Ann Patchett

**Ann Patchett** (0:01)
2026 is the best year I have seen for fiction since I opened the bookstore 15 years ago.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:12)
From the TED Audio Collective, this is Design Matters with Debbie Millman.
On Design Matters, Debbie talks with some of the most creative people in the world about what they do, how they got to be who they are, and what they're thinking about and working on. On this episode, we're featuring a conversation Debbie had with Ann Patchett at the TED Conference in celebration of Ann Patchett receiving the 2026 TED Women Trailblazer Award, presented by Pivotal.

**Ann Patchett** (0:41)
The secret to happiness is low expectations.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:47)
Ann Patchett is a novelist and a bookstore owner. Her nine novels include Bel Canto and The Dutch House, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Her 10th novel, Whistler, was just published by HarperCollins.

**Debbie Millman** (1:02)
I was struck by the fact that when you interviewed Tom Hanks in front of a live audience, right before you took the stage, you whispered to him that you didn't have any questions planned and you were just going to wing it. He then immediately shared this with the audience, and everyone laughed.
I gasped out loud when I read that because I'm probably most known for how long it takes me to create and craft my questions in advance of every interview. So as I take out my notes, I hope you won't think less of me for doing that.

**Ann Patchett** (1:49)
Can I tell you why I do that?

**Debbie Millman** (1:52)
Yes.

**Ann Patchett** (1:52)
Alain Alda. I interviewed so many people at Parnassus, and I interviewed Alain for a book he wrote that was called, If I knew what you were saying, why do I have this look on my face?
It's a really hard title. But Alain was the person who taught me that you have to do all the preparation research, write the questions, throw it out, walk on stage, and be fully present. And he completely changed my life when I read that book and when I interviewed him. And so that's what I said to Tom. And then Tom mocked me when we went out on stage, which was fun.

**Debbie Millman** (2:37)
Well, I'm going to aspire to be the kind of person that can just throw caution to the wind. And maybe when I interview you next, I can graduate to that level.

**Ann Patchett** (2:50)
Or when I interview you, that's when we'll do it.

**Debbie Millman** (2:54)
So my first question. Is it true that you read in bed at night with a flashlight?

**Ann Patchett** (3:01)
It's not a flashlight. And it has everything to do with when I go to sleep or when Carl goes to sleep.
But we at the bookstore, we sell something that is like a 15th generation itty bitty book light. And it's got a rubberized neck and it plugs into your computer. And it's so great because I am 62 And my eyes aren't what they used to be. And I need a really bright light. Sometimes in the middle of the day, I use it just because I like a really bright light on the page.

**Debbie Millman** (3:38)
I was talking to a friend of mine who's here tonight, Tanya Selvarrantham, and she...

**Ann Patchett** (3:43)
I love her and her coat.

**Debbie Millman** (3:46)
Yes, she forwarded me an article that you had written about two years or so ago that I reread and remembered quite vividly about how adamant you've been about not owning a cell phone. Right. And in an essay in the New York Times titled The Decision I Made 30 Years Ago That I Still Regret, you stated this, my stepfather had made my mother carry a pager when I was growing up, and when it beeped, she had to find a payphone and see what he wanted. What he wanted was to know where she was, and a bad habit that intensified after cell phones came around. Yet, the regret that you shared in the essay was that you signed up for email in 1995, and have pretty much regretted it ever since.
I'm curious as to how you're feeling about it now, two years later.

**Ann Patchett** (4:48)
I regret email really passionately right now because of my experience with TED. Because I have never seen an organization that puts out email quite like TED.
Do you know the thing on the back of your badge is a tracker?
It really is. That's not a joke. So yeah, it's a lot of connection. Maybe more connection than I was looking for. But yeah, I mean, I'm having a wonderful time. I really have enjoyed this very much.