Keith Gets More Than He Bargained For
Keith was waiting for me when I arrived this morning. He was receptive to the idea of speaking to a film crew that was there to tape footage for an upcoming internet TV segment. He had two books to return and found two more. He told me he would visit us on Saturdays, but he can't because he helps out at the Portland Saturday Market. See you next week, Keith!
Read more about the day at Skidmore Fountain at www.suezalokar.com
Dante's On the Road
He made certain to return his book during today's shift. Said he's packing up to head for Georgia, where his parents are in failing health, and he wants to check on them. His current plan is to start off on bicycle, and hope for work along the way, and food and shelter where he can find it. Good luck and safe travels to you, Dante. Hope the road is kind to you.
Daniel Forbes Donated His Own Books
His novel Derail This Train Wreck came out this year, and is a "rollicking dystopian noir." Forbes has published widely in places like Salon, Slate, The Village Voice, and others. Thanks for the donation, Daniel, and best of luck with the book.
Linus Chose Kerouac Mixed With Burroughs
I'll bet that's a hell of a cocktail, those 2 authors. Haven't read And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks, but it's a book co-written by the authors in 1945, before they were famous Beat Generation writers. It's the story of a murder which actually took place -- both Burroughs & Kerouac went to jail for not turning their friend in, after he came to each of them and confessed. Burroughs' family bailed him out, but Kerouac's Pop let him serve the time. Both Ben and Linus were headed to San Francisco, so they were concerned about taking the books. When I told them I have a PO Box, they were relieved, and said they'll send the books back once they've made it.
Ben Wanted the Dharma Bums
He's headed to San Francisco, and then not sure where after that. His traveling companion, Linus, tried to convince him that On the Road (which I also had, since Dante had just returned a copy this morning) was a better Kerouac to start with, but Ben stuck with the Bums.
Mystic Miracle Chose a Steamy Romance
And she opted to have her dog pose with it, (to a marvelous effect, I think). "Your patrons are getting hairier and hairier," Dante observed. Mystic chose Johanna Lindsey's Love Only Once. I sped-read a J. Lindsey novel on the MAX train to my library shift one day, and she definitely doesn't scrimp on the sauce, if you know what I'm saying.
Eric Went West
He hails from Wyoming, and likes to read stories about cowboys and their horses. He's been my most faithful consumer of Louis L'Amour this summer. Today he checked out Close Range by E. Annie Proulx and All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. Don't know yet whether Proulx's story "Brokeback Mountain" will be more than Eric can handle or not. Pretty sure L'Amour never wrote 2 cowboy characters that fell in love. But I could be wrong.
Cody's in From Seattle
He pushed off for Portland after his mom passed away, and is seeking his fortune in our fair city. He said, "People have certain ideas about the homeless, but it's just not right. I know how to do so many things..."
Ben Chose Naked Lunch & Don Quixote
That ought to keep him busy a while. Some might consider it an odd combination, but I'll bet it will work just fine.
Ben Checked Out 3 Books
One of them was Trevayne, by Robert Ludlum. It's about Andrew Trevayne, a powerful, self-made millionaire who is "swept up in a tidal wave of intrigue and danger," according to the back of the book. Ben definitely appreciates reading as a way to get out of his head for a while. Hope this one helps.
John Chose the Mysteries
Our regular patron, Ben, loaned him Persuader, by Lee Child, and he liked it, so they both came to the street library to get John's name on it. He also checked out a J.A. Jance novel.
Kate Chose The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
I was off-duty but happened to be carrying 2 giant bags of paperbacks, and she was happy to get a book. The paintings she showed me were really lovely -- she's talented, for sure. She suggested I stock some art books in the street library, and I think that's a great idea.
John Took Motherless Brooklyn
One of my favorites, a novel by Jonathan Lethem. John's been making it to both the Wednesday & Saturday Street Books shifts to get new books, and it's always a pleasure to talk with him.
Chris Chose MacBeth
It's a gorgeous graphic novel, and we both decided it was a very tasty way to ingest some Shakespeare.
AB Came Around
I sort of think of him as someone who has been there since the very beginning, since that first fateful Street Books shift when he rolled up and studied our contraption and said, "Have you got a permit for that thing?" The rest is history, and AB is a great supporter of our project these days. He said he's going to retire in a few years and become a gypsy. I'll bet we'll have a couple of paperbacks to send along with him, when the times comes.
