I was reading an early book on nanotechnology and being very impressed with myself for understanding it. This was on the bus, and when I got off the bus, the guy who had been sitting in front of me said, "I was going to say something about your book, but you looked so into it that I hated to interrupt."
Also, when I was trying to teach myself calculus from a Dummies book, I got lots of almost frightened looks on the bus, especially when I commented to someone that I wasn't reading it for class.
You know I don't talk to strangers, and that was just reinforced the time I was sitting on the train reading a book, and the guy standing in front of me was reading the same book, and I made some gesture of solidarity and he totally blew me off! People, man.
I made some gesture of solidarity and he totally blew me off!
What was the gesture? Because the shocker just puts people right off.
What was the gesture? Because the shocker just puts people right off.
Seriously??? Crap, I heard dudes were into that.
Because the shocker just puts people right off.
Pfft. Maybe you prudish Americans. In Europe it's a friendly gesture of affection.
Books are one of the only things which will prompt this kind of discussion
Clothes are what people talk to me about. And my lunchbox. Not that often my books. Except Godel, Escher, Bach, usually to ask me why.
Though I did see Bradley Cooper reading Middlesex while I was reading it, and I almost went over to talk to him about it. Coulda shoulda woulda.
Roald Dahl’s last words.
I expect his last two words to be mine.
I expect his last two words to be mine.
"Awww, shit," is likely for me.
Though my favorite last words were from the Irish writer Brendan Behan.
He was in a Catholic hospital, on his death bed, and attended by a nurse who was a nun. He stirred to consciousness as she wiped his brow and he said, "Ahhh, thank you sister, and may all your children be bishops."
It is apocryphal, but I like to think that Oscar Wilde's last words were really "Either that wallpaper goes or I do."