Award-winning novelist and tech journalist Vauhini Vara reads from her new book Searches, followed by a conversation with Professor Stephanie Young, head of the new Creative Writing minor for Mills College.

In 2021, Vara published “Ghosts,” an essay about her sister’s death written in collaboration with AI. The piece went viral, establishing Vara as a leading voice in debates on creativity and emerging technologies. Her 2025 book Searches blends memoir, journalism, and the raw material of internet culture. Vara suggests that by harnessing the collective creativity that defines us, we might imagine a freer, more empowered relationship with our machines—and with one another.

All are welcome to attend this free online event. Students interested in the Mills College Creative Writing minor and/or currently enrolled in Mills College Creative Writing classes are especially welcome!