Seattle Public Library + Stevie Wonder and Paul + School Library Journal

I’m in Seattle this whole week, visiting a couple schools per day. The visit is sponsored by Seattle Public Library. Here’s a shot of their architecturally famous (infamous?) downtown branch (talk amongst yourselves):

Sometimes I get to hang with the big bad high schoolers, like these guys from Chief Sealth High:

Other times I’m with middle school kids (in this case, 1000 of them in one auditorium at Denny Junior High School) (you wanna talk about energy?) (did I have energy like this when I was coming up back in the late fifties?):

During one of my talks, I referenced the song “Ebony and Ivory” by Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney. When the kids all dropped me the universal blank stare that basically translates to, “Dude, you’re old as shit!” I turned to the teachers in the room and said, “Come on, guys. Get my back here.” That’s when these two amazing teachers not only said they knew the song, they proceeded to perform a stellar rendition of it into my mic. I’m talking harmonies and everything. It was sick! The students and I clapped our asses off after their amazing closing crescendo. Here they are, post impromptu performance:

In other news, to check out an interview I just did with School Library Journal about The Living, go here.

PS, The Living is out in one week. ONE WEEK! If you buy a copy of the book I will love you for the rest of my life.

No, seriously.

If I wasn’t already married . . . you get the idea.

That was a weird thing to say, let’s move on.

The Living. November 12th.

Much love from Seattle.