Last night I went to a small, impromptu high school reunion of sorts. I thought it would be surreal and painful, but it was a lot of fun and only semi-surreal. For 2008 I've been reading lots of YA books in addition to my picture book fare -- and those books, coupled with last night, bring back lots of teen memories. Man, we were totally well behaved compared to the teens of Carolyn Mackler and Rachel Cohn -- even Libba Bray (never even near the same ballpark as Ellen Hopkins.) I should have been naughtier.

Above is a two minute sketch of where I ate lunch in high school every day. Not the cafeteria, but a vestibule? On the floor in between two doors. I'm sure we made the school look like a hobo camp, but it was great to have a fairly private spot to eat and joke and laugh so hard that cornbread came out my nose.

One friend who ate in the vestibule was really good at misinterpreting song lyrics. I'm thinking "Salmon Chanted Evening" is from the Muppets, but only my high school friend could have gotten "Tuna Hot Dog!" from "Do The Hustle." That used to make me snort for a good ten minutes.

High school giggles are the BEST. There was lots of snorting on my part last night.

Thinking about the setting and background for Sara's graphic novel. I wonder if I can inject any of my teen landscape into it or should it be something totally different? I hope high school giggle fits still happen, though. That would be a sad thing for future generations to lose.