The Next Gen of Fandom
I was lucky enough to get a ticket to see Veronica Roth and Margaret Stohl speak at the Tattered Cover in Denver last week. To be honest, I didn’t see them so much as listen to them as my seat was in the nosebleed section, approximately a football field away from the front. Nonetheless, it was so fun and incredibly inspiring.
I loved the informal discussion between Roth and Stohl, touching on things like ideas for gender bender characters (a mother in the role of Darth Vader, a Darth Mader, so to speak), the brilliance of Orphan Black (seriously, Tatiana Maslany deserves an Emmy nom), and the experiences that inspired their writing (elephant bathing in Thailand).
They spoke with such passion and pride about their stories and characters, and shared how surreal it was to see their imaginations come to life on movie sets.
All that being said, my favorite thing about being there was seeing the next generation of fandom.
Cue nostalgia… I grew up in the era of Harry Potter and was a HUGE fangirl. I remember homemaking t-shirts and standing in line for HOURS to get the newest book or see the movies opening night. With my best friends, the time was spent anticipating, laughing, and snacking. Hands down, the best line snacks were S’more Ritz Bits Sandwiches and Cool Mint Oreos.
The evening of the Roth/Stohl event, Divergent fans were decked out in faction t-shirts, tattoos, and sleek ponytails. Some of them had gotten there when the Tattered Cover opened to ensure getting a good seat. They were sitting at the edges of their seats, listening intently while Tweeting and Instagramming. These youths are the next generation of fandom and, at the end of the night, I didn’t mind my abysmal seat. It was enough to witness their excitement and joy at being there.
What I’m reading: One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
What I’m listening to: Beck — Morning Phase
Leave a Reply