What to Say Next Author Julie Buxbaum Shares Her Favorite Memories of the High School Cafeteria
Julie Buxbaum made us happy cry last year with Tell Me Three Things, and now she’s back with What to Say Next, the tale of two teens who forge a life-changing friendship. Kit just lost her father, and grief has made her a stranger to herself. David, a teen on the spectrum, has always been different, offering blunt honesty that alienates him from his peers. Though they feel like misfits, they fit well together—but soon their relationship faces an unexpected, possibly unsurvivable, obstacle.
The two first connect in their high school cafeteria, where Kit needs a break from her clueless friends, and David’s table, where he sits alone, seems like the perfect oasis. Here’s Buxbaum to talk about her obsession with, and favorite memories of, the high school cafeteria.
What to Say Next
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I’ve recently realized I have a weird obsession with high school cafeterias: The dynamics (who sits where). The smell (chicken nuggets mixed with antiseptic). The food (soggy crinkle-cut French fries). In What to Say Next, I wanted to write a story about two people making an unexpected connection, and so, of course, I decided to have their first encounter occur over lunch. A whole slew of events unravels purely because one character, acting on a whim, switches tables in the cafeteria. Although I sadly have never fallen in love over tater tots, below are some of my favorite memories from the high school cafeteria.
1. People-watching
In my adult life, I spend a ton of time creepily people watching in cafés, but I first mastered that skill in high school. I loved sitting back and taking note of all the groups around me. I adored noticing the gazillion power plays—the subtle ways in which we were all performing the act of being high schoolers.
2. Catching up with friends
I had a great group of girlfriends in high school, and though we were mostly in different classes throughout the day (my high school was pretty big), we’d always catch up over lunch. Now we’re spread all around the country, so we usually need to plan months in advance to connect over a meal!
3. Copying homework
I probably shouldn’t fess up to this (sorry, Mr. Suchy), but I often copied my best friend’s homework over lunch. Let’s be honest: it would be great if she were sitting next to me right now so I could crib her list for this piece.
4. Potato in all its forms
I’ve already mentioned crinkle-cut fries and tater tots, but let’s not forget those aluminum trays full of buttery mash. I was lucky enough to go to school with a cafeteria that had a baked potato bar. Let me repeat that: A BAKED POTATO BAR—bacon bits, sour cream, and adorable flecks of scallion. Basically, the high school cafeteria was the sort of carb heaven I will never again experience, unless I die and go to actual heaven, which I do picture as a world full of carbs and chocolate.
5. Crush spotting
I love writing YA because I love revisiting those feelings of first love and first longing. I was one of those girls who constantly had all-consuming crushes in high school, and the cafeteria was the one place where I knew I’d get a glimpse of whoever I was crushing on. Best part: there was always so much commotion I could stare and swoon without anyone noticing.
I’ve recently realized I have a weird obsession with high school cafeterias: The dynamics (who sits where). The smell (chicken nuggets mixed with antiseptic). The food (soggy crinkle-cut French fries). In What to Say Next, I wanted to write a story about two people making an unexpected connection, and so, of course, I decided to have their first encounter occur over lunch. A whole slew of events unravels purely because one character, acting on a whim, switches tables in the cafeteria. Although I sadly have never fallen in love over tater tots, below are some of my favorite memories from the high school cafeteria.
1. People-watching
In my adult life, I spend a ton of time creepily people watching in cafés, but I first mastered that skill in high school. I loved sitting back and taking note of all the groups around me. I adored noticing the gazillion power plays—the subtle ways in which we were all performing the act of being high schoolers.
2. Catching up with friends
I had a great group of girlfriends in high school, and though we were mostly in different classes throughout the day (my high school was pretty big), we’d always catch up over lunch. Now we’re spread all around the country, so we usually need to plan months in advance to connect over a meal!
3. Copying homework
I probably shouldn’t fess up to this (sorry, Mr. Suchy), but I often copied my best friend’s homework over lunch. Let’s be honest: it would be great if she were sitting next to me right now so I could crib her list for this piece.
4. Potato in all its forms
I’ve already mentioned crinkle-cut fries and tater tots, but let’s not forget those aluminum trays full of buttery mash. I was lucky enough to go to school with a cafeteria that had a baked potato bar. Let me repeat that: A BAKED POTATO BAR—bacon bits, sour cream, and adorable flecks of scallion. Basically, the high school cafeteria was the sort of carb heaven I will never again experience, unless I die and go to actual heaven, which I do picture as a world full of carbs and chocolate.
5. Crush spotting
I love writing YA because I love revisiting those feelings of first love and first longing. I was one of those girls who constantly had all-consuming crushes in high school, and the cafeteria was the one place where I knew I’d get a glimpse of whoever I was crushing on. Best part: there was always so much commotion I could stare and swoon without anyone noticing.