17 year old Marion Deal sits across me with a half shaved head. She grew up in a renaissance fair, travelled to China to study Kungfu, has already published her first book, is starting her career as a neuroscience researcher, and is one of the most well-read people I know. Today, I chat with Marion about her fascinating upbringing, the importance of creating spaces for weirdos, and her relentless drive for artistic and academic achievement. I must warn you, Marion speaks in a dense, academic manner that is hard to decipher, but if you slug it through, I promise that you will be just as intrigued by how this brilliant 17-year-old sees reality as I am.