Thread by @seananmcguire

I have just come from the National Book Festival Gala at the Library of Congress, which is bigger and fancier than I ever knew it was, and I have just instigated the best bit of mischief ever.

I was on my way out with @charliejane (we were sharing a Lyft) when we were instructed to go in and see the Reading Room, which is huge and spacious and domed.

@charliejane Being me, I went directly to "I bet the acoustics in here are amazing WE SHOULD TEST THEM," and then, wonder of wonders, serendipity of serendipities...a woman standing nearby said "I'm LITERALLY an opera singer."

@charliejane "Sing opera!" we cajoled. But she was a lawful good soprano (rare), and said no opera without consent.

@charliejane Again, being me, I promptly bounced up to everyone else in the room and said "We have an opera singer here, we want to test the acoustics, do you mind?" No one minded. I told her we had consent.

@charliejane She took a deep breath...

...and sang beautiful opera in the Library of Congress Reading Room. In Italian. The high notes shook the heavens. Whatever opera she sings with is lucky to have her.

@charliejane The security guards were looking in and grinning while she sang. No one seemed to mind our harmless, not-bad-for-the-books mischief.

@charliejane And that is how @charliejane and I made things weird at a very fancy party.