When you were a kid, how often did you visit the library? Did you ever find yourself gravitating towards the cartoonish covers of the horror-comedy section, searching for a challenge? As you read them, maybe a shiver crept up your spine, or the hair on the back of your neck stood up. When faced with nightmarish creatures such as the living dead, werewolves, and haunted dummies, many scream in fear. However, R.L. Stine, beloved author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series–both classics of long afternoons at the library–instead laughs.

When R.L. Stine spoke with Mychal Threets (better known by his online epithet, Mychal the Librarian) on March 19th at the annual Marian McFadden Memorial Lecture, joy filled the air, and not only because R.L. Stine continuously made the audience burst into laughter. When he shared that his books make him laugh despite their gruesome content, many were surprised; yet, Stine’s novels typically take on a comedic element along with their inherent scariness. His books, Goosebumps in particular, often invoke strong feelings of nostalgia for Millennials and Gen Z; seeing colorful covers at Scholastic Book Fairs, fearing monsters under the bed, and showing off their tolerance for spookiness to friends are quintessential memories associated with the novels. So, 36-year-old PBS Kids librarian and content creator Threets dove right into this as he led the conversation with various questions–asking about everything from Stine’s intense prolific nature (300 books in 30 years) to his infamous one-fingered-typing-skills. Following the energy of the lecturers, the large crowd seemed to be hanging on to the writers’ every word, waiting for a punchline. 

When I asked R.L. Stine what advice he would give to young writers, he had something rather simple to say. “I don’t have advice. I always think if someone wants to be a writer, they’ll be like me and just write. You don’t need to tell them ‘read everyday!’ [or] ‘write everyday!’ … they’ll be like me and enjoy it a lot, if they love writing.” Of course, this idea may seem hackneyed to some teenagers, who have only seen his successes: R.L. Stine is the author of the extremely popular Goosebumps series, which has sold more than 400 million copies worldwide, and Fear Street, which has millions of sales as well as a (Halloween classic) Netflix series for young adults. However, Stine actually stumbled into the horror scene out of pure luck. “Everything that happened to me [was] an accident,” Stine shared in a brief interview right before he went on stage. He originally moved to New York with the plan to be an adult humor writer: an idea that soon fell flat. Unfortunately, “nobody wanted funny novels for adults,” he joked. And so, Stine was without a job. Eventually he was hired to write in the History and Geography section for Junior Scholastic, later having his own teen humor magazine called “Bananas,” and publishing as the “Jovial Bob Stine.”

Though his current career was not in his original deck of cards, Stine was able to find a unique audience at “Bananas,” one that he says turns out to be “the best audience there is.” And, surely, the kids feel the same way: hundreds crowded into the Madam CJ Walker Theatre adorned in spooky costumes, carrying the Goosebumps character “Slappy” in puppet form, and rushing to get their beloved novels signed by the esteemed writer. As incoming Vice President of the Library Foundation, Marcio Donatelli, justifies: “The library is not just a place for books, but for community as well.” 

Mychal Threets was definitely able to speak on that subject, as he joined Stine’s talk to spread joy and highlight the strengths of the public library system. Though Threets is best known for campaigning towards an adult Scholastic Book Fair (an idea that he shared as being “approved by the wrong person”), being a librarian for PBS, and supporting kids battling panic attacks and anxiety, he recently became a novelist too–in 2026, Threets released his debut novel, I’m So Happy You’re Here. It is, on the surface, a picture book about the feeling of excitement that comes from engaging with local libraries; however, it supports a special double meaning as well. As a librarian, Threets is happy to see children at the library, but also proud to see them enjoying life and staying curious despite struggling with mental health issues. The happiness that comes from the universal library experience–storytimes, free books, meals, and games–has fostered both literacy and connection for many in his fanbase. Threets has named this phenomenon “library joy,” and hopes that everyone, not just readers, can experience it. 

Put on by the Library Foundation, the Marian McFadden Lecture became a yearly event in 1978; since then it has brought other high-profile authors of children and adult books to an audience of around 1000 people every spring. The Library Foundation is a nonprofit organization that invests into the Indianapolis Public Library, helping balance taxpayer dollars in order to create free and accessible programs for all. “Many people don’t know this, but the special programs at the library are actually supported by donors, not taxpayer dollars,” Marcio Donatelli said during a chat before the McFadden lecture. Donatelli explained how the Library Foundation uses donations to put on community events which are free to the public; specifically, the Memorial Lecture, Summer Reading Program, and Concert Series. He also detailed how donors can give money to certain branches in underprivileged areas, contributing to a program that helps children and adults learn to read, write, and foster connections in unlikely places.

The Memorial Lecture was born of a large donation from the estate of Marian McFadden. After following her passion as a librarian and community caregiver when she was young, McFadden served as the Director of Public Libraries in Indianapolis from 1945-1956 as well, assuming a position that would allow her to connect with even more library kids. Her estate posthumously donated a sum that is able to bring culturally relevant authors to Indianapolis, and continue her legacy of sharing reading and joy with the Downtown community.