We All Looked Up (34 page)

A NOTE ON THE MUSIC

For a while, Eliza floated along with just the sound, until a few of the lyrics clarified in her conscious mind—something about the number of lovers someone would get in a lifetime. Eliza realized that Andy had written this song for her . . .

As a singer-songwriter and novelist, I've long dreamed of bringing my two passions together in one project. And as soon as I realized that some of the characters in
We All Looked Up
were going to be musicians, I knew I'd found my moment.
We All Looked Up: The Album
is my attempt to bring the songs of the book—and a few others written on the general themes of the book—to life. Visit my website for a free song download or to buy the whole album in digital or physical form. The record is also available at all major online retailers, and probably some minor ones too.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the record!

—Tommy

tommywallach.com

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First off, thanks to John Cusick, literary agent and fashion plate. You made me replace that terrible second half. Next up, Christian Trimmer, editor and humanitarian. You made me replace that only
slightly
less terrible second half all over again. Then there's Lucy Cummins, who designed my cover, for which she deserves a medal made out of chocolate. General thanks to everyone at Simon & Schuster, for being warm and welcoming.

A shout-out to the hundreds of coffee shops that have allowed me to sit and write over the last twelve years and seven novels (“I had a tea the other day!” “You couldn't pay.” “Oh yeah . . .”), including Kávé, where most of
We All Looked Up
was written.

Thanks to my many forgiving mentors, especially Seth Kurland, who gave me sage advice about plotting that I should have listened to sooner. Also to Thomas Ertman, for all the notes, and to Jeanine Rogel, for the wild horse.

Love to my family: Stephanie Wallach (mom), Bob Dedea (alternating father/brother figure and artistic comrade-in-arms), Stephen Terrell (the distant fatherly type), Doug Myers (father and IT expert), and Ryan Davis (brother).

Finally and foremost, to Tallie Maughan. First you taught me to be an artist, then you taught me to be a man. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Photograph by Tallie Maughan

Tommy Wallach is a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and novelist. His fiction and nonfiction works have appeared in 
McSweeney's
,
Tin House
,
Wired
,
Salon
, and other magazines, and he is the recipient of a MacDowell Colony Fellowship. As a musician, he has put out an EP with Decca Records and performed at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.
We All Looked Up
is his debut novel. Read, hear, and stalk him at
TommyWallach.com
.

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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Text copyright © 2015 by Tommy Wallach

Jacket design by Lucy Ruth Cummins

Jacket photograph copyright © 2015 by Meredith Jenks

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Book design by Lucy Ruth Cummins

The text for this book is set in Garamond.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Wallach, Tommy.

We all looked up / Tommy Wallach. — First edition.

pages cm

Summary: The lives of four high school seniors intersect weeks before a meteor is set to pass through Earth's orbit, with a 66.6% chance of striking and destroying all life on the planet.

ISBN 978-1-4814-1877-5 (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4814-1879-9 (eBook)

[1. Meteors—Fiction. 2. Self-realization—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction.

4. High schools—Fiction. 5. Schools—Fiction. 6. Science fiction.]  I. Title.

PZ7.W158855We 2015

[Fic]—dc 3

2014004565