J. M. Levinton

The Saga of the Chair, Part Three

• April 24, 2017
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I bought a chair. And I confess, I’ve never paid so much for one. But it’s exactly what I asked for, a workhorse that I can sit in for 17 hours a day without the seat cushion flattening and putting the back curve out of alignment. These things matter, people.

There were also chairs designed for 24/7 sitting, industrial-strength chairs built for professions like police dispatch, but I decided I didn’t need to go to that extreme.

And there were other chairs I tried out, perfectly acceptable chairs that fit my criteria that simply didn’t feel comfortable. I can’t imagine buying one without sitting in it first.

While the chair above is the one I bought, this will be the fabric and color:

It should be ready in about three weeks. And my advice is, get a good chair. The cost doesn’t matter. The fit and longevity matters. Your job as a writer matters. Treat yourself accordingly.

Spring in Brooklyn

• April 17, 2017
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Happy Spring, Everybody!

The Saga of the Chair, Part Two

• April 10, 2017
• Blog
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Photo by paulgorman

Almost two years ago, I wrote about my search for a replacement desk chair. I thought the search was over but the replacement…sucks. It looked like my old chair but the seat cushion flattened and the back doesn’t let me settle into it like the old one did. I lived in that chair. So I’m off to search once again. Here’s my requirements:

1. The chair must be synthetic. I prefer fabric but fake leather would be acceptable.
2. The chair must be a mid to low back. High backs annoy me.
3. It must cost less than my rent.

How hard could that be, right? Apparently high backs are in style with leather and some price tags have made me gasp.

Any suggestions?

Reading Books Inside Books

• April 03, 2017
• Blog
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Photo by g_leon_h

Do you do this? I was reading Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day by Winifred Watson, when the main character mentioned characters created by Ethel M. Dell. Curious, I looked her up and yes, she existed. She was a romance writer from 1911 to 1939. So I tracked down one of her books and read it. And now when I reread that line spoken by Miss Pettigrew, I feel an extra satisfaction: I know exactly what she’s referring to.

It was almost a throwaway line. Miss Pettigrew didn’t explain who the author was, she assumed the other characters knew—and the reader as well. Yet it made no difference if I knew or not, the context given was explanation enough. I was just curious.

It’s not the first time I’ve done this. In Mary Poppins in the Park, author P. L. Travers created a story from The Silver Fairy Book. I read every “color” fairy book compiled by Andrew Lang before conceding defeat—the author had made up the book. The most frustrating part of it was the story she wove—it sounded like it should have been real, and I wanted to read it.

So, do you do this? Do you hunt down a book mentioned in a novel? I have no explanation as to the pleasure I get in the hunt and subsequent reading, but it would be nice to know I’m not alone.