Foreign Tongues

Dropped by one of my favourite haunts on Larchmont at none other than Peet's Coffee. A bit out of the ordinary since it was a week night but I was craving a chai latte and some Moravagine reading. After finishing my cup of warm and utter deliciousness (and picking up my jaw after reading a few chapters in my book) it was time to make my way back home. I was actually headed to my car but stopped and made my way back to the tables outside so I could interrogate a reader I spotted from the corner of my eye.

I was instantly drawn to the foreign lettering I could make out on the pages. Marcus laughs when I ask him what he's reading. It's Dumas' The Black Tulip...translated from French...into Arabic. He actually just started it. I was deceived! I had thought he was almost done because it looked like he was nearing the end. Little did I know that books in Arabic start from right to left...like Japanese books.

Marcus warns me that he is not really fluent in Arabic however he did study it for 3 years at university. Although he grew up in Los Angeles he opted to attend McGill University in Montreal. "I wanted to go to school as far away as possible!"

Now here he was, back in Los Angeles, reading books in Arabic whenever possible as continuous practice. "I don't normally get to utilize the language so I do different things here and there to keep it up." Marcus got this copy of The Black Tulip from a bookstore in Garden Grove, apparently an "Arabic enclave". Similar to how Artesia (I believe it's Artesia) where there's a bustling Indian community.


I wondered if Marcus read nothing but Arabic translations. That would be dedication right there. No, he mixes it up. The last book he read was a post-modern work by Thomas Pynchon called Gravity's Rainbow. "This book resonates with our generation." Interestingly enough he found out about this book from a Facebook app. "Yeah it was one of those apps like 'Which book are you?'" Ahhhh yes, gotta love social media.

"This book...I think it is probably one of the most depressing books in American Literature. And it is no easy read. It is as difficult to read as The Satanic Verses...or Naked Lunch."

I chuckled and told him I was currently reading Moravagine. I recited a short quip from the back of the book: "At once truly appalling and appallingly funny, Blaise Cendrars's Moravagine bears comparison with Naked Lunch -- except that it's a lot more entertaining to read."

Marcus continues with his commentary. "Books with nonsensical prose...the writing style is definitely not easy to understand."

Favourite book? It would have to be something by Ernest Hemingway. Marcus paused to sift through the various titles in his head and settled on A Moveable Feast. "It is not one of his famous or well-known works but essential for us to read and get a taste of the Paris flight and the Lost Generation." Marcus has read the book in its entirety and from time to time he picks up the book and reads random chapters. "It's like scripture and reading the Bible. I read a random chapter here and there, then digest what I read. Life IS a moveable feast. The book takes you into the bohemian lifestyle of the Lost Generation.
They were hedonistic!
They were debaucherous!
Let's move to Paris! Be expatriates! Let's sit at cafes and have heated discussions about this and that! The plight of the world! Let's!"

Another work that resonated with him when he was younger was John Donne's "Death Be Not Proud". The words really affected him. He looks back and realizes that even back then he was drawn to darker and depressing themes.

Would he say that Hemingway was his favourite author? No, not at all. "I know my favourite book is written by him but I wouldn't categorize him as my favourite author of all time. He used techniques that I don't necessarily like. I tutor 5th graders and I have them read Hemingway. I figured it would be a great thing for them since I enjoyed his works when I was younger. I guess my tastes have drastically changed now that I am older..."

I probe him about books he read as a child. Surely he must've read books on the lighter side as a young lad. He remembers reading The Little Prince and disliking it. "I just didn't understand it. It touches on adult themes and it didn't make sense to me." I suggested he read it again now with an adult eye. It is one of my favourite books and I wholeheartedly believe that the themes will surely strike a chord in him if he revisits the book now.



When asked what he would write about if he were to write his own book I had truly stumped him. "Is it awful that I absolutely can't come up with anything?" I thumb through my memory rolodex and share a few topics from previous interviews but still nothing. I opt to move on however he was determined to nip this in the bud.

"I mean, I go on Google docs all the time and jot down so many random notes and prompts yet I can't think of them now!" Marcus pefers reading non-fiction prose and historical fiction so he feels his own book would be in that vein.

"I guess I'd like to write about my experiences now. And I suppose my writing style would be similar to that of Perks of Being a Wallflower. The style is very colloquial and modern. I have to admit that I actually loathe that writing style. It's awful trash! But I suppose if I want to translate my personal experiences to paper it will be in my conversational voice."

Marcus hones in and gets granular on his book's subject matter. "Ok...my book would be about all of my sexual experiences. Think about it. Sex is everywhere and in everything. It drives people, you see them in ads. When it comes down to it sex is our basic purpose as human beings -- to procreate. It's the compass in our heads that navigates our journey. Sex drives and libidos! We have it all!"

We talk about the neighbourhood, how he lives a few blocks down, and my desire to move closer to Larchmont or other neat 'hoods like Los Feliz, Silverlake, Echo Park or Downtown. I need a change from my little nest in Hollywood. Although I'm close to Larchmont I want to stumble over on foot at my leisure. He tells me that his friend is opening up a coffeeshop close by, right by the Larchmont Medical building. They are even going to carry Intelligentsia coffee! Should be opening in a few months and he will be working there. I will definitely have to check it out.