Yesterday I woke up at 5:45, made myself as presentable as possible, and headed down to my office to give a reading to Beverly Army Williams’s creative writing class at Westfield State University via FaceTime at the ungodly hour of 6:45 a.m Portland time. Ah, time zones. Now that I live in Portland it sometimes feels like I start each day playing catch-up with the East Coast.

(By the way, Billy is a total hero in this story. We’d hoped the kids would stay asleep until I was done at 8 a.m., but of course Girlie woke up crying for me at 6:40, just as the reading was about to start. Billy and my mom, who’s visiting, got both kids up and out the door, and went to a diner for pancakes. I suppose that as I do more book events my kids will come to think it’s normal to rush out of the house as soon as you wake up to go eat pancakes in your pajamas.)

I read the first chapter of The Revolution of Every Day, and then answered questions. The class had read “Gone to Water” in preparation for my visit, and Beverly had them write questions for me ahead of time. Part of her goal for this reading series is to teach the kids how to attend readings–how great is that?!

When it came time for them to ask their questions, something kind of magical–something I hadn’t anticipated at all–happened. I’d been concerned that a virtual reading would feel cold and remote, that the class and I wouldn’t be able to connect because I would just be a head on a screen projected at the front of the classroom a la 1984 or maybe Max Headroom. What might be considered a flaw in the technology made for a very different experience, though.

The class could hear me from their seats, but I was only able to hear whoever was sitting right in front of the computer. Beverly drew a chair up to the screen, and the students came up one at a time, sat in the chair, and asked me their question, which I then answered while they sat there. So rather than taking questions from a group and answering them from the remove of a podium, I found myself speaking to these kids one-on-one, looking them in the eye, as if we were sitting across the table from one another. It was incredible to be able to connect with each of them like that.

They had great questions about craft and writing habits and reading and publishing. I loved the time I spent with them, and I’m so grateful to Beverly for the opportunity. I’m officially hooked on virtual readings. Anyone else want me to hang out with their class or other group? I am completely up for it.

And yes, I will absolutely be available to meet with book groups over FaceTime or Skype once Revolution comes out. I’m very much looking forward to that. Now more than ever, after yesterday’s reading.