Saturday, October 18, 2008

Senioritis All Over Again -- Jay

Because of author websites and MySpace, I’m sure authors receive a lot more feedback from readers than in the past. And I love that! Checking my MySpace messages is one of the highlights of my day.

But I looooove receiving actual hardcopy letters from my readers. Usually, those are mailed to my publisher, and then Penguin sends them on to me in one big envelope. This week, my bundle contained a letter from a high school senior in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Along with the letter (she loved the book…woo-hoo!), she also sent a wallet-sized senior portrait. With MySpace, you can usually see the writer of the message staring back at you in the upper left-hand corner. But with hardcopy letters, that’s not usually the case. So this particular letter reminded me of how fun it was to trade senior photos in the final year of high school.

So now, I’m gonna throw down a challenge to all you writers of teen literature out there. Go dig out your remaining senior photos. If you were just so popular in high school that you don’t have any leftovers, go scan the photo in your yearbook. And then post it on your blog! Come back to this post and leave a comment, directing us to your blog, so we can all laugh at…I mean, admire…how much you haven’t changed. (If you write for younger children, or are an illustrator, or blog in any way about books for children or teens, you should play along, too!)

To start it off, here are my two senior photos:




Ha! Ha! Ha! Laugh all you want. Like yours are any better...

- Jay


BONUS FACT: In the photo with my guitar, I'm actually playing the opening chord to a huge song from my high school days: More Than Words by Extreme. Don't lie, you still love that song!


UPDATE

Another Mermaid has decided to take the challenge.

Presenting...Robin!

40 comments:

Suzanne Young said...

Can't. Breathe. Laughing. Too. Hard...

Christy Raedeke said...

Okay, I'll play. Keep in mind that this was 1984, the year that spawned shoulder pads and the song "When Doves Cry"...

http://raedeke.blogspot.com/2008/10/1984.html

And yes, I can't lie Jay, I do still love "More than Words" by Extreme!

Disco Mermaids said...

Thanks for playing, Christy! Did people really call them Mall Bangs? That's hilarious!!!

And I must admit, I thought this could be a fun post when I was allowed to see a high school photo of Ms. Suzanne Young a couple days ago. So I'm begging her to post that pic.

- Jay

Suzanne Young said...

Okay, I posted my pic. And I can't wait to see everyone else's!!!!!!

Ahem, Robin and Eve!!

www.suzanne-young.blogspot.com

Katie Anderson said...

HOLY MOLY!!!! I am laughing so hard - and late to Memphis cuz I'm surfing around looking at all of the funny pics!

JAY!!!! You have a black helmet on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But you are still a cutie! hahaha

too bad I don't have time too find mine ;) It is NOT cute though. I am better with age :) hee hee.

I am sorry I will be offline for a while - I wanna see Robin and Eve - Actually Evie has some of hers on Facebook...

Maybe I'll check back in from the Apple store and show all of the Mac Genius's my hot friends.

Disco Mermaids said...

OH. MY. GOD.

This...this is just too easy.

But I will take the high road and say, "Wow! You haven't changed a bit!!!"

I would post my senior picture...if I just had a blog...

:-)
Robin

Cuppa Jolie said...

Fun throw down, Jay! I'm in. Hopefully lots of my fellow Seattle writers and illustrators will be joining in the fun!

http://cuppajolie.blogspot.com

Disco Mermaids said...

Y'know, I figured the more people who posted their photos, the less mortified I would feel about posting mine.

Not true. I'm still mortified.

But in a good way!

Keep 'em coming!!!

- Jay

Rita said...

This is the most fantastic meme idea ever, and you guys look awesome. I've just had to go clicking around to see everyone's else's photos, too.

I posted my high school prom photo not long ago, so I'll hold off on the senior pic for now. (But maybe not for long.)

I also just got home from a party tonight where 15 of us sang "More Than Words" at the top of our lungs. So . . . yeah.

Disco Mermaids said...

I was the one who kept Breck hair spray stock soaring in the 80's. Oh, and shoulder pads.

-Robin

Suzanne Young said...

ROBIN!!!!!!!!!! I love it! You looks so sweet and innocent!!!!

SRH said...

OK - So I open your blog this morning and read down through it to the song title under your 1993 'gig' photo (were you part of a band?) and "More than Words" played on KOIT in San Francisco not more than 5 minutes earlier and both of us (Susie and I) were singing it.

BTW - Did you have a wig on or what happened to your hair?

HS Photos - a Great Idea - I'm not a writer (actually I'm Jay's relative who likes following along with the achievements of members in our family), so I'm not posting my HS photo - anyway that's 46 years ago - and we didn't have nice color photos at that time (I almost sound antique) - and anyway, I don't think I even have a photo.

Aaron & Susie

Christy Raedeke said...

Oh, Robin, we are shoulder pad soul sisters! If I couldn't find 'em sewn in to the garment (or if the sewn-in ones weren't football-regulation size) I had a pair in a box that I'd slip in. And yes, even under t-shirts when I worked out!

What year was this? You look too young to be in high school in the 80s but by the hair & pads I'm gonna guess '89...

Fabulous!

Laini Taylor said...

