What I remember about Gracie Abrams in middle school is when she would hop the fence to get to the convenience store before we’d ride the bus home together. Other kids were doing it too, she was no delinquent—but it was the way in which she specifically scaled that fence. Her combat boots and her hair in a ponytail. I remember looking at her and thinking, “You are Katniss.” It was then when I first felt the excitement of being along for the ride of Gracie’s life. But really, observing Gracie does not hold a candle to what it is like to talk with her and to be her friend. She is a globally recognized writer and performer, she is Grammy-nominated, and she is freshly 26. She is a special person. Razor-sharp and smart, which makes her fun. She is driven and so thoughtful about the world and why it works the way it does, or doesn’t. She is protective, and beautifully sensitive. Gracie is funny and has opinions, even when the opinion is “This is not something I care about.” Either way, all the time, she is deeply interesting, she is creative, and she is my bar for friendship in this life. Hard to beat.
Hobert is a singer-songwriter