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Author of Martlet Must-Read Book Engages Readers on Campus
Last spring, the Martlet Must-Read Committee and the Bibliophiles student book club chose Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt as the Martlet Must-Read book for the 2026–27 school year. Finn O’Shaughnessy ’28, a member of Bibliophiles and the Martlet Must-Read Committee, said, “Among the many wonderful books we read last spring, Remarkably Bright Creatures stood out because it perfectly fit our school and our core values.” Remarkably Bright Creatures is a best-selling debut novel that explores themes of grief, memory, and family. The Netflix movie adaptation of the book stars Sally Field and recently won an Emmy Award.
During the second week of classes, the Westminster community welcomed author Shelby Van Pelt to campus for an all-school presentation about her novel, student writing workshops, and a book signing. Van Pelt’s talk in Werner Centennial Center was casual, personal, and practical. Without a formal writing degree and holding an undergraduate degree in economics, Van Pelt started writing in her 30s and began by paying close attention to the world around her. She eavesdropped on people in lines at the grocery store, observed interactions while on her laptop in Starbucks, and tried to “take these little snippets of life and make them into stories.” After going down a rabbit hole of octopus videos on YouTube, Van Pelt uncovered the inspiration for Marcellus, the octopus in the local aquarium who connects the main characters in her novel and shares his unique non-human perspective throughout the story.
After drafting multiple diary entries of a fictional octopus as a writing exercise, Van Pelt used personal details from family members and her home in the Pacific Northwest to develop a plot and create human characters to balance and frame the octopus’ narrative. At that point, said Van Pelt, “I stopped googling how to write a novel. I just put my butt in a chair and wrote it.” She also came to understand—and accept—that failure would always be part of her writing process. “I failed a lot, and while I’m writing my second book, I still find myself on these plot thread cul-de-sacs. I really enjoy writing them, but I come to the realization that they just don’t fit the story. Sometimes in the creative process you have to move on and move through it, even though it’s more difficult than perfecting the thing you’ve already done.”
School librarians Shashi Johri, Jeannie Griffith P ’11, ’14, ’17, H ’14, and Sandra Solof who planned and facilitated the author visit said, “Having Shelby Van Pelt visit and speak to our community after everyone read her novel added immense meaning to the Martlet Must-Read program. We are so grateful for the lasting impact this book choice made on our entire school community.”
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During the second week of classes, the Westminster community welcomed author Shelby Van Pelt to campus for an all-school presentation about her novel, student writing workshops, and a book signing. Van Pelt’s talk in Werner Centennial Center was casual, personal, and practical. Without a formal writing degree and holding an undergraduate degree in economics, Van Pelt started writing in her 30s and began by paying close attention to the world around her. She eavesdropped on people in lines at the grocery store, observed interactions while on her laptop in Starbucks, and tried to “take these little snippets of life and make them into stories.” After going down a rabbit hole of octopus videos on YouTube, Van Pelt uncovered the inspiration for Marcellus, the octopus in the local aquarium who connects the main characters in her novel and shares his unique non-human perspective throughout the story.
After drafting multiple diary entries of a fictional octopus as a writing exercise, Van Pelt used personal details from family members and her home in the Pacific Northwest to develop a plot and create human characters to balance and frame the octopus’ narrative. At that point, said Van Pelt, “I stopped googling how to write a novel. I just put my butt in a chair and wrote it.” She also came to understand—and accept—that failure would always be part of her writing process. “I failed a lot, and while I’m writing my second book, I still find myself on these plot thread cul-de-sacs. I really enjoy writing them, but I come to the realization that they just don’t fit the story. Sometimes in the creative process you have to move on and move through it, even though it’s more difficult than perfecting the thing you’ve already done.”
School librarians Shashi Johri, Jeannie Griffith P ’11, ’14, ’17, H ’14, and Sandra Solof who planned and facilitated the author visit said, “Having Shelby Van Pelt visit and speak to our community after everyone read her novel added immense meaning to the Martlet Must-Read program. We are so grateful for the lasting impact this book choice made on our entire school community.”
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