By Maddy Kye, Lisa Page Literary Education Fellow
When I entered the library of Phelps ACE High School, visiting author H.D. Hunter had his presentation for his novel, Something Like Right, set up on the screen, and the librarian, Mr. Strickland, was organizing pizza boxes for the students in attendance. The environment was relaxed yet enthusiastic as students trickled in, and we seemed to be on track for a seamless school visit. That is, until the fire alarm went off.
Evacuating the building, I initially assumed the alarm was merely an inconveniently timed drill. That day—a sunny Tuesday—was a rarity in the midst of a cold and frosty winter, and it seemed logical that the school would opt to have a fire drill on one of winter’s kindest days. However, as we gathered together outside the building, students commented on a strange scent in the main hallway, and myself and others began to realize that the alarm may have been triggered after all. Soon after, Mr. Strickland confirmed that the event was not a drill.
As we waited for instructions, Mr. Strickland, H.D. Hunter, and I discussed possible next steps for our author visit. H.D. and I didn’t have obligations at any other schools that day, so we were prepared to wait out the chaos and proceed with the visit. In the meantime, upon learning he was the author they were meant to be speaking with, several students approached H.D. and struck up conversations. Some of them had already started reading the book, and it was exciting to witness them share their raw reactions to the beginning of the book with the author. At this point, H.D. pulled out his signature purple pen and happily offered to sign books for any students who had brought their books out of the building with them.
Luckily, whatever issue had triggered the fire alarm was eventually resolved, and we were invited to reenter the building. Due to the interruption, the school modified the end of the class period such that we had enough time to proceed with a slightly shorter visit than had been scheduled.
H.D. jumped right into his presentation. He expertly summarized his own background, writing career, and newest novel for the students as they munched on their pizza. Once he finished, H.D. answered questions from students and educators, talking about everything from pushback on certain topics to sources of inspiration for his next book. There was no shortage of questions, and despite the tightened timeline, students seemed grateful that we had persisted rather than canceling the visit.
H.D.’s work felt poignant and meaningful to the students, as demonstrated by their comments. One student said to another, “The way he has the book set up is really interesting, and I relate to it on an emotional level.”
Students were unafraid to share H.D.’s impact on them with him directly. After the visit, a lingering student approached H.D. and talked a bit about his own writing aspirations, telling H.D., “I’m even more influenced to start writing from what I’ve seen from your book.”
Leaving the visit, H.D. and I felt certain that it had been a success. We were confident we had made the right choice in proceeding with the visit, and almost as certain that the students and educators at Phelps ACE High School would agree. The start of the visit was undoubtedly tumultuous, but the adaptability of the students, educator, and author was an impressive feat, and it was truly incredible to see how, despite the strangeness of the situation, the author and the students nevertheless managed to connect with one another over literature.