So there are now only 3 degrees of separation between this man and I, eh? Here's the story: I was in the cafe, after being stood up by Tracy (due to her forgetting I had errands to run, we narrowly missed each other; no matter, I spent the evening doing academic work and making my way through a huge bowl of hot chocolate). It was nearly closing time. I had "Frankenstein" on the table, and an older man sitting next to me struck up a conversation about it. He wore a nice scarf and clean black felt coat, and didn't strike me as too odd, just odd enough. His hands shook a little, and he was very deliberate in choosing his words. We got talking about great romantic novels, not Romantic with a capital R but love stories. He said his favorite was The Great Gatsby (also a favorite of mine), and then told me that a friend of his, after the first World War, was staying in London, in a hotel that Hemingway and the Fitzgeralds (F. Scott and Zelda) were also living in. Apparently this man's friend would dine and drink with them, and reported that F. Scott was "a brilliant conversationalist".
The man (whose name was CJ Gallagher) also asked me if I plan to write a novel. "What sort of novel would you write?" "I.. don't know!" I said, "I haven't really thought about it." Certainly, if I ever do, I will include CJ as a character.
In other news: Some new things for you to check out. Laura (who some of you know and love from parties both wild and obscure) has joined the blogworld. Three cheers for Laura! Also, a dear cousin (Ginger, in Oregon) has passed on this link to me...a nice place to go dream when Fredericton's winter gets harsh and cold. Also, though it's a little bit like reading Star and all those celebrity-bashing magazines, this is pretty funny, and Carolyn told me about it. So, go ahead and laugh. Now it's time for a weekend of equal parts relaxation (hot bath, shopping, etc) and work (papers, always papers). What are you all doing for this weekend? Better question: what is F Scott Fitzgerald doing this weekend? Getting a haircut, maybe.
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