Veronica Chambers '87 to Discuss The Meaning of Michelle
Author and alumna Veronica Chambers returned to Bard College at Simon’s Rock on Sunday,
August 20, 2017 to discuss the Book One selection which all in-coming students were
asked to read during that summer, The Meaning of Michelle, 16 Writers on the Iconic First Lady and How Her Journey Inspires Our Own, edited by Chambers. The talk, followed by a Q&A, took place in the Daniel Arts Center at Bard College
at Simon’s Rock.
In The Meaning of Michelle, Chambers solicited, collected, and edited essays from a variety of authors offering
their varied perspectives on Michelle Obama and her time in the White House. The New York Times described the book thus:
“Sixteen writers…share what it’s been like to witness Michelle Obama in the White
House. ‘Witness’ is the correct word. The first thing most writers admit is that they’ve
been unable to take their eyes off her.”
The Simon’s Rock Book One program asks first-year students to read a selection by a contemporary living author over
the summer and come ready to discuss the book. Book One authors visit campus to share
insights into their inspiration and creative process with students and the community
and to hear students’ perspectives on their work.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Veronica Chambers is a prolific author and journalist best known for her critically
acclaimed memoir Mama’s Girl. She has recently published the young adult novel The Go-Between and New York Times Bestseller Yes, Chef, which she co-authored with chef Marcus Samuelsson. Veronica graduated from Simon’s
Rock with a B.A. in Literary Studies in 1991.
While a student at the college, Chambers undertook a number of publishing internships
at Seventeen, Ebony, and The New York Times Magazine, where she went on to become both the youngest editor ever hired and the first black
woman editor. Chambers has been a culture writer at Newsweek, the founding editor of Condé Nast’s Glam Latina, and the 2016-17 John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University.