I’m a Brooklyn girl. Even when my family moved to the Bronx, I knew I’d return. And I did. So it seems funny that I never walked across the Brooklyn Bridge until last month. Then again, how many people play tourist in their own city?
Have you heard of Williamsburg, Virginia? Or Old Sturbridge Village, Massachusetts? Those are the places where people walk around in costume and show what it’s like to have lived in colonial times.
Who knew there was a version of that on Staten Island? Historic Richmond Town isn’t as large (yet) but it’s a fascinating way to spend the day, as I did with friends on Friday.
Coming in late summer, a new anthology by The Penheads:
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.
Happy Spring, Everybody!
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:
How hard could that be, right? Apparently high backs are in style with leather and some price tags have made me gasp.
Any suggestions?
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.
I wrote a post but it didn’t work. Instead, snippets of story ideas floated around my head and characters whispered behind my back. So I give in. I’m going to sit at the table with my characters and listen to what they have to say.
See you next week!
I was once stuck at a friend’s business function at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since we were limited to one small room and boring small talk, in desperation, she and I began to read every single card in the few glass cases available to us.
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