I’m one of those authors who works in coffee shops. You know . . . the ones who sit at the dark and dusty tables at the back, plugged into a laptop, hoping nobody notices they’ve been there FOUR HOURS ALREADY. But coffee shops are great places to work, I find. It feels like a treat, and there’s no one to interrupt me (as long as I switch off the wifi). I forget who it was, but an author once wrote that working in coffee shops was his way of making a solitary activity feel social in some way.
I totally agree.
Unfortunately, though, the blissful routine of writing occasionally gets interrupted. Today is just such a moment. My barista for the past year, Robin, is leaving to move to Los Angeles. Now, this may not seem like a big deal, but one of the lovely things about being a coffee shop regular is the way folks always spare a moment to chat, and ask how the writing is coming. It’s really cool to know that someone is interested in what you do.
Robin will make it into the acknowledgments for FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB, of course. And she’s promised to pop along if I have a signing in L.A., but it’ll be strange not to see her around anymore.
Safe travels, Robin. And thanks for the coffee!
