trevordayschool

While the audience was learning a lot about Eggers from his detailed answers, I was worried that my inability to guide our guest might leave them feeling unfulfilled. Scanning anxiously through my list of questions, I couldn't find one that referred to "the writer's life," which I hoped might bring an audience member into the discussion. As I glanced up nervously from my notes, faces of rapt attention signaled that Eggers' political observations—he was discussing media coverage of competing rallies in El Paso, Texas held by Beto O'Rourke and then President Trump—were resonating in such a way that his listeners were feeling comfortable enough to engage in extemporaneous conversation with him. What followed was a most enlightening and animated discussion between author and audience. Watching Dave Eggers and his audience, I had an epiphany: While reading fiction is a private and solitary experience, there is magic in authors connecting with and inspiring their audiences in interviews and writing workshops; these events reveal that we all seek to develop meaningful human connections, whether they be with family members, friends, or illustrious authors who have written books that have moved us. Ultimately, what Mr. Morris first showed me as a teen has been affirmed by my life as a reader and English teacher, and (most thrillingly) through my work with authors who have visited Trevor: Literature—in all of its forms— is life. n A Mother A Mother & Daughter & Daughter Trevor's Visiting Authors Trevor's Visiting Authors Celebte Celebte When When, in 2019 in 2019, I agreed to interview Dave Eggers I agreed to interview Dave Eggers, I was under the impression that my classmate and I would be asking the questions. After all, in his four books that I read and discussed in preparation for his visit, Eggers seemed to have a lot of answers to some very challenging questions. However, when Simone Spalding '21 and I were onstage with him (see page 24), he turned to us and asked, "What does the American Dream mean to you?" I was not expecting this. After a moment of slight panic, I realized that this was the essence of Trevor's Visiting Author Program. is shift in dynamic forced me to reconsider the relationship between me and the accomplished man sitting a few feet away. I'd assumed that he could easily handle the questions that my classmates and I wrestled with, even as we asked them. Two years later, I still believe there is some truth to that—but onstage it became clear that, like us, he grapples with complicated questions. Hearing him admit that he doesn't have a clear answer to many questions opened my eyes to ways in which we are similar. e gap between us closed slightly, and the idea of being a writer felt more realistic. Talking with him quelled the idea that successful authors are untouchable. My mom, also an avid reader, participated in as many author visits as she could. Analogous to my realizations about Dave Eggers, she still talks about the hour she spent with Jennifer Egan. "Listening to Egan dissect her writing process, I was fascinated to find that, while she turns to other writers for feedback, she also turns to readers, that she reads period fiction to immerse herself in the time she is writing about, and, above all, that she plays favorites with her books," my mom marvels. "She provided a window that not only made me want to buy her next book, but meet her for coffee as well." I know that the Visiting Author Program has made an immeasurable impact on me (and my mom), and I am grateful for the opportunities it has provided. And, if I ever meet Dave Eggers again, I will have an answer prepared for that question! Trevor families applaud Dave Eggers' presentation, sponsored by the Parents Association. Abigail Bromberger '21 2 9 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

• Cover