A conversation in ‘The Guardian’ with Jonathan Franzen a couple weeks away from the publication of his new big novel Crossroads:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/sep/25/jonathan-franzen-i-just-write-it-like-i-see-it-and-that-gets-me-in-trouble?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other.    

‘First paycheck I get, I thought, I'm going to get myself a room near the downtown L.A. Public Library.’

― Charles Bukowski, Ham on Rye

I had told myself and others and you that I’d probably get back to holding my sign this week. It had been since the pandemic started that I’d felt fulfilled like holding the sign fulfilled me. I set the alarm a little earlier last night. I put the sign out and the big bag I carry it in like I always did. But I woke up at 4-something this morning and couldn’t sleep and thought about today and decided there so much shakiness going on in the schools to get it right with vaccines and masks that me on the sidewalk with my sign would be just another thing. I’ll wait.