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in person enabled our student memoirists and the Upper School student body in general to feel that engaging with his prose is to immerse oneself in a voice pulsing with brutal truths and heartfelt epiphanies. In reading a review of some of McCourt's work recently, I came across the concept that "somehow, in the best of Irish writing there is a painful point where the warmth of recollection meets the truth of recognized pain." It is this combination of truth and pain that, I now realize, flows through the works of all of the authors who have visited Trevor. It is their stories, aching but warm, that sustain student curiosity in the power of the written word to help us understand the world— transcending author gender, ethnicity, class, and religion. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's day at Trevor in 2013 was preceded by her TED Talk on the danger of understanding a country, culture, or people from a single story, one external perspective; it also was grounded in her ability to connect authentically with our students through her written word in novels such as Purple Hibiscus (2003) and Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), and in her precise use of language in her discussions with students and parents. Until her visit, I had never seen an author display such genuine affection for her audience while at the same time express the need for them to see the world through a critical lens. Like Kincaid before her and Satrapi after her, Adichie offered both her psychological and anthropological responses to student questions on religion ("When you were writing Purple Hibiscus, were you trying to send a message that religion can tear families apart?"), colonization ("What are the major remnants of English colonization in Nigeria today?"), and author style ("Why did you write from Kambili's point of view?"). at an artist addressing the impact of Nigeria's postcolonial history could write so tenderly from the perspective of a young girl— who finds optimism and purpose even in the most broken family— was a message that resonated intensely with our community. 2019 was a year unlike any other for Trevor's Visiting Author Program. It opened with the visit of author, journalist, and Pulitzer Prize finalist Dave Eggers, and ended with the visit of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize- winning novelist Jennifer Egan. ough students and parents alike read widely and deeply in anticipation of these events, it is the insights of Simone S. '21, who interviewed Dave Eggers with Abigail B. '21 in front of the Upper School community, that summarize the significance of interacting with authors who challenge us as thinkers in the classroom: "It was a great experience to be able to speak with Dave Eggers after reading [his] work because as students we are more used to analyzing text from a partially informed perspective. Being able to ask [him] questions about [his] work and overall process allowed for a rare complete reading experience. e interview felt comfortably personal in that most of the questions we asked were drafted in classrooms and discussed between students before they were asked on stage." e Trevor community reveled in the opportunity to read Eggers. Texts such as A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (2000), What is the What (2006), and Zeitoun (2009) remind us that, no matter what the circumstances, any given character's will to strive, challenge, and endure is alive and well in contemporary American literature. rough bringing us to this place of hope, Eggers proves time and again that he is an author who is skilled in gaining his readers' trust in order that he might probe our consciences. Consequently, Eggers' visit to Trevor served as an opportunity for us to remember that, as a result of his meticulous depiction of characters Page 22: Although Jason Reynolds' visit to Trevor was originally planned as a full day at both the East and West campuses, the pandemic forced a virtual format. He participated in three hour-long sessions: the first for 4th–6th graders, the second for 7th–9th graders, and the third for 10th–12th graders. In terms of their complexity, students' questions were surprisingly unrelated to their grade level—Lower School students' questions reflected a deep understanding of Reynolds' work. Trevor parents were also invited to attend; Page 23, left: Jamaica Kincaid presents to Upper School students; Middle: Ms. Kincaid's writing workshop with students; Right top: Marjane Satrapi is interviewed by students Ambia Elias '17 and Scott Carlson '18; Right, bottom: Students were mesmerized by Malachy McCourt's "larger-than- life" personality, on full display here; is page, left: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is interviewed by James Sands '14 and Cecley Hill '15; Right: Dave Eggers, Simone S. '21, and Abigail B.' 21. 2 4 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 – 2 0 2 1

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