(May 10, 2006) — With the recent release of budding comedian Amanda Bynes’s latest cinematic endeavor, She’s the Man , attention is once more being paid to the art of transforming Shakespearean classics into modern-day tales of teenage love and lust for the big screen. The next film that comes to mind after She’s the Man (which is based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night ) is Columbia Tri-Star’s infamous 10 Things I Hate About You, released in 1999 and starring then-newcomers Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles (based on The Taming of the Shrew ). Despite the obvious names that decorate the credits of the two films, one person who hasn’t received as much attention—although it is deserved—is Kirsten Smith, who wrote the screenplays for both films, in addition to those for Legally Blonde and Ella Enchanted . Smith made an appearance at the Glendale Central Library on April 19 to speak about her first novel, The Geography of Girlhood , after a free screening of 10 Things I Hate About You. About 15 Clark students were in attendance. Upon approaching the microphone after an enthusiastic round of applause, Smith was greeted with the eager faces of dedicated fans and newcomers alike. She gave a quick overview of how she became a screenwriter, beginning with her education at Occidental College, where, coincidentally, she was classmates with English teacher Carol Pettegrew. “When I met her in college, I thought she was an amazing poet and she wasn’t aware of how good she was. I’ve saved copies of her poems, an so I’m really excited to see how far she’s gotten,” Pettegrew said. What followed was an intense question and answer session, in which topics ranging from inspiration to deep dissections of The Geography of Girlhood were brought up. When asked about her influences, Smith replied, “I don’t know about my greatest influence as a writer…but as a person…probably Madonna.” Organized by Teen Librarian Bridgid Fennel, the event was one of many aimed at attracting teens to the library ever since the establishment of a legitimate Teen section, much to Fennel’s satisfaction. “Until recently there hasn’t been a teen space that was prominent or easy to find. I used to joke that it was in the armpit of the library under the stairs in a dank corner,” she said.