26 June 2009

I miss the magic place



"... but of course there is no logic to san francisco generally, a city built with putty and pipe cleaners, rubber cement and colored construction paper. it's the work of fairies, elves, happy children with new crayons. why not pink, purple, rainbow, gold? what color for a biker bar on 16th, near the highway? plum. plum. the light that is so strong and right that corners are clear, crisp, all glass blinding- stilts and buttresses and turrets- the remains of various highways- rainbow windsocks- a sexual sort of lushness to the foliage. only intermittently does it seem like an actual place of residence and commerce, with functional roads and sensible buildings. all other times it's just whimsy and faith. just driving to and from marny's, in the castro, is epic, this hill and that hill- oh, the sorrow of flat, straight illinois!- this vista and that, always the hills, the curves, the maybe our brakes will fail- it's always a kind of adventure in faded technicolor, starring a vast cast of brightly dressed losers."

from the book a heartbreaking work of staggering genius by dave eggers


san francisco, I hardly knew ye. still, I love thee.

22 comments:

  1. it's hard not to love that city, I think.

    love that book too. I should re-read it. :)

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  2. lovely bit of prose
    thank you for sharing it and the link
    i lived in SF 12 years until very recently
    memories sigh

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  3. what a passage! thanks for sharing. it was like poetry.

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  4. ohhhhhh, you're making me miss home - i moved away from SF last year, and pine for it like crazy!

    (you're also making me want to re-read "heartbreaking work...", but that's a slightly easier feat)

    thanks for the memories ;)

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  5. i have never read this book. i am so interested now.
    xo

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  6. Andrea, I love that book. Eggers writes like a man possessed sometimes. It is almost as if he's dragging it breathlessly up from somewhere deep inside him, wrenching it out and smearing it in its rawness over the page.

    (I've never commented before, but you write beautifully too!)

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  7. I love that book. It had great effect on me many years ago. It will remain near the top of my favorite books list forever, I think. Beautiful shot, too.

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  8. oh lovely one,
    it misses you,
    too :)

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  9. My beloved Zack is there, now, in San Francisco. He was asked to speak at Twitter and Google this week and oh, I so wanted to go! Mostly just to wander around the city. Love, love that place. My favourite gig was playing Cafe Du Nord there last year.

    And that book? Love it.

    "Here is a drawing of a stapler."

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  10. how have i not read this book...adding it to the summer reading list now...

    and that photo...it is as though pieces of mati rose's paintings or maybe the paintings in her mind have been scattered for one to find in that city. love those gorgeous colors and the textures of this photo...

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  11. you are so inspiring and cute.. when i am older i hope i am as colorful as you

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  12. Oh, how I love Mr. Eggers, what a crush. If you haven't seen his video on TED talks about his schools, you MUST. Not only is he a brilliant writer, and heartbreakingly funny, but a fantastic human being.

    I actually just read 3 Cups of Tea, and I think everyone needs to read that now :)

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  13. mmmmm san francisco. your flickr photos are lovely and the colors are exactly how the city feels. my bf and i are heading there this weekend and you've inspired me to photo-op. thanks :)

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  14. oh really i think there is no better description that dave egger's...seriously SF is perfection

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  15. Freaky... I read that line just last night. I have to admit, I'm not loving the Eggers book as much as the above commentors, but I did enjoy that description. It made me ache for a different type of city than where I am now (but isn't where we are now pretty lovely, too?).

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  16. and why don't you come visit, hulita? I'm here begging you! SF misses you too xo

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  17. Great quote! I have yet to read that book. I also love SF. I've been there a few times, and I love it so much, that I cannot wait to go back. The city manages to simultaneously feel like something shiny and new yet totally like home to me.

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  18. i know this post is about SF
    (& i do like that city quite a lot)
    but i just have to say that i love that book...
    so so much.

    :)

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  20. San Francisco is my tiny piece of Babylon.
    I feel so blessed to call it my home.
    What insightful writing on such an amazing city!
    Thanks for sharing!
    PS
    funkyfresh blog!

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  21. You captured that city so well - perfect words to express all it's multifariousness. I've never met anyone who doesn't love SF.

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  22. aw maaaaan, did i miss you again??

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