the hypnotist collector

Collected Road Thoughts: -words without translation — examples include the German weltschmerz and the Korean word for a certain kind of stress -societies that cannot be taught mathematics because of their lack of a number system and also the wonder of a new human (baby) applying their learned numbers to real-world things, like pieces of [...]

For as long as I had been driving highway 101 to or from Los Angeles I’ve been tempted to stop here: Initially, my desire kindled when I saw the magical words “Hearst Castle” for the same exit as the Madonna Inn.  But upon passing that hot pink sign visions of Greek Revival and Gothic dining [...]

The following letter was sent to the editor Pascal Covici by John Steinbeck, along with a box containing the manuscript of East of Eden: Dear Pat, You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said, “Why don’t you make something for me?” I asked you what you wanted, [...]

“The straight and the winding way are one and now that you are here what do the years count since last we two met together?  Men’s memories are uncertain and the past that was differs little from the past that was not.” “I been everwhere,” he said.  “This is just one more place.” “Did you [...]

Helen’s friend Lily works at the lovely new Scribe winery in Sonoma. She had us for a luncheon tasting on a rainy Norcal day. There is an old hacienda on the estate, built sometime in the 19th century. It seems not much has changed since then. The details were unique and very beautiful, especially all [...]

with love, from San Franicsco

Molly and I drove to Chicago last Friday we left at 10pm this gas station reminded me of this story (here, at 6:00, and here) eventually we made it to the North Shore and ate here, of course it was Halloween, and we were monsters we saw an old friend, whose mother made this (as [...]

Laura and I went to Poughkeepsie, a town most notable for being my dad’s birthplace we went to see this: from the train we saw this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollepel_Island we walked around Poughkeepsie for a while, trying to figure out how to get up to the bridge we made it we finally ate, here my dad remembers [...]

What a delightful surprise!  Thank you K.T. McMillan of TailorTaste for awarding me with an Honest Scrap!  Visit her wonderful site at http://www.tailortaste.com/ The guidelines for an Honest Scrap award are as follows: 1. Say thanks and give a link to the presenter of the award. (check!) 2. Share “10 Honest Things” about myself. 3. [...]