Smith College

March 31st, 2006

burrito
Originally uploaded by Alison Bechdel.

I spoke last night at Smith, for I think the fourth time in my career. God, I love that place. I meant to take a picture of the campus, or the audience, but I was so frazzled I didn’t even remember I had my camera with me until after it was all over and I was getting a burrito to eat on my drive back home from MA to VT. Thus this irrelevant photo in the burrito shop.

But what a great audience those Smithies were! They laughed at everything and indulged my discursive pointy-headedness. The student who brought me discovered my work on PlanetOut when she was ten. Ten! Every time I go back to Smith College, I’m a thousand years older. But the students are all still ten. Well, maybe twenty.

Before my presentation I had a lovely visit with my friend Susan Stinson. We talked about writing and she let me ride her awesome trike around campus in the lovely spring afternoon.
When did I start bandying about the word “awesome” like this? I’m sorry to contribute to its utter devaluation by overusage. But Susan’s trike really did inspire awe.