Thursday, August 15, 2013

Utah Book Month: Blogger Spotlight on Jessica at Blue Stocking Society

It's Utah Book Month still. (Feel free to smack me for stating the obvious.) This is the reason you're seeing a blog post on a day I don't normally blog.

Up today on the blog I have a spotlight on Jessica Anderson over at the Blue Stocking Society. She's one of the hosts of Utah Book Month and a prolific blogger of book reviews. She reads voraciously and plans her reading schedule very carefully. I could learn a lesson or two from her.


~If you could travel back in time, what era would you visit? Why?

Answer: Oh, it would preferably have to be in the relatively near past, as I was clearly born in an era of modern conveniences for a reason. And it would, of course, have to be literary in nature. Let's go with Paris in the 20s. I'd love to sit around Virginia Woolf's parlor and chill with Hemingway and Fitzgerald and Picasso.

~What historical figure would you most like to meet?

Answer: My initial reaction is to go with either Abraham Lincoln or someone like Jane Austen. If I had to pick just one though, especially in a literary context, it would probably be Shakespeare. Really, it doesn't get bigger than him, English literature-wise. And wouldn't it be cool to see how he wrote?

~Stranded on a deserted island, what's your must-have item? Who's your must-have companion? (You can have one other person with you.)

Answer: Now that I'm married AND have a kid, the one must-have companion is completely unanswerable in a practical way. And the must-have item would be some kind of water-filtration system, right? But in a fun, fantasy kind of way, I'd love to have a dog like Karana's Rontu in Island of the Blue Dolphins. And my must have item would be, of course, a book. Probably a Norton anthology or, in my dream world, some kind of magical Kindle that could hold a gazillion books and would never need to be charged.

~What fictional character would you most want by your side when it comes to surviving the zombie apocalypse?

Answer: I am not well-suited to the challenges of a zombie apocalypse. See the aforementioned preference for modern conveniences. So, I would need someone brave and strong and excellent at obtaining impossible-to-obtain items and hopefully skilled at improvising on the run. So, I would pick someone like the man in The Road or Pi from Life of Pi.

~What's your favorite thing about blogging?

Answer: The absolute best thing about blogging, among its many fine points, is the community. I have met so many fabulous people online from all over the world. And it's so amazing that these people share my passion. Even better, is getting to meet these internet people in real life. One of my book clubs is actually now composed of mostly Utah book bloggers.

~What's your favorite thing about Utah?

Answer: I'm a non-native, so I struggle with Utah things like the lack of water and rain and green things. However, I've lived here for thirteen years now, and I love it. If I had to pick just one thing as a favorite, it would be the mountains. They never get old. Literarily, it's also the home of a very vibrant books community, thus the whole celebration of Utah Books Month.

Thanks, Jessica! Hope you had as much fun answering the questions as I did coming up with them. There seems to be a mountain theme running through these spotlights. I'm also a non-native, though the majority of my life has been lived in Utah.

About Jessica:

Jessica is a book addict. She reads and reads and reads (as much as her career, family, and church will allow). She's a lawyer by trade but a reader by necessity. She has a B.A. in English Literature and a J.D. As a child, she was happier to receive books than dolls as gifts, and her parents eventually had to tell her they could no longer finance her book obsession.

Find Jessica:

Website/Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Tumblr
Goodreads

11 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for the spotlight, Stephanie! These were fun questions to think about. :)

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  2. Yay for Jessica! I'm happy to call her a "real life" friend now. Wow, that party at Natasha's seems forever ago!

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  3. P.S. And thanks Stephanie for being such an awesome Utah Book Month supporter and participant!

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    1. It was fun participating. I wish I could make it to the party.

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  5. Nice interview! I would totally travel back in time with Jessica. But you're on your own for the zombie apocalypse. :) I'm happy you're part of the awesome bookish community here.

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    1. Thanks! It was really fun trying to come up with the questions.

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  6. I love that I have discovered the Blue Stocking society through Utah Book Month!! Great blog!!

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    1. Utah Book Month has been awesome for discovering blogs and books.

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  7. Paris in the 20s sounds so magical. I loved these interview questions. :) I love the bookish community in Utah, too! And I never would have discovered it without blogging. You guys are the best!

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