Oh my gosh. So cute!!!!! There is no earthly way I have any pictures from those days. My actual yearbook photo is colored in market so you can't see a thing, thank god. That was Orange County in the late 80s. Hideous hair! Still, it's fun to see OTHER PEOPLE!

Anonymous said...

AHHH! My first thought was... woh he looks like Adam Sandler in The Wedding Singer :] haha

I posted mine. I wanted to copy you and follow up w/ a pic of me and my guitar... yes I did the same senior I'm-a-badass-who-plays-the-electric photos BUT I couldn't find those. boo.

Disco Mermaids said...

Uncle Aaron, I actually think I should've saved that helmet o' hair so I could use it as a wig now!

Laini, it is my mission to locate your senior photo. I've gotta see what you were doing to your hair back then!

And Ms. CP, I think we both know who's more badass. See, I'm playing an acoustic song on an electric guitar. (But it's good to know I wasn't the only one who thought bringing my guitar to the shoot was a great idea!)

- Jay

Erik said...

Jay......are...you.....wearing... LIPSTICK in that picture?!!??

LOL.....great post man.

EK

Amanda Morgan said...

Okay, I actually had a senior picture sitting around on my computer, collecting dust or whatever pictures stored on computers collect.

Anyway....

http://amandaKmorgan.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

All right. I am in. Try this puppy on for size. You want big hair? I'll give you big hair!

Disco Mermaids said...

Erik, I still have YOUR senior photo. Should I put that up...Mr. Tuxedo-Man?

Amanda, you're a smart one. You went for the classic far-away beach shot. Close-ups are a killer!

And Fuse, yep, that's some big hair! (At least, it's big on half of your head...)

- Jay

Sara said...

I HAVE a H.S. senior in my house. (sniff)

But I'm posting my old pic, as ordered, not his cute new one.

tanita✿davis said...

Jay, you know we loves us some Mermaids... but this is SO PAINFUL!

jama said...

Hi Jay,

I write for younger children, but couldn't resist picking up the gauntlet: http://jamarattigan.livejournal.com/189442.html.

BTW, you look tres romantique in yours :)!

Sarah Stevenson said...

Oh no, Jay! We have the same graduation year! I'll have to go looking in a garage box to see if I have any of my old wallet-sized photos. Otherwise, it'll have to be the yearbook picture. Ew.

At least you weren't strumming "Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum.

But, I take your challenge. Just going out to the garage now...

Trish said...

Picture it: Ohio, 1985... http://trishdoller.blogspot.com.

Anonymous said...

I probably have the oldest senior photo in history.
http://medwriter.livejournal.com/

Shirley

Disco Mermaids said...

This is getting way too hilarious. Some decades definitely hold up better than others.

Thank you all for digging through those dusty boxes in the garage and having your friends and family e-mail you photos.

More. More! MORE!!!

- Jay

Anonymous said...

What fun! Here I am in my senior year photo...was I ever this young?
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=134853404&blogID=442510693

G. Neri said...

Ok, I was up for this challenge, then I discovered that I couldn't find any of my yearbooks! But I did come across this old skate park member card in which I believe I am a freshman looking like a true skate rat.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/2961680796_4930d60c97.jpg?v=0

Lorie Ann Grover said...

Thanks for the fun, Jay! I posted here at my blog and over at readergirlz. As if once wasn't enough. Ha!

Anonymous said...

These are great!

I'm a little slow with the scanner, but I posted one, too. Fun!

holly cupala said...

More Than Words??? I so remember that song...being at a party at a barn in the middle of an apple orchard with the whole, crazed crowd singing... I'm going to have to go dig up a senior pic now!

Amber Lough said...

Ok, I don't have a high school pic yet (waiting on mom for that), so I am offering up an equally funny/embarrassing pic of myself, taken TODAY:

http://naptimewriter.blogspot.com/2008/10/wisdom-and-teethand-preggo-pic.html

(I have no idea how to do links in the comments.)

Erik said...

LOL.....I'm not afraid of my senior yearbook picture Jay. Do your worst. :-)

(Besides...they MADE us wear the tux....in actuality I was wearing a tank top and shorts and the tux was just one of those fake covers)

holly cupala said...

Ok, it's up! Eeek! Why, oh why, didn't I take out stock in Aquanet??

Disco Mermaids said...

Wow! And I thought my senior photos were cheesy. To all of you who were brave enough to prove me wrong...thank you.

Erik, thanks for the go-ahead, but I'm having second thoughts about putting up your senior photo. Why? Cuz it's actually really good and you'll just ruin the curve for everyone else...as usual.

And Holly, your blog post for this challenge definitely had the best title: Senior Moment.

Brilliant!

- Jay

Chris Barton said...

Well, look what you've gone and made me do:

http://www.chrisbarton.info/blog/2008/10/in-which-i-accept-jay-ashers-dare-and.html

Jules at 7-Imp said...

Better late than never, right?

http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=1472

Jules and Eisha
7-Imp

Anonymous said...

Not a YA author but a blogger and could not resiest: http://deowriter.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/sunday-silliness-senoritis/

Anonymous said...

Even better--I have my photo as captain of the girl's high school basketball team: www.janeyolen.com Click on Biography and scroll down.

Jane