Hi there, I'm Jason Gots, and you're listening to Think Again, a Big Think podcast.

Once Upon a Time there was a rabbit. No, not a rabbit. Lewis Carroll already did that. How about an

Amazonian river dolphin? Okay. Once upon a a time there was an Amazonian River dolphin who wondered

about his cousins in the wide open ocean, free from mud and muck and strangling roots. Hey, it's not

much, but it's a start. Think back to any story you really loved as a child. Chances are it starts

with a tiny thread like this one. After that, it's up to the courage, imagination,

and perseverance of the storyteller, to write it, rewrite it, and get it out into the world

with all the perspiration that that entails. My guest today, Jacob Sager Weinstein, has pulled

this trick off brilliantly. He's the author of a smart, funny, utterly charming adventure trilogy for kids,

the first book of which is called Hyacinth and The Secrets Beneath. It weaves together a semi-mythical

history of London with details like a giant boar who communicates by handing out elegantly printed cards

appropriate to any occasion, including if the Queen of England happens to spill peanut butter

on your pet electric eel. Welcome to think again, Jacob. Thank you of England happens to spill peanut butter on your pet,

electric eel. Welcome to think again, Jacob. Thank you. It's great to be here. It's really

great to have you here. And we should say, what is the secret that we should reveal for the audience

right now? We have a past history. Yes, a dark and mysterious past history. It goes all the way back

to Washington, D.C., when we were

in high school many years ago, in a class that was probably maybe 60 kids in our class.

Yeah, and we will certainly talk about your books and writing, but how many years were we in

that same school together? From seventh grade to... So I was what they call a lifer. You were a lifer. You started in that school in nursery school and went all the way through high school. So sort of whenever you joined, I would have met you. Right, right. So I'm going to, we're going to, I think we'll keep the name of the school under wraps to protect the innocent and the dead. But for me, that would have been from seventh grade through 12th grade. And I don't know that I've seen you in person since we graduated, or at least since we had a mutual classmate and friend who passed away. Maybe I saw you. Oh, yeah, at the memorial for that school chapel. Yeah, yeah. So that would have been the last. Although I do listen to the podcast, so it's sort of like you're hanging out talking to me while I'm doing dishes. Right. But ignoring everything I say, which is very offensive. Yeah, and I apologize for that. That's okay. When the technology improves, I'll be listening. I'll be happy to respond. So first of all, this is relevant.

You moved to London at some point.

You grew up in America.

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