Tastiest Little Piece of Fiction I’ve Gulped Down in Some Time

Okay-it’s a snack, maybe an hors d’oeuvre, or even more appropriate…tapis-as it does come from South America. When last in Seattle I stumbled upon Luis Fernando Verissimo’s yummy little piece of fiction called Borges and the Eternal Orangutans. The mention of Borges made me shudder like a dog on point, and the cover art by Fernando Botero pretty much sealed the deal that this one was coming home with me.

I can’t tell you how pleased I was to discover this gem. The story is based upon the life of a mouse of a man named Vogelstein, who decides to attend the annual meeting of the Israfel Society (named after a poem of E.A. Poe’s just in case you missed the reference) which is in fact devoted to the study of Edgar Allen Poe in hopes of meeting his hero, Jorge Luis Borges who he had accidentally insulted decades before.

See-it’s already sounding complicated and he’s not even left his dreary little apartment or his recently deceased cat yet. There is a wonderful moment (actually a few) when one character is toppled over at the opening reception because of his twitchy and introverted character that seems to make him nearly invisible to those around him. He of course becomes a key suspect later in the story.

The crux of the story is that of a “locked door” murder which Vogtelstein discovers. The seriously unlikable Rotkopf (another conference attendee) is stabbed to death in front of a mirror in his hotel room. Does his body make the shape of an I? An M? an X? Can the woman with the seductive mole on her breast be trusted? Along with the assistance of the local constabulary, it somehow falls to Vogelstein and his literary inspiration, the aged, and dying George Borges to solve the case.

Above all it’s a whip-clever little book. Literary references—not just to Poe and Borges, but also to the Bible and to the titular monkeys who might produce a Shakespeare play if sat for an eternity before a typewriter—abound. Verissimo blends mystery, highbrow literary commentary, and philosophical speculation while spinning a suspenseful, believable plot that keeps the reader completely enthralled throughout. The characters are equally ingenious; I found myself aching to be there in Vogelstein’s stead listening to the gravelly voice of Borges.

My only compunction to issuing this raving review is this…sadly I am not able to track down any of Verissimo’s other work which has been translated into English. So, it would appear that should I decide to continue my romance with this brilliant writer I’m going to have to learn to read Spanish. I think that would have pleased Borges.

Tell Janet I Said Hello..Vesuvio and City Lights in San Francisco

After a week in San Francisco I found lots of things I liked, and a few that I didn't like. Some things met my expectations and some didn't. One thing that truly missed the mark in a BIG way was the City Lights Bookstore. I was really looking forward to this little piece of history tucked away in the North Beach area. I was SERIOUSLY disappointed.

But, right next door the Beat Movement got some of its historical glimmer back for me in the form of the Vesuvio's. This unofficial bar of the Beat Writers is located right next door. I'd give my eye-teeth for the amazing oak bar. And, Janet, who at first appears to be just a really cool woman who's worked there for 30 years, then let slip that she owns the joint, is one of the nicest bartenders I've met in many a year.

Make sure to check out Poet's Alley outside and the cool mural. Here's the poem scribbled outside:

When the shadow of the grasshopper
Falls across the trail of the field mouse
On green and slimy grass as a red sun rises
Above the western horizon silhouetting
A gaunt and tautly muscled Indian warrior
Perched with bow and arrow cocked and aimed
Straight at you it's time for another martini

A wee bit of history of the joint. In October of 1955 Neal Cassidy (Dean Moriarity of "On The Road") stopped by for a shot of liquid liberation at Vesuvio's on his way to a poetry reading at the Six Gallery. It was at this moment that Vesuvio's became the official pub of choice for the Beats. Vesuvio's was established in 1948 and also has the distinction of being the place where Jack Kerouac holed up and cancelled a meeting with author Henry Miller, who wanted to meet the young author after reading and being impressed by "Dharma Bums." Henry waited it out in Big Sur as Jack whiled away the hours at Vesuvio's. The night got longer, and the meeting never occurred.

Back to the letdown of City Light's. Okay-I'm all for a book store. I LOVE a book store. I go to cities just to visit their book stores. But, I have to be completely honest, City Light's didn't live up to the hype. First, most of their stock is trade paper. I guess this is the price range of the hundreds upon hundreds of tourists who troop through the front door every day looking for a glimmer of the Beat hotspot. But, I just wanted a book. I thought it would be a rockin bookstore that I'd while away the hours at...not. The help is not exactly fantastic either. Okay-I'd be tired of "Hey, do you have blah, blah, blah" from a million tourists, but maybe I thought that a booker would recognize the soul of a true book lover. Apparently not. My friend got barked at and I got disappointed when I asked if they had any other work translated into English by Luis Fernando Verissimo and the guy looked at me as if I had asked if he wouldn't mind terribly if I peed in his hand. I'm not sure if he'd not heard of Verissimo or if he had a personal beef with the Brazilian, but City Light's can't help you if you're looking for his work.

So, the good and the bad, the touristy and the terrible. What did I truly expect? Well, I dreamed I'd find a dusty signed copy of Little Big. What I found was a great salty dog next door. Life is just full of compromise.