Julia Smillie!

Julia Smillie is one of those people you’re always happy to see; no matter how many things you’ve got going on at once, Julia walks in, and it feels like your birthday. Another long-time volunteer, Julia has helped with everything from tutoring to in-schools to workshops to events. She became indispensable to us when she spearheaded an intensive journalism project at Tappan Middle School a couple of years ago. Since then, she’s continuously taught a fiction workshop for high school students; held down the fort, as it were, at our rummage sale; developed and implemented other in-school projects; helped oodles of high schoolers work out their college essays; and sat at an 826michigan booth during rain, shine, and freezing cold when we couldn’t find anyone else to do it.

And I can’t believe it took us so long to get to this: Julia is absolutely, completely, without question or the merest shadow of a doubt, one of the funniest people ever to walk this earth. No kidding, the girl is hilarious, in a charming, intelligent, and usually sarcastic way. She can always, always make you laugh, bottom line.

Some other things you might not know about Julia:

• She’s Scottish, born and raised.
• Nine times out of ten, when you compliment her on her sweater or her gloves, she says, “Oh this? I knitted it.”
• She is a fantastically talented writer!
• Lastly, and most importantly: she leads the life you want to. If you need proof, visit her blog.