Book Con opened Saturday May 30 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City, where a number of celebrities participated in Q&A sessions and panels.
The event started off with a panel featuring Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak in the Special Events Hall discussing Kaling’s book Why Not Me? filling the hall with fans. will release September 29, 2015 from Crown Archetype publishers. You can pre-order the book now on Amazon.com.
Kaling was not to be seen at first but a video began the session where Kaling provided a voice over asking “is Book Con just a con for people too scared to go to a real Comic-Con?” Kaling then began to talk about her roles on The Office and The Mindy Project quipping “where are men of color” in her shows and proceeded to show a clip of photos of President Obama and Elmo with her. She also talked about her book when BJ Novak entered into the clip with her as they bantered back and forth.
With the audience laughing, cheering and applauding, Kaling and Novak then took the stage to introductions and to answer audience questions. Novak took stage first and introduced Kaling, covering her impressive accomplishments and then proceeded to hand over the stage to her.
Following introductions, Kaling proceeded to explain the title of her book Why Not Me?, explaining how she never felt like she quite fit in. She talked about how many of her friends were marrying and having children and how she felt a little left out, then went on to explain how she also feels left out on the careers side, never feeling her accomplishments measure up to others, leaving herself to ask why she can’t be like “that.”
Kaling talked about differences she felt when writing her first book from this book. In her first book, she was just excited to be writing a book, a book that talks about who she is, really wanting people to like her; whereas in Why Not Me? she knew that she had people that liked her, and she opened herself up to vulnerability, leading the book to be a bit funnier. She mentioned that she felt like the book covered a life from the last five years which have felt more like more has happened in those five years than in the previous thirty years of her life.
Following a lot more discussion about her book, and questions from Novak answered by her, they opened up to audience questions to both of them.
Can you tell us a bit about your writing process?
Kaling: The biggest compliment I can get about writing is if it sounds like talking to a friend. So, I would record myself talk and write that. When I would transcribe it, it would have something on the page and it helped because there was something on the page.
Novak: My favorite writing advice was “If you can talk, you can write.”
If you had a week to spare, would you want to host SNL?
Kaling: I actually loved to write for SNL for two weeks. I learned so much. If I was there, which I would love to host SNL, I would love to do Cookie from Empire as a celebrity impersonation. I would want to do all the characters from Empire.
Have you learned anything new about yourself playing your characters?
Kaling: It’s been interesting fake dating so many guys. It’s been weird to see what actors’ courtship tactics are like. The character of Mindy in the show is so much smarter than me in some ways, like she’s a surgeon and OG/BYN. She’s a narcissistic and smart twenty-five year old women and I’ve learned so much about having dials to turn back and flip them back and learn how to do that in real life.
Could you tell us something about the project you’re working on together?
Novak: Well, it’s very early in the creative process and we just met yesterday. That book won’t be out for quite awhile. It’ll go through many conversations and directions.
Kaling: Will our fighting stop the production of this book? It’s actually really awesome, we just started to really work on it. I love working with him, so the ideas we’ve had so far are super excited.
Now that The Mindy Project is on Hulu does that mean we can get more risque shots?
Kaling: When you find a platform like Hulu, which is looser with what you’re allowed to do… You have that feeling after working on network television of “Oh, what can we do now!?” We decided that we definitely want people who tune into the show for two reasons: doing cool new things and not giving up the basics of the show. I think that a major thing about romance is restraint. A little goes a long way. But I do think we’re going to expand in more ways than before.
You’ve talked about how you want to get married and have kids, but how you don’t have many female friends. Do you think that you’re still incorporating aspects of your real life into The Mindy Project?
Kaling: It’s so funny. My favorite people in LA I’ve met are also really successful people. One of them is Lena Dunham! These are people personally who I adore and before I can ask them to be on my show, they have their own! Nothing would make me happier than finding a great and worthy and funny person to sit across from and talk about my problems with. The writers room is starting up on Monday and this is something we’re actively thinking about.
Who’s your favorite guest star and who would you want on the show?
Kaling: Kerry Washington is great, especially on Scandal. I love working with BJ and Stephen Colbert. The fact the only acting gig he did between jobs was for our show was amazing! It was wonderful to act with him and it felt cool for the show. Guests I would love: Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hanks, Dave Chapelle.
