“I’m going to miss this,” Hudson says, squeezing my hand so tightly, I’m afraid it might come off. I squeeze back even tighter. “And you.”
“It’ll be here next year, waiting for us. And the year after that … we’ll find the place in the world that’s like this. Or we’ll make it.”
“Yeah,” he says, putting his arm around me. “I like that. I think it won’t be hard to make it, either. I think … wherever you are feels like camp now.”
I pull his arms tight around me and take a deep breath. I can smell the grass and the trees outside, the hairspray and wood of the theater, the sweat of the actors and Hudson, that smell that I’ve given up trying to name, but that I know is him. All of it blends together and I can see a life extending from it in front of me, a future. Freedom, love … no, it’s better than that. It smells like home.
Transcript of L. C. Rosen’s Acknowledgments Speech for Camp, Given 5/25/2020
Oh my god, oh my god.
Rosen takes the mic on stage as applause dies down. He removes a piece of crumpled paper from his pocket.
I really didn’t expect this at all.
Rosen unfolds paper, looks at the award, then looks back at the paper.
I’m going to try to go quickly, though.
To orchestra: Don’t you play me off yet!
Rosen pauses, as though for laughter. There is none.
First of all, thank you to the Academy.
Rosen pauses—again there is no applause.
I’d like to start by thanking my family!
Rosen looks out at audience, in the direction of his parents.
My parents! I wouldn’t be here without your support. I wouldn’t even have tried writing without you. And to the rest of my family, thank you so much!
I, of course, need to thank my amazing agent, Joy, over at David Black. She’s always looked out for me and believed in me, and look!
Rosen holds up the award statue and shakes it in the air. One person in the audience claps.
Look what we did! Thank you so much to the entire team over at David Black—David, Gary, anyone else I’m missing, and Lucy at APA—thank you for all the hard work you do!
And I couldn’t have done this without Alvina at Little, Brown taking a chance on me and this project!
Rosen turns to Alvina in the audience.
Thank you so, so much. We make such a great team, and your constant guidance was inspirational! I really couldn’t have done it without you.
Rosen turns back to the rest of the audience.
To all the aspiring young writers out there—if you get a chance to work with Alvina, do it! Best career decision you could ever make! And thank you so much to everyone else at Little, Brown: Victoria, Alex, Ruqayyah, Christy, Michelle, Marisa, Jen, Emily, Natali, Valerie, Karina, Angelie, Sasha, Olivia, I know I’ve forgotten some people, I’m sorry, oh no, the man in the orchestra pit is looking at me. No! Don’t! Not yet! Just a few more names, I promise!
Rosen unfolds the paper again, revealing it to be even larger than it first seemed.
Thank you to my first readers! People who looked at early drafts and told me I wasn’t crazy: Robin, Adam, thank you! Couldn’t have done it without you!
Oh! And the UK team! I love the UK team. They shouldn’t be so far down the list!
Rosen looks up and shakes his head at this mistake, as though he hadn’t written the whole thing out.
Ben! Ben, you took such a strong lead with this, and you were my rock. You helped me get through so much of this. Everyone, if you have a chance to work with Ben, work with Ben! And Simon. Simon hates it when I say nice things about him, but, Simon, working with you is always a dream. Michael, oh, Michael, you too! You’re amazing. And Emma, Shreeta, Alice, and all the rest of the team at Penguin Random House UK, you are all a dream to work with, thank you!
Orchestra starts to play Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns.”
To orchestra: No! Come on! We were working so well together!
Fine, I’ll just talk over you, then!
Rosen yells over the orchestra.
And to my support system, my boys: Adam, Julian, Phil, Sandy, Adib, Caleb, Tom, Shaun, Cale!
Rosen beats his chest with a fist.
You are my everything—you keep me sane! And Lauren, Robin, Richard, Matt, Leslie, Theo, Staab, Skes, Molly, Laura, Desiree, Alexis, Ryan, Teri, T.S., Dahlia, Simon, Amy Rose, Cori, and so many others! I couldn’t keep doing what I’m doing without you!
The music begins to play louder. Behind Rosen, a man in a tuxedo steps forward. Rosen half turns and waves him away.
No! I still have more!
Rosen flips over the paper he’s been reading from.
My mentor, Dan, and all my teachers! I know I’m forgetting people, but—
The mic cuts out. The man in the tuxedo takes Rosen by the elbow. Rosen shakes him off, but the man grabs hold again.
Fine! Fine! Just one more: Chris, for being Chris. Thank you all so, so much!
He is being pulled off stage as he shouts this. The music swells and the curtain closes to light applause.
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The perfect read for fans of Sex Education.
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