9 questions for author saira rao

in between her book tour stops, saira rao addressed some of my burning questions about chambermaid. the subversive garden will soon be hosting a book party for saira in manhattan. for more info, please leave a comment on this post.



1. would you ever consider editing a book of all the clerkship stories? you have so many -- it could be a really fun project.

I think I am going to take a little breather from all things clerkship-related.


2. worst clerk story you've been told?

There are your run-of-the-mill sexual harassment stories. Tales involving judges who forbid their clerks from leaving chambers, even to attend funerals of family members. And then there's the one about molesting chickens.

3. was there one major reason or event that pushed you to write this book?

While clerking, I was struck by how little we, as Americans, know about our federal judges--the revered third branch of our federal government. Why do we know every detail about the President and our congressional representatives -- down to what they eat for breakfast--- yet we know nothing, nothing AT ALL about our judges? This is particularly strange considering that the judiciary is the only countermajoritarian branch of our government. We don't elect judges, cannot remove them, they hide under big black robes, are bestowed with "Your Honors" and earn six-figure salaries for life. Aren't we entitled to know just a little about them?

4. this kind of story -- clerkship truths -- is the first of its kind, right?

There have been other books—Closed Chambers comes to mind—written by former clerks about lessons learned during their clerkship. Chambermaid, however, is the first book of its kind – one written by a former clerk that spotlights the human/personal/bizarre side of judges and the eclectic cast of characters surrounding them.

5. what broad themes does this book represent for you?

Broadly, Chambermaid illustrates how unchecked power can lead to a total loss of respect for other people and a failure of basic human decency. On another level, it highlights some of the issues that are common to women and minorities in the workplace.

6. as your book continues to get more popular, is it reaching new audiences?

It is reaching new audiences, namely lots of book clubs have started to read it. This is wonderful for a host of reasons – best of all ---it means that many non-lawyers are reading Chambermaid and those outside of the legal profession don't take the book so personally!

7. what was your best book reading so far and why?

I am not sure there has been a best…or a worst for that matter. Each reading/signing has been unique and interesting and it's been spectacular fun to meet so many new people – in different cities, jobs, age groups, ethnicities. I have enjoyed every second of it. Well, maybe every other second.

8. tell us about your next book project...

It's in flux right now, so I'll plead the Fifth for the moment.

9. last question, what are you reading right now?

A lovely collection of stories, No One Belongs Here More Than You, by Miranda July. I LOVED "Me and You and Everyone We Know".

read more Q and A with the author on the WSJ's law blog.

thanks saira!