[Mesnick]

Today I met with students of the sixth and seventh grades (I think, the second and third classes of the middle school), where I talked about my teenage fantasy novel "Shadow Girl", as well as about creativity in general. I performed in the school auditorium and it was my first experience with such a large audience. The children were very active and interested and literally bombarded me with questions (I've had this happen before, but with a much smaller number of young listeners). The event turned out to be wonderful, exciting and informative both for me and for the students. In particular, I will note the interest in horror, so I advise all horror authors to pay attention to this age category.
The meeting itself seemed positive and not overshadowed by anything. But already after it, the air alarm reminded us in what time we live. And I made sure I chose the right tone for the second part.