Mr. Novelli

Last night I was waiting for a takeout order when an older man asked me what I do for a living? I told him and his eyes brightened. He said I might know one of his former students. He's a retired teacher, but back in the 1970s he was an 8th grade English teacher in Philly. He would travel to NYC to watch SNL, come back and act out scenes for his students. There was a girl in the back of his class who was very shy and always covering her face. Her cheeks were scarred when a burglar broke into her home and slashed her up. After that, she sat in the back of the classroom and didn't say much. He encouraged her and made her laugh with his impersonations. One day this shy student wrote a story, and he told her 'this is the only thing you should do for the rest of your life.' He told me that if I ever meet his former student -Tina Fey- I should tell her 'Mr. Novelli, from 8th grade English says hello!'