Got Books?

Got Books? asked Val Emmich:

How did you go about writing about such a sensitive topic like teen suicide in "Dear Evan Hansen" and how did you capture it to make it not so sensitive, but still make the reader feel like they are in the room with each character?

Val Emmich Thank you for the question. Suicide has touched my life in a personal way. I lost a friend to it in high school and I have a close family member who attempted suicide several times when I was growing up, coming very close to succeeding, but ultimately they survived. So I've lived through it and I've always wanted to understand it better. What makes a person get to that point. And how are the people surrounding that person permanently changed because of it. I felt like the emotions were easily accessible to me. I just trusted what I was feeling and tried to get it down on the page as best as I could. I'm so glad it seems to have worked for you.

More Answered Questions

Layne Bergeson

Layne Bergeson asked Val Emmich:

Hi Val, I wanted to thank you again for meeting with my Book Club last night, the girls we were sad to let you go! Of course one thing we thought of after the call was we never mentioned anything about the Mindy Love show! As you said last night most of the characters and scenarios hit close to home or had to do with something you have personally experienced. Where does Mindy come in at, if at all?

Sophia

Sophia asked Val Emmich:

I loved this book and so do my friends they were always asking me if I was done with the book so they could read it because they had heard it was really good? And I may or may not have read it twice during that time....!

Laura Cobrinik

Laura Cobrinik asked Val Emmich:

Val-- My question deals with the acknowledgements at the end of the book. I have been familiar with "Dear Evan Hansen" since its conception, i.e. one of my good friends is Dr. Patricia Dreyfuss, the mother of Laura Dreyfuss, who played the role of Zoe in the Original Broadway cast. Therefore I wonder why you did not "Thank" Ms. Dreyfuss ? I hope the next edition will include her name. Laura Cobrinik, Boonton, NJ

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