Twin sibling performers Sara and Tegan Quin—aka Tegan and Sara—stopped by the Museum of Contemporary Art on Oct. 15 to discuss their collaborative memoir High School.
Tegan said that the duo originally contemplated producing a concept album or podcast focused on their high school years in their native Calgary, but ultimately settled on writing a book together. The process highlighted fundamental differences between Tegan and Sara, both in terms of their process and their temperament.
While Tegan was deliberate and contemplative of the material she chose to document, Sara wrote quickly and from the heart.
“You find that you have to surrender your story,” Sara said. ” … This seemed like a really direct way to do it.”
She later added: “I just wrote from my memory and talked to my therapist a lot.”
Tegan said, “I just wanted to tell a good story. … I was more careful and protective.”
Music journalist and critic Jessica Hopper moderated the event, which was part of the Chicago Ideas Festival.