I've been in Nashville, TN, since Friday after spending two weeks in the Boston area as a part of the Totally Wired Parent/Educator Tour. It's funny, because even though I lived in Boston for over three years after college, I still felt like I was driving around lost the entire time (maybe because when I lived there, I didn't have a car!).

But as soon as I got on 40 West heading into Nashville, it was all second nature. This is where I learned to drive, where I spent my teenage years. I stopped at San Antonio Taco Company near Vanderbilt for a steak fajita the other night -- I used to eat lunch there in high school at least three times a week. And just biting into it and tasting the same cheese and tortillas transported me to being 16 all over again. Unfortunately, the few friends from high school that I kept in touch with don't live here anymore, and my mom and my sister have both left the area. The first people I'll see here that will (hopefully) remember me are some of my high school teachers at University School of Nashville, where I'm speaking to teachers in the afternoon and to parents tomorrow evening.

I did have a chance to wander around the Southern Festival of Books this weekend and listen to two authors/illustrators talk about their graphic novels as well as hear some southern YA authors read from their latest work. I was really impressed with Scott Christian Sava, an animator who owns Blue Dream Studios (which has done loads of high profile work in the entertainment space for companies like Nickelodeon, Disney and Cartoon Network). He was talking about his graphic novels "The Dreamland Chronicles," which he self publishes. They are incredibly elaborate worlds that he (and his studio) have created. What I found fascinating is that he does not have a major publisher and is spending his own money on these books. His website, where he posts one new page a day, has drawn over a million visitors (mostly teen girls) so far who eagerly await each installment. I asked him if he had considered making The Dreamland Chronicles into a game or really, into its own virtual world (hello: teen girls, graphic novels, avatars?), and he said he hasn't found the right partner yet....

I also checked out "Across The Universe" on Friday. Seeing the movie solo, I felt like I had some sort of market researcher hat on, observing all the teens in the audience. It was mostly kind of an indie/emo teen crowd (yes lots of hipster teens in NashVegas) and at the end, they clapped. The movie reminded me of a movie musicals I loved as a teen like "Tommy" or "Hair." It definitely had the trippy visuals, Vietnam era story line and loads of Beatles songs. The teen girl appeal is definitely the romance. It's both a little cheesy and edgy enough where I guess it could develop a cult following with older teens. Unlike HSM, it definitely has sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Last night I caught a screening of "To Kill A Mockingbird" at The Belcourt Theater, which seemed like the perfect film to watch on the big screen being back in the south in the wake of the Jena Six and all the copy cat nooses showing up around the country. It's one of my favorite novels of all time, and I never saw the film on the big screen until now. So good.

Posted by anastasia