Manic Mondays

Hectic week is an understatement! Monday was pretty insane it was only Monday! And the fact that I am posting this on a Wednesday night is proof that this week is merciless. I did just come back from art class (intro to drawing), a class that forces me out of the office before 6pm. Got some free-form drawing in, played with watercolors and charcoal -- I feel better about things!

I managed to find some sanity on Monday when I took time to leave the office and get "lunch". And by lunch I mean in liquid form but I had to pick up lunch for a fellow pea so on to the Baja Fresh next door to the Jamba Juice.

Clovis (like the city in California) was sitting by the window and the salsa bar. I was pressed for time so I initially walked out on this op to talk to him but I couldn't stop staring at him through the glass as I was walking away. Volte-face!

Clovis is originally from New York and was only in LA for work for a few days. He's reading Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. This happens to be a book he bought at the airport bookstore. "I'm actually amazed by the great books I've come across in these places!" (Krakauer happens to be the same author of the novel turned major motion picture Into the Wild.) Into Thin Air is about a man who climbed Mt. Everest with a team of about 10, based on a true story. 9 of the climbers died and the story revolves about the surviving member.



Clovis is becoming a fan of Jon Krakauer's work and also read Into the Wild. He also watched the movie. Always curious to see how people feel about books turned movies I find out that Clovis actually did enjoy the movie adapation of the novel. Yes, the movie did leave out many details, as most movies do, but he feels that the film was pretty faithful and entertaining.

Clovis is such an avid reader and admits to getting lost in books whenever he can! When he's not with anyone you can always find him absorbed in a book. Sunday brunches alone? No worries! All he needs is a book and sometimes he just likes spending Sunday brunches hunched over his meal and a book. I shared with him my Sunday brunch story from the day before at a new place in Silverlake called Local. I noticed many solo diners accompanied with their books. It was so great!

The last book he read was Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden and really appreciated and became entranced by the story. Most of the books he reads, if not all, are friend recommendations. He's not really one to pick a book on a whim from bookstores. He'd rather get the thumbs up endorsement from a friend. One thing he did mention was that he carried a list of books he wants to eventually read. We all day we have a list of sorts but Clovis actually whipped out his wallet and showed me a physical list! No joke! A few books on his list I noticed were The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin, The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, and Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson.

Favourite book of all time? Willa Cather's Death Comes For the Archbishop because it's about New Mexico in the 1850s and seeing as this was his home state he felt a kinship with the story. That and it was well-written.

Growing up Clovis enjoyed Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. Clovis loved that she was this child spy spying on all her friends. He loved this idea so much that he had his own spy notebook and attempted to solve crimes and mysteries on his own!

If he were to write his own book it would be about growing up gay. He'd love to write about his own experiences growing up and have it be a memoir. Clovis says that it would be in the same vein of The Best Little Boy in the World by John Reid and Andrew Tobias. Hopefully his book can be a book other people can turn to and be helpful. It's a tough time in someone's life and it would be nice to have a book/experiences for them to turn to for insight and guidance.



What life experience of your own would you like to write about?