In this solo monologue, Vanessa Van Edwards—researcher of conversation and author of the book Conversation—shares five playful, “weird” questions that were cut from her book but that she believes spark great dialogue. She walks through each prompt: (1) choosing a completely new name (she’d pick “Emerald”), (2) being a sibling of a celebrity (she’d pick a Hemsworth), (3) entering every room to a personal theme song (her choice is “Confident” by Demi Lovato), (4) the embarrassing last‑meal you’d love (she confesses to children’s cereal eaten late at night), and (5) an irrationally strong opinion about a household object (her beloved Roomba). After each, she invites viewers to answer and to purchase her book, noting that the book contains nine “non‑weird” but highly effective conversation questions.
Chapters
I'm a little weird, and sometimes I'm just in the mood for a little weird conversation. My name is Vanessa Van Edwards, and I study incredible, masterful conversation. I just wrote a book on this topic, and my editor told me that I had to take out the really weird stuff. I was like, but I like the weird stuff. But then I realized, even if it's not in the book, I can still share it with you. So here are my 5 weirdest questions that didn't make it into the book but produce fricking great conversation. Or a weird conversation. If you could rename yourself, what name would you pick? And no, you can't keep any part of your current name. I would totally pick Emerald. I really like that name and it's my birthstone. Whenever I play dress-up with my kids, which is very often, I always pick that name. So next lifetime. If you could be any celebrity's sibling, who would you choose? I'd be a Hemsworth. Could you imagine the group chat? They probably have really fun holidays and they could teach me to surf. Free lessons. If you were legally required to enter every room to a theme song, which song would you pick? Confident by Demi Lovato, obviously. I often have to harness my inner confidence, so I'd want a song that reminds me of that. If your last meal on earth had to be something you'd be embarrassed to admit you love, what would it be? I'll go first. Cereal. Not fancy cereal, children's cereal. Lots of fake colors, Lots of fake food, lots of gluten, ideally eaten after 11 PM. I dream of cereal. I dream of it. Next, what household object do you have an irrationally strong opinion about? I've asked this question to a surprisingly large amount of people and everyone thinks they don't have an answer. And then after I give them just a few seconds to think about it, they come up with something hysterical. Mine? My Roomba. My Roomba is my favorite person. I think about him a lot. He's been in the laundry room a lot. He helps me manage my chores and all the crunchies under feet. Should I change his mop pads? Okay, now tell me your answer to one of these questions, and also please prove my editor wrong and go buy my new book because of these weird questions. I share all my favorite 9 non-weird but really great questions in my new book, Conversation. I'd love for you to try them all. It's available wherever books are sold, and I even read the audiobook.
