Time for Once, Chapter One: Setting Inspiration
Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this is an actual photo (of a seated cartoon Jolie) and is the setting of Chapter One. Commonly referred to as an “auditorium,” in Time for Once, it is called a lecture hall.
What’s the big whoop, right? It’s a university building used for teaching various academic things. But, it means so much more in my reality and even more so in my imagination. This lobby is why I wrote the book. I talk about my past and its connection to the story in an Author Note, which will publish with the book in 2023.
For now, I’ll leave you with a section from the opening paragraph of Time for Once. Here, Jolie sits and waits in the empty lobby on a cold winter morning.
Jolie knew what she had to do once he walked out those doors, but wished she could skip to the part where she had already done it. Instead, time crawled forward, suspending her in endless anticipation. Waiting wasn't the worst—no. Time was.