Interview with Becky Chalsen

I first learned about Becky Chalsen at my local Kismet Bagel, where her book, Kismet was on sale. Later that same week, her publicist offered me a copy of her upcoming book, Serendipity, and it felt…serendipitous! When I learned she had studied here in Philly, I knew I needed to do an interview with Becky Chalsen about her college years and the mark the city left on her.

Below, you’ll find an upcoming book recommendation from Becky, discover how she became a writer, and learn about her EXCELLENT taste in Philly restaurants (her favorite is one I often went to for big group meals too!)

Article Contents

Becky Chalsen on Philadelphia

What is your connection to the Philly area, and if you went to school here, where?

I spent four incredible, challenging, transformative years at the University of Pennsylvania! I was part of the Benjamin Franklin Scholars program and graduated in 2015 with a degree in History, and minors in English and Classical Studies.

What is your favorite restaurant in the Philly area?

Okay, my answer for this should be Parc, the oh-so-glamorous restaurant at the edge of Rittenhouse that I’d beg my parents to take me to whenever they were visiting. But! My real answer for this has to be La Viola. I dined here probably once a month, big BYOs with friends and classmates for all sorts of special occasions. I still dream about the penne vodka and may or may not be forcing a big group dinner here this May for our 10-year reunion!

What is your favorite hidden gem in the area?

I’m sure this doesn’t feel particularly “hidden” anymore, but during my time at Penn, the best hidden gem was actually on Drexel’s campus! The Tim & Jon pizza at Ed’s is still, hands down, the best slice I’ve ever had. Sorry, NYC!

What is your favorite memory of this area?

I’m perhaps letting my History major really show here, but my favorite memory was my meal at City Tavern. It’s sadly closed now, which is heartbreaking, but City Tavern was a reconstructed tavern where the waiters dressed in colonial-era clothes and served food with a historic flare. The “Libations” menu offered Thomas Jefferson’s Ale (better than any Brooklyn brewery!) and as I ate the turkey pot pie, it felt like falling back in time. As an American History nerd, I knew I’d remember the meal forever.

What do you love most about the Philly area?

The size! In my opinion, Philly is the Goldilocks of American cities. It’s the perfect size – bustling yet walkable, diverse yet discoverable. It felt just big enough to invite exploration without feeling completely overwhelming, but it’s also that perfect balance of old and new, historic yet modern, urban yet sprinkled with beautiful greens, especially on and around Penn’s campus. I always wanted to study in a city, and I instantly loved Philly’s size.

Becky Chalsen on Reading

What sparked your love of reading?

I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember! I always say it’s because I’m one of five kids (I’m a quadruplet – all four girls – and we have an older brother.) When you’re in a big family, opening a book gives you some quiet time to yourself!

What are some of your favorite reads?

The Becky Chalsen Picks List consists of: The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, Modern Lovers by Emma Straub, In Five Years by Rebecca Serle, The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin, The Wedding People by Alison Espach, and the play Our Town. I keep them on a “favorites” shelf on my bookshelf!

What is the last book you read and love?

I was very lucky to get to read an early draft of Morgan Pager’s stunning debut novel, The Art of Vanishing – it publishes July 1, 2025! A love story between a museum employee and a man in one of the paintings. Add to your TBR now!

Where is your favorite place to read?

On the beach! I think that’s why I love to set my books on the beach, too! There’s something so romantic to me about leaving sunscreen-stained fingerprints on the pages.

What’s on your nightstand?

My re-read list! I don’t read in bed all that much, so my nightstand functions more as an aspirational “please don’t forget! If you have time!” list rather than a typical TBR. I’m hoping to re-read Little Women, Madame Bovary and the Iliad this year…. though I was also hoping to re-read them last year and ran out of time. ☺ Here’s hoping, 2025!

Becky Chalsen on Her Job

What inspired you to become an author?

Books have been a major part of my life since I was a little kid, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that I decided to try and write a book myself! My husband was studying for his MBA in a Saturday program at Columbia – but the classes were remote, because of the pandemic – so I decided to use those Saturdays to write while he was “at” school. Our apartment effectively became a library on the weekends, as we sat next to each other on our laptops while pursuing our respective dreams. It was a huge help to have him there as an accountability partner. And I quickly fell in love with the act of writing – of daydreaming up characters and settings, of plotting and outlining and thinking of interesting structures – I never wanted to not write again!

What is your favorite part of your job?

I love meeting readers! It’s so surreal how something that started as a Word Doc in the pandemic has somehow turned into a physical story that people can hold and put on bookshelves of their own. Now, I love to meet readers and gab about our favorite reads – I’ve been on #bookstagram long before I dared write a book of my own! – and connect over how stories have made us feel seen or given us a sense of escape. I’m a bookworm first and foremost, so everything comes back to reading and the readers.

Can you tell me about your new book?

After taking a bit of a break after publishing and promoting Kismet and Serendipity in back-to-back years, I’m just beginning to start working on my next novel! All I can say is that it’ll be about quadruplet sisters. ☺

What is the biggest challenge you face as an author?

Oh man, there are so many challenges. ☺ A big one is trusting yourself. Trusting yourself to try a new idea, or to scrap an old one when it’s not quite working; trusting yourself to take risks, or to know when something is finally ready to share. For me, the answer to this challenge is to get out of my head and focus on the feeling – what feels right? What feels wrong? What feels fun, (since writing should be fun for the author, too!)? And I’m very lucky to have an agent who answers my texts at all (reasonable, I swear!) hours and walks me through the doubt-filled spirals. Sabrina Taitz, I love you.

What is the most surprising thing about being a writer?

How friendly other writers/authors are!! I have made so many incredible, authentic friendships through the publication of Kismet and Serendipity. Oftentimes writing can feel like such a solitary profession – the process of sitting with your computer and putting tens of thousands of words onto a page is inherently isolating – but I’ve been so pleasantly surprised by how many fellow authors have instantly assumed the roles of long-lost co-workers/mentors/advisers/sisters along the way.

You can take the girl out of Philly… but she’ll still order Wawa Pumpkin Coffee Beans from Wawa.Com!

Becky Chalsen on the Great Coffee/Tea Debate

And most importantly, coffee or tea? Tell me your go-to order!

Coffee! I probably have three cups a day of drip coffee with almond milk. I’ll never give it up! But I do love a matcha latte when it’s hitting 4pm and I know I have a lot of work left ahead of me. It feels healthy…but maybe that’s just because it’s green? ☺