As you may know, I LOVE to read. I have many “favorite” authors, but my all-time favorite author is Jodi Picoult. One of the best parts of the internet is that you can follow celebrities, keep up with them, and even sometimes (if you’re lucky!) interact with them. One of my 2019 resolutions is to be better at Twitter, and one way I discovered that I am more likely to check in on my Twitter is by following people I’m interested in. Enter: Jodi Picoult. She has such a great Twitter. Not only is she funny, but she’s very liberal, like me, and often retweets other people I want to follow. But I digress, this is not about Twitter in general, it’s about one of her tweets specifically, when she mentioned she was coming to NEW YORK!:
I clicked on the link, because obviously I wanted to join her. And guess what? The conversation was being held in a venue 9 blocks from my apartment. It felt like it was meant to be.
The theme of the talk was reproductive rights. Not only would Jodi (we’re on a first name basis) be there, but Dr. Willie Parker as well! Jodi’s most recent book is about a shooter inside an abortion clinic, and I was enthralled by the plot on page 1. She based the main character in the book, Dr. Ward, on Dr. Willie Parker.
I love reproductive rights. Really though. I know that sounds weird, but I feel very strongly about a woman’s right to have independence over her own body. In fact, in law school (#RIP that career), I was on the board of Law Students for Reproductive Justice. And yes, sometimes that position involved searching the internet for STD facts for our annual Sex Ed Trivia fundraiser, but it was for a good cause!
I could not wait to be in the same room as Dr. Willie Parker, a world-renown doctor, abortion provider, and author. I have not yet read Dr. Parker’s book, Life’s Work: A Moral Argument for Choice, but it has been on my to-read list for a year. I guess I’ve been too busy reading Jodi’s stuff. I knew they would both have interesting things to say, and I also looked forward to their interaction with each other, since they seem so different.
There were a few tiers of tickets, but I bought the cheapest one because… law school loans. Also, the other tiers all included a copy of Jodi’s book and I already have a signed copy, natch. Even my best friend knows about my love for Jodi Picoult, so she mailed me a signed copy all the way from Seattle a few months ago. The day before the event, I was so excited that I tweeted about my enthusiasm, and Jodi replied! She said she couldn’t wait (to be in my presence, no doubt).
LOOK AT WHO REPLIED!! 
My signed copy of A Spark of Light
I arrived super early because it was blocks from my house and I got a prime seat. The conversation itself lasted for an hour and was moderated by Lizz Winstead, a hilarious Writer/Producer/Comic, Co-creator of The Daily Show, and fierce advocate of reproductive rights. She founded Lady Parts Justice, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of legislative attempts to block women’s reproductive freedoms (straight from Wikipedia, so it must be true). Between her witty commentary between questions, and both Jodi and Dr. Parker’s thoughtful answers, it was a fantastic experience. Most notably, Jodi talked about her experience shadowing Dr. Parker in his clinics for a few days while researching for her book. I loved her description of Dr. Parker’s calm and meaningful bedside manner. And then, she broke out the best story of the night: She said that they did a lot of driving together while she was shadowing him, because he works at clinics in two different states. Once, he was driving and they were eating M&Ms and he dropped one. He was looking for the missing M&M between the seat and the center console and he said “Man! It’s tighter in here than operating in a woman’s vagina!” The whole audience burst out in laughter while Dr. Parker looked to the sky for God’s forgiveness and then to his wife in the front row to mouth “sorry.” The whole thing was hysterical.
Although the vibe of the conversation was light-hearted, they both tackled tough issues. They spoke about the right for a woman to have autonomy over her body, and about the importance of a common language in speaking about reproductive rights, like the difference between a “baby” and a “fetus.” My favorite thing Jodi said was, “Laws are written in black and white. But women’s lives are lived in hundreds of shades of gray. For that reason, it is important not to let laws control our lives and bodies.”
I didn’t get a chance for a selfie with Jodi or Dr. Parker, but I did get some photos of them and I did get a very happy ending. As I walked out of the venue, there was a table outside for Lady Parts Justice, and I asked how to get involved again in supporting the cause. I leaned down to sign up for their mailing list, and two of the girls tabling complimented my hair. I explained about my side hustle, Braid in Manhattan, and they were both elated. They said they would love for me to help them with events and collaborate. I could think of nothing better than reproductive rights, volunteering, and braiding all in one place. I can’t wait to work with them and make a difference, even if it’s by brightening a woman’s day with a FIERCE hairstyle. I’ll keep you posted!
3 Comments
This is amazing!! Sounds like a great event and I love Jodi’s line about how a woman’s lives being shaded in a hundred shades of gray..that’s exactly why her books are so beloved- she finds a way to make you love and understand the most complicated “gray” characters that would typically be put into a white or black box. She’s so good at humanizing misunderstood characters. I can’t wait to read A Spark of Light and I’m proud of you for sharing your talents with a good cause!
YES! (clap emojis) I totally agree; she manages to capture so many facets of an issue through various conflicting sides. When you read A Spark of Light, we should have a north-south book club and discuss? Skype or Zoom? haha
Thanks for this post. I couldn’t wait to read all about it!