centers around the idea of keeping secrets and how, if they are not maintained and tended to, they will be uncovered. It is a personal story about her childhood and the experiences that resonated with her.
A Netflix adaptation of “Wild Game” is in the works by the director of the coming-of-age film “Edge of Seventeen,” Kelly Fremon Craig. There is little information on the development of the project as of now, but fans of the memoir are waiting in anticipation for the feature adaptation.
Brodeur also founded the literary magazine Zoetrope: All Story with the acclaimed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, the director of “The Godfather” and a Hofstra alum.
When asked about the multiple points of view within her novel “Little Monsters,” Brodeur responded, “We had a moment of wondering why we started with Adam, but Adam just demanded to be on the page early. It’s interesting because, at one point during the revision process, the book isn’t any one character’s book, but if you had to say it was a particular character, it is more of Abby’s book.”
Throughout the event, Brodeur displayed a deep commitment and care for her characters, and she mentioned that she has conversations with them to help develop their personalities and storylines.